The closing work of the 2014-15 season at La Scala should have been the world premiere of Gyorg Kurtag’s new opera Fin de Partie, which the composer was not able to finish in time, and has been postponed to the next season. As a replacement, the company scheduled Alban Berg’s Wozzeck with the fourth revival of the 1997 Jürgen Flimm production.

The set designed by Erich Wonder provides a convenient setting for the tightly knit events that build the dramatic action. A red colored structure in the center of the stage thus hosts the Captain’s cabinet, Marie’s room, the barracks where Wozzeck vainly tries to go to sleep, the tavern where he brings his bloodshed knife, as well as the outdoors scenes. With openings on the back, the sets also provide a double setting when Marie in her room looks at the Drum-major outside. In the finale, the children dance across the stage and come and go through the sets, while it is the madman who finally tells Marie’s son that his mother has died.

The costumes by Florence von Gerkan conveniently hint to the human deterioration which characterizes Wozzeck’s world.

In the pit, conductor Ingo Metzmacher, a specialist of the 20th century repertoire and a veteran of this score, emphasized the sonorities and the dissonances in Berg’s musical writing. The orchestra followed the Maestro with great care.

On the stage, baritone Michael Volle was an ideal Wozzeck, not only for his outstanding vocal interpretations, but also on account of a perfect physique-du-role, which made him identify with the tragically naive character.

Also compelling were the other male singers: Roberto Saccà as a slimy Drum-major, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, a mean Captain who plays with Wozzeck as with a toy, Alain Coulombe as the doctor, and Rudolf Johann Schasching as the madman.

Soprano Ricarda Merbeth as Marie displayed a wide range with a perfectly in tune top.

The performance was successful, in spite of the numerous empty seats, both in the orchestra and in the boxes. But this is often the case at the end of the season, with the audience waiting for the new opening coming up in December, which this year will mark the tenure of a new music director, and promises to bring a stellar cast to La Scala.