Lohengrin (DVD): Konwitschny, Weigle, Treleaven, Magee, DeVol, Ketelsen (2006)
Stage director: Peter Konwitschny
Conductor: Sebastian Weigle
Lohengrin: John Treleaven
Elsa von Brabant: Emily Magee
König Heinrich: Reinhard Hagen
Friedrich von Telramund: Hans-Joachim Ketelsen
Ortrud: Luana DeVol
Heerrufer: Robert Bork
Vier Brabantische Edle: Vicenc Esteve Madrid, José Luis Casanova, Francisco Santiago, Stefan Kocan
Edelknaben: Eun Kyung Park, Gloria Lopez Perez, Sandra Codina, Miglena Savona
Gottfried Andy McGurk
Mädchen: Margarida Buendia, Angelica Prats, Rosa Cristo, M. Josep Escorsa
Sets and costumes: Helmut Brade
Lighting: Manfred Voss
Chorus Master: José Luis Basso
Recorded at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 24. and 27. July 2006
- Search for Peter Konwitschny's production of Lohengrin on Amazon
- Werner
Herzog's more traditional Lohengrin on Amazon
- Lehnhoff's production of Lohengrin on Amazon
A wonderful new reading of Lohengrin from Peter Konwitschny, generally known as the classroom Lohengrin because all the action takes place in a classroom. The characters are children playing with wooden swords throwing things around like unruly children. Surprising and thought-provoking situation occurs throughout the whole production. The interaction between the characters are superbly directed with lots of great attention to detail. If you are looking for a semi-staged production to accompany your snoring through the absurd drama of the conflict between the spiritual world and the lower human world, this production should be avoided.
For the record it should be noted that this production is regarded as the worst opera production ever by some traditionalists because they feel it has noyhing to do with Wagner's Lohengrin.
Peter Konwitschny often has unexpected endings, and when Lohengrin delivers the transformed swan, Gottfried, as a Führer (in this production the title is not retouched to "Schützer") in military clothing and with a machine gun, it forces the viewers to rethink what he has just seen and consider the production as a criticism of German culture and the mentality leading up to Adolf Hitler and the second World War.
Emily Magee is superb as Elsa von Brabant. She plays the frightened insecure girl with lots of charm, humor and vulnerability. A wonderful performance!
And even if I have reservations about Luana DeVol's vibrato, she is a thrill to watch and hear in this production as the foxy, schlau and totally inedible Ortrud.
Both Reinhard Hagen's König Heinrich, Hans-Joachim Ketelsen's Telramund and Robert Bork's Heerrufer convinces with lots of irony.
Irony and humour doesn't seem to be John Treleaven's strength, but he gives everything here, unfortunately with a rather unpleasant vibrato.
Reviews and comments
Humour is also a tool here, but this is a terrifying examination of the irrational fervour of a crowd and the charismatic power of a leader.
Barry Millington, The Wagner Journal
For Stefan and me, there is one production of Lohengrin that has influenced us immensely, because we saw it during our years of study in Hamburg: Peter Konwitschny’s staging of Lohengrin. This legendary performance is set within a school class into which one adult, Lohengrin, gains access. The martial music and the constant military cheering was thus reduced to a playful lightness, but the love story between the grown powerful man and the intimidated young Elsa (unforgettable in this role: Inga Nielsen, who died much too early a year ago!) already reeked of tragedy. When Gottfried returns at the end – announced as the leader the people deserve – and a young boy appears in WWII gear, the shock is immense. During opening night people were divided into booing their brains out and applauding enthusiastic ovations – unfulfilled expectations met with new experiences. There is hardly a performance during which I so clearly felt that opera is alive and art matters!
Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach, dramaturg. See the interview about the new production of Lohengrin in Berlin (April, 2009)
So much goes on on the stage, that I lose all perspective of the music. How can you concentrate on the music when Ortrud throws chalk in Telramunds face in the back of a classroom? I have tried. Several times, in fact, having seens this production in the theater in both Hamburg and Copenhagen, as well as on this DVD from the Teatro Liceu, Barcelona recorded in 2006.
Mostly Opera
Intensely acted, and sung, by all the principals, Konwitschny's approach illuminates and exposes Wagner's contrasting tale of local political squabbles, idealised love, chauvinist behaviour and compromised solutions on every level. [...] a vital contemporary staging of the work.”
Gramophone Magazine, November 2007
See also
- Lohengrin on DVD
- Lohengrin on CD
- Lohengrin
- Search for Peter Konwitschny's production of Lohengrin on Amazon
- Werner Herzog's more conventional Lohengrin on Amazon