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In the Spring of 1988, the Théâtre Musical de Paris, le Châtelet, in association with Radio-France, organized a cycle of opera performances under the title of "L'Opéra allemand: du romantisme au postromantisme [The German Opera from Romanticism to Post-Romanticism]". The latter was represented by Richard Wagner's Parsifal (three performances between 30 January and 5 February), while the Romantic period was illustrated by three works of Carl Maria von Weber: Oberon (27 February), Der Freischütz (six performances between 12 and 27 March) and Abu Hassan (four performances between 19 and 22 April).
As far as Der Freischütz is concerned, its first staged performance in Paris took place at the Théâtre de l'Odéon in 1824, three years after it received its world première in Berlin; the production, sung in French, was "arranged" by Castil-Blaze, who introduced extensive cuts, moved the action to Scotland, changed the main characters' names (Agathe became Annette, Ännchen Nancy and Max Tony, while the Hermit and the Prince Ottokar disappeared altogether), and renamed the opera Robin des Bois (Robin Hood)!
In 1841, Hector Berlioz conducted the première at the Opéra de Paris (Palais Garnier). It was also a French version, with an easier "arrangement" of Agathe's two arias, to accomodate soprano Rosine Stolz's declining powers. Berlioz also composed recitatives to replace the dialogues and, to satisfy the appetite of the Paris audience for a ballet, wrote his sumptuous arrangement "L'Invitation à la valse" on Weber's Rondo brillant op. 65 for piano. The opera held its last performance at the Palais Garnier on 9 June 1927, with Germaine Lubin as Agathe.
The original version in German was only given once in Paris, in 1830, in the Théâtre des Italiens, by a German company; Agathe was sung by the acclaimed soprano Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient, who was to create the roles of Senta (Der fliegende Holländer) and Venus (Tannhäuser). And although Radio-France presented a concert version of the work in 1980, sung in German under the direction of Marek Janowski, Paris had not been given the opportunity to see a staged performance of Der Freischütz in the original language for over 150 years.
The production presented by the Théâtre Musical de Paris, le Châtelet, was imported from the Stuttgart Staatstheater, where it had been staged for the first time in 1980. It had last been seen in the 1987-1988 season in Geneva, with a different cast. For the Paris revival, the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, the Chorus of the Théâtre Musical de Paris, the Chorale masculine de chambre de Sofia (Male Chamber Choir of Sofia) and a stellar cast were under the baton of the NOP's music director Marek Janowski. The production was staged by the renowned, and often controversial German producer, Achim Freyer.
During the cycle, six performances of Der Freischütz were given: 12, 15, 18, 23, 25 and 27 March. All performances started at 8:00 p.m., except the last one (27 March) which was a matinée (3:00 p.m.). The cast was as follows:
Ottokar: Rainer Buese
Kuno: Richard Cowan
Agathe: Cheryl Studer (12, 15, 18 & 23); Tina Kiberg (25 & 27)
Ännchen: Janet Perry
Kaspar Hartmut Welker
Max: Paul Frey
A Hermit: Siegfried Vogel
Kilian: Scott Reeve
Bridesmaids: Daphné Kupferstein, Norah Amsellem, Ghislaine Papis, Raphael Hazard
Samiel: Wolf Harnisch
First Huntsman: Nicolas Geslot (12, 15 & 18), Jean-Jacques David (23, 25 & 27)
Second Huntsman: Jean-Yves Ravoux (12, 15 & 18), Hugues Bataille (23, 25 & 27)
It was not the first time Cheryl Studer was singing under the direction of Marek Janowski. She had her first European recording experience under his baton in Dresden in August 1981, singing the role of Ortlinde (one of the Walkyries) in Die Walküre (1). And in February 1986, again under Janowski's direction, she sang at the Théâtre Musical de Paris, le Châtelet, and at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées the roles of Freia (Das Rheingold), one of the Walkyries (Die Walküre) and Gutrune (Götterdämmerung), in a concert version of Der Ring des Nibelungen.
Nor was it the first time that Cheryl Studer was working with producer Achim Freyer. She took part in his staged version of Handel's Messiah, conducted by Christopher Hogwood, at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 1985, when she was a member of that ensemble. She sang the part of The Child.
Freyer's production of Der Freischütz was better received by the Paris audience than by some critics, who did not seem to appreciate or fully understand Freyer's intention to denounce "l'arbitraire féodal et l'horreur d'un conformisme qui lamine les consciences individuelles, [the dictatorial feudal system and the horror of a conformity which obliterates individual conscience,]" (2) thus making possible the more recent horrors of Nazism. That is why the stage is dominated by an eye - like a moon - the eye of the Almighty that dictates all actions and thoughts and, like "Big Brother," constantly watches everything to make sure that no one steps out of line. The characters are reduced to puppets, with their costumes ("Un festival de culottes de cuir, de chapeaux tyroliens, de chopes de bière tout juste digne de la fête de la bière à Munich, [A festival of lederhosen, Tyrolean hats, beer mugs hardly worthy of a Munich Oktoberfest],") (3) their make-up ("The men have brown sunburnt faces with red noses, the women white cheeks with doll-like rouge spots,") (4) and their gestures ("The characters [are] stylized, for the most part treated as puppets with almost mechanical gestures fulfilling a predictable role in a highly structured world.") (5) The only character that dares to question the established order is Ännchen, which explains why she is the only one allowed to really play her part. The scenery resembles the pictures found on chocolate boxes, reminiscent of those naive ex-votos which decorate German chapels, and artists like Jérôme Bosch and Max Ernst: "A violently coloured rainbow and the eye of God hanging over a semi-circle of screens painted with naive but observant landscapes in fairground style." (6) The stage itself was modified by Achim Freyer: "Il a d'abord rehaussé la perspective bien au-delà de la faible inclinaison traditionnelle du plateau: les acteurs doivent presque se tenir à leur siège pour ne pas dégringoler. Le spectateur, où qu'il se trouve, a l'impression de regarder dans une boîte des hamsters qui gigotent ou des poupées dans leur dînette. Cette boîte peinte, vert d'eau et bleu canard, est pleine de figurines vert bouteille et rouge vermillon, posées là, quasi immobiles. [He first increased the perspective well beyond the customary subtle inclination of the stage: the actors have almost to hold on to their seats to avoid falling off them. The spectator, from anywhere in the hall, has the impression of watching hamsters wriggling about in their cage or dolls in their tiny house. This sea-green, peacock blue painted box is filled with bright red, bottle green figurines, stationed there and virtually motionless.]" (7)
Some critics objected to Freyer's production. For instance, one of them writes:
La production d'Achim Freyer . . . irrite cependant plus qu'elle ne séduit. Les personnages sont, certes, bien caractérisés, mais leurs gestes lourds, appuyés, manquent désespérément de naturel: ainsi, Max chante tout le trio du premier acte avec les poings collés aux tempes, comme si les spectateurs étaient incapables, sans cela, de comprendre qu'il est en proie à l'abattement le plus profond; et le prince de Bohême, Ottokar, ne trouve rien de mieux à faire, lorsque le même Max lui avoue avoir tiré des balles magiques, que trépigner de rage, tel un enfant à qui l'on vient de refuser une sucette! [Achim Freyer's production irritates rather than captivates the audience. The characters are, undoubtedly, well delineated, but their gestures are heavy, exaggerated and look desperately artificial. For instance, Max sings the whole first act trio with clenched fists stuck to his temples, as if the audience would otherwise be incapable of understanding that he is in the depths of despair; as for the prince of Bohemia, Ottokar, the best he can do, when Max tells him that he has fired magic bullets, is throw a tantrum like a child who has been refused a lollypop!] (8)
Another reviewer adds: "Ce que nous voyons est d'une laideur à faire frémir. Nous ne savons jamais si nous sommes à un spectacle de marionettes, dans une boîte de nuit campagnarde ou encore à une fête de fin d'année pour enfants de la maternelle. Les couleurs sont hideuses, les costumes terrifiants. [What we see is frightfully ugly. We never know if we are watching a puppet show, if we are in a country tavern or at an end-of-the-year show in a kindergarden. The colors are awful, the costumes hideous.]" (9) Few are the Parisian critics who understood or appreciated Freyer's production. One of them was David Stevens, who comments: "Freyer has put a veritable museum of folk art on stage - in the costumes, in the idealized interiors and landscapes and in the spooks, goblins, demons, fantastic animals and natural terrors that make up the Wolf's Glen scene." (10) For his part, Gérard Mannoni writes: "Avec beaucoup d'intelligence, Achim Freyer a donc reconstitué un univers typique des campagnes de l'Est, à mi-chemin entre Jérôme Bosch et les ex-votos des chapelles polonaises. [With a great deal of intelligence, Achim Freyer has therefore reconstructed a universe typical of the coutryside of Eastern Europe, halfway between Jérôme Bosch and the ex-votos found in Polish chapels.]" (11) But these perceptive critics appear to have been in the minority, since we learn that "In a friendly sort of way, Freyer was roundly booed at the end [of the première]." (12)
Another sore point with some critics was the version chosen by Freyer, with almost uncut spoken dialogues as well as "The scene at the opening of the opera which Weber was unwilling to set, where the hermit gives Agathe holy white roses to keep her safe (thus making sense of otherwise obscure incidents later) . . . given in dialogue, before the overture." (13) One critic finds it hard to "saisir l'intérêt qu'il peut y avoir - surtout lorsque l'immense majorité du public ne comprend pas un mot d'allemand - à faire jouer avant l'ouverture, une scène (entre l'Ermite et Agathe) que le librettiste, Friedrich Kind, avait, certes, placée au tout début de l'action, mais que Weber ne mit jamais en musique. [understand the rationale - especially since the overwhelming majority of the audience does not speak a word of German - of staging, before the overture, a scene (between Agathe and the hermit) that the librettist, Friedrich Kind, had placed at the very beginning of the action, but that Weber had never set to music.]" (14) Another reviewer complains about "ces dialogues parlés, qui semblent inutiles, et qu'on aurait dû couper ou traduire, comme on le fit naguère sous le titre de 'Robin des Bois'. [those spoken dialogues, which seem superfluous, and should have been cut or translated, as it had been done in the past under the title of 'Robin Hood']". (15) This is indeed a strange suggestion, given the cast: four Americans (Richard Cowan, Scott Reeve, Cheryl Studer and Janet Perry), an English-speaking Canadian (Paul Frey), four Germans (Rainer Buese, Hartmut Welker, Siegfried Vogel and Wolf Harnisch) and, for the last two performances, a Danish soprano (Tina Kiberg)! It would certainly have been interesting to hear them recite French dialogues in front of a French audience. A third reviewer kept count and complained about the alleged imbalance: "Une heure quarante-cinq de musique et trente minutes de dialogues incompréhensibles pour un spectateur qui ne comprenait pas l'allemand. [An hour and forty-five minutes of music, and thirty minutes of dialogue unintelligible to anyone who does not understand German.]" (16) But these critics were fortunately a minority and, presumably, are now praising the surtitles system rather than arguing for an absurd return to translated versions of operas. And it must be noted that the majority of the reviewers and, judging by the radio broadcast, most of the audience had done their homework before going to the Théâtre du Châtelet and read the libretto or the program.
The musical side was better received by the critics than was the production itself. The Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France received good marks from most reviewers, as did its music director, Marek Janowski, although a few critics expressed some reservations. For instance, one of them writes: "The Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique may not have the sonority of the best German ensembles, but Janowski drew idiomatic and atmospheric playing from his charges." (17) Another critic adds: "Si l'ouverture est un peu languissante, la belle sonorité de l'orchestre (le Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France) s'impose sous la baguette vite raffermie de Marek Janowski. [After a somewhat listless overture, the orchestra (the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France) soon resounds beautifully under the firm baton of Marek Janowski.]" (18) Only one critic found Janowski's direction lacking somewhat in energy and humour: "Un orchestre élégant, sinon raffiné, une direction sans peps pour une oeuvre où la scène imposait tant le sourire. [The tone of the orchestra is elegant, if not refined, but the conducting lacks pep in a work where the stage setting should so readily elicit a smile.]" (19) By and large, orchestra and conductor were highly praised by the media. In Le Figaro, Pierre-Petit writes: "Mais ce qui nous a consolés de la médiocrité du spectacle c'est avant tout le travail effectué par le Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France sous la direction de Marek Janowski: dans la fosse, il se passait vraiment quelque chose. [It was above all the work executed by the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France under the direction of Marek Janowski which made up for the mediocrity of the spectacle: things were really happening in the pit.]" In the same vein, Nicole Duault writes that "Quant à l'orchestre du Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, dirigé par Marek Janowski, il est admirable. On ne compte plus maintenant ses succès lyriques. [As for the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France under the direction of Marek Janowski, its successes in the lyric repertoire are now countless.]" (20) Many reviewers also praised certain sections of the orchestra:
Musicalement, la réussite était éclatante. Grâce, avant tout, à Marek Janowski, lequel met, comme personne, en évidence l'incroyable richesse de cette partition, sa prodigieuse orchestration et aux merveilleux instrumentalistes du Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France qui, inspirés par leur chef et le génie de Weber, ont joué comme des dieux. Il faut féliciter tout particulièrement les cors, parfaits de bout en bout, malgré la difficulté de leur partie: je ne pense pas qu'il en existe, aujourd'hui, de meilleurs à Paris. Les autres pupitres étaient de la même qualité. [The musical side was a total success. Primarily thanks to Marek Janowski who, like no one else, can extract the incredible riches of that score, its brilliant orchestration and also thanks to the wonderful musicians of the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France who, inspired by their conductor and by Weber's genius, played like gods. A special mention should go to the horns, perfect from start to finish, despite the difficulty of the score: I don't think there is a better horn section today in Paris. The other sections were equally excellent.] (21)
The brass and wind sections were also singled out by another reviewer: "La direction éblouissante de Marek Janowski permet au Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique de déployer une sonorité drue, ample, brillante où aucun pupitre (et surtout pas les cuivres et les bois, très sollicités ici) ne peut être pris en défaut. [Marek Janowski's dazzling direction allows the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique to display a wonderful tone both in depth and sonority, where no section falls short, especially not the brass and the woodwind sections, which were severely put to the test.]" (22) In Le Nouvel Observateur, Jacques Drillon shows the same enthusiasm for the orchestra's playing and has high praise for some individual musicians as well: "Il fallait la direction de Marek Janowski, à la tête d'un Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique particulièrement beau (une mention spéciale à décerner à la première clarinette, à la première flûte et au premier hautbois), homogène, rond, souple, d'une grande précision dans les attaques et les sonorités (mention aux violons!) pour entrevoir le raffinement de cette oeuvre... fondatrice. [It took the direction of Marek Janowski leading a particularly fine Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique - the clarinet, flute and oboe principals deserve special mention. The orchestra created a well-integrated round, supple tone, showing fine precision work in their attacks and their sonority (mention here goes to the violins!), allowing us to glimpse the refinement of that . . . fundamental piece.]" In a highly poetic prose, Anne Rey singles out, "La clarinette de Robert Fontaine, laiteuse comme une apparition ensoleillée, le violoncelle d'Éric Levionnois, pure émanation de la forêt, les cinq cors, aurore formidable, le hautbois affectueux de Jean-Louis Capezzoli, [Robert Fontaine's clarinet, softly veiled like a vision bathed in sunlight, Éric Levionnois's cello, pure radiance from the forest, the five horns, wondrous dawn, Jean-Louis Capezzoli's tender oboe]," and concludes that "Dirigé, peut-être comme jamais, par un Marek Janowski wébérien de coeur, le Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique tient la vedette toute la soirée. [Conducted, perhaps as never before, by a Marek Janowski Weberian at heart, the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique was the star of the evening.]" (23)
The two choruses also received excellent reviews. Claude Nanquette speaks of the "choeurs magnifiques de Sofia et de Paris [magnificent choirs of Sofia and Paris]," while Sylvian writes that: "C'est en définitive à la chorale masculine de chambre de Sofia qu'on doit la note somptueuse de la soirée. [The Male Chamber Choir of Sofia is definitely the highlight of the evening.]" For his part, Mihaï de Brancovan urges us not to forget "les choeurs du Châtelet, que renforçait la très belle chorale masculine de chambre de Sofia. [the Châtelet Chorus, reinforced by the extremely fine Male Chamber Choir of Sofia.]" (24) The Huntsmen's Chorus was of course acclaimed by some reviewers: "Quant aux choeurs, en partie bulgares, ils obtiennent un triomphe dans le choeur des chasseurs, [As for the choir, partly Bulgarian, it marks a triumph in the Huntsmen's chorus]," (25) and "La chorale masculine de chambre de Sofia fait un tabac dans le choeur des chasseurs et toutes les interventions du choeur sont les bienvenues. [The Male Chamber Choir of Sofia is a huge success in the Huntsmen's chorus and all the choral interventions are most welcome.]" (26)
The cast was also generally well received by the critics, with the exception of Christian Leblé, who seemed to have been having a bad night: "Mais le plus grand grief concerne les voix, très inégales et, chose surprenante, irrégulières au cours de la même représentation. Paul Frey (Max) rencontre de sérieux problèmes d'intonation, Hartmut Welker (Kaspar) sonne comme un Boris, Janet Perry (Ännchen) et Cheryl Studer (Agathe) écorchent à plusieurs reprises leur rôle. Seul Richard Cowan (Kuno) est parfait de voix et de jeu. [But the biggest complaint concerns the voices which were extremely uneven and, surprisingly enough, irregular from one part of the performance to the other. Paul Frey (Max) had serious intonation problems, Hartmut Welker (Kaspar) sounded like a Boris, while Janet Perry (Ännchen) and Cheryl Studer (Agathe) murder their roles on several occasions. Only Richard Cowan (Kuno) sings and acts to perfection.]" Ronald Crichton thought that "The strongest performance came from the Hermit of Siegfried Vogel, a short but essential role often undercast . . . Paul Frey had some effective quiet moments in hero Max's intimidating music, but the voice sounded undersized. Janet Perry's Aennchen, wholly convincing as characterisation, was slightly strained in voice. Hartmut Welker as the wicked Kaspar gave a most intelligent demonstration of bluffness turning gradually and inexorably into desperation." For his part, Claude Nanquette writes that Janet Perry is "une Ännchen fort drôle, qui enrichit de son esprit un timbre assez neutre. Face au Max un peu falot de Paul Frey, Hartmut Welker campe un Kaspar remarquable de présence scénique, au timbre ferme et à la voix puissante. Les deux autres basses de Richard Cowan et Siegfried Vogel furent aussi irréprochables. [a very funny Ännchen, who enlivens a rather faceless timbre with her wit. Opposite a somewhat insignificant Max (played by Paul Frey), Hartmut Welker portrays a Kaspar with outstanding stage presence, a firm timbre and a powerful voice. Richard Cowan and Siegfried Vogel, the other two basses, were without reproach.]" According to Anne Rey, Janet Perry is "une Ännchen très attentive à tirer le maximum d'un timbre un peu plat, capable par l'intelligence de le compenser. Paul Frey n'est pas le ténor héroïque que son rôle nécessiterait. Mais face à ce Max en difficulté, tous les personnages masculins chantent bien et avec dignité, Richard Cowan (Kuno), Harmut [sic] Welker (Kaspar) et un superbe choeur d'hommes bulgare en particulier. [an Ännchen who tries hard to maximize a rather dull timbre, her intelligence making up for what is lacking. Paul Frey is not the heroic tenor the role requires. But opposite this struggling Max, all the male characters sing well and with dignity, especially Richard Cowan (Kuno), Harmut [sic] Welker (Kaspar) and a superb Bulgarian male choir.]" In the words of Pierre-Petit "Comme il fallait s'y attendre, Janet Perry est excellente en Ännchen. Très bon Kaspar de Hartmut Welker. Quant à Paul Frey il m'a semblé ne pas donner le maximum de ses moyens dans le rôle de Max. [As was to be expected, Janet Perry is excellent as Ännchen. Hartmut Welker is a very good Kaspar, but as far as Paul Frey is concerned, it seems to me that he was holding back in the role of Max.]" For his part, Gérard Mannoni writes that "Janet Perry est une Ännchen drôle et bien chantante. Paul Frey, à la voix parfois un peu rétive, campe un Max absolument plausible, et tous les autres protagonistes, Hartmut Welker, Kaspar, en tête sont excellents. [Janet Perry is a funny Ännchen who sings well. Paul Frey, whose tone is at times rather restive, portrays an absolutely plausible Max, and all the other protagonists, starting with Hartmut Welker, are excellent.]" Good marks also from Hélène Jarry for Hartmut Welker "le seul de la distribution à allier à un haut niveau présence vocale et scénique, [the only one to combine stage presence with fine vocal performance]," and, to a certain extent, to Paul Frey: "Une belle voix mais un statisme qui ne vient pas aider la direction d'acteur. [A fine voice, but an inertia that is no help to the stage direction.]" For David Stevens "Janet Perry [was] a pert and clever foil as Ännchen, Paul Frey's strong lyric tenor produces the right sound for Max. Hartmut Welker played a coarse but not blackly evil Kaspar, and his voice is not the usual dark bass but a hard-edged Pizarro-style bass-baritone. Siegfried Vogel's resonant bass served the priestlike Hermit well. Rainer Buese was a silly marionette of a prince, and Wolf Harnisch a suitably spooky Samiel." After praising Janowski's direction and the playing of the Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique, Jean-Luc Macia adds: "Réussite égale du côté des solistes où l'on apprécie . . . l'Ännchen tout en finesse de Janet Perry, le Kaspar sombre à souhait de Hartmut Welker. [The solo performers share equal success, with praise for . . . Janet Perry's exquisite finesse in portraying Ännchen and Hartmut Welker's Kaspar sombre to a T.]" As we saw earlier, Mihaï de Brancovan too has high praise for the orchestra, and is also very appreciative of the cast: "Côté vocal, nous n'étions pas moins gâtés. Paul Frey, le Lohengrin de Bayreuth, prète à Max un timbre pur et un style élégant, Hartmut Welker est un Kaspar inquiétant à souhait, à la voix sombre, tonnante, . . . Janet Perry une Ännchen pleine de fraîcheur, d'esprit. Les autres rôles étaient fort bien tenus par Siegfried Vogel, Ermite à la stature imposante, Richard Cowan (Kuno), Rainer Buese (Ottokar) et Scott Reeve (Kilian). [On the vocal side, our enjoyment was as great. Paul Frey, Bayreuth's Lohengrin, lends Max a pure timbre and an elegant style, Harmut Welker is a wonderfully disquieting Kaspar with his dark, thundering voice, . . . Janet Perry an Ännchen full of freshness and wit. The other roles were very well played par Siegfried Vogel, a Hermit of imposing stature, Richard Cowan (Kuno), Rainer Buese (Ottokar) and Scott Reeve (Kilian).]" (27) Finally, Sylvian writes: "Quant aux voix, elles sont d'une haute qualité, qu'il s'agisse notamment de Paul Frey, Hartmut Welker, Siegfried Vogel, ou de Janet Perry (la seule à vraiment jouer en scène). [As far as the voices are concerned, they are of excellent quality, especially with regards to Paul Frey, Hartmut Welker, Siegfried Vogel, or Janet Perry (the only one to really perform on stage).]"
And what did the critics think of Cheryl Studer's Agathe? By and large, their response ranged from good to enthusiastic. However, Ronald Crichton had some reservations: "The American Cheryl Studer, who is making a name for herself on the Continent, sang Agathe. One would like to hear her in early Wagner. She dealt capably if not quite richly enough with the lovely but demanding legato writing, but her florid singing was not sufficiently fleet." For her part, Hélène Jarry, who obviously did not understand Freyer's decision not to have his characters act their parts, except for Ännchen, thought that Cheryl Studer's acting was not on a par with her vocal qualities: "Du côté des chanteurs solistes, Agathe (Cheryl Studer) et Ännchen (Janet Perry) témoignent de qualités complémentaires: la première avec une assurance vocale certaine mais un manque de présence scénique, la seconde utilisant bien ses qualités physiques mais un peu mal à l'aise dans le rôle chanté. [With regards to the soloists, Agathe (Cheryl Studer) and Ännchen (Janet Perry) complement one another: Ms. Studer shows a marked degree of vocal assurance but lacks stage presence, while Ms. Perry plays up her acting role yet is somewhat ill at ease in her vocal performance.]" There was a similar reaction from Anne Rey, who seems unwilling to accept the "puppet" aspect of the character: "Cheryl Studer est une grande Agathe, c'est vrai, instinctive, passionnée, diaphane sans niaiserie (c'est évidemment de sa voix qu'il s'agit, ses mimiques sont souvent consternantes). [Cheryl Studer is surely a great Agathe, instinctive, passionate, crystalline yet far from girlish (of course, we are referring to her voice, her facial expressions are often distressing)]." Along the same lines, Sylvian writes that Cheryl Studer was an Agathe "au timbre velouté et à la technique sans faille [with a velvet timbre and impeccable technique]" but deplored that "elle communique si peu d'émotion. [she conveys so little emotion]." While reacting positively in general, Claude Nanquette had reservations concerning another point: "Cheryl Studer, malgré son accent américain prononcé (28), est sans doute l'une des meilleures Agathe du moment. [In spite of her strong American accent, Cheryl Studer is without a doubt one of the best present-day Agathes]." All the other reviewers were very favorably impressed; Mihaï de Brancovan thought that Cheryl Studer was "une Agathe sensible, émouvante, [a sensitive, moving Agathe]" (29) and "une Agathe d'une grande musicalité. [a very musical Agathe]." (30) According to Davis Stevens, "The cast was at a uniformly high level. Cheryl Studer was a sweet-voiced paper doll of an Agathe." Jacques Drillon writes that she was an "agréable Agathe," while Jacqueline Thuilleux speaks of "la grande voix de Cheryl Studer [the great voice of Cheryl Studer.]" (31) After praising the orchestra, Jean-Luc Macia continues: "Réussite égale du côté des solistes où l'on apprécie l'Agathe vibrante, aux aigus insolents de Cheryl Studer. [The soloists enjoy equal success, Cheryl Studer's bold top register making a vibrant Agathe]." For Nicole Duault "Les chanteurs, notamment Cheryl Studer (magnifique Agathe) et Janet Perry possèdent cette expression musicale si typique du romantisme allemand. [The singers, particularly Cheryl Studer (magnificent as Agathe) and Janet Perry possess that musical expression so typical of German romanticism.]" Pierre-Petit, who called Freyer's production a "machine infernale [a diabolical machine]" in which the singers are caught, writes that "Cheryl Studer est remarquable dans le rôle d'Agathe dont elle chante avec maëstria les grands airs. [Cheryl Studer is remarquable in the role of Agathe, whose big arias she sings masterfully.]" Franck Erikson, in L'Express, is also very appreciative: "Les deux interprètes féminines sont parfaites: Janet Perry (Ännchen) et surtout la jeune américaine Cheryl Studer, qui, avec le rôle d'Agathe, s'inscrit aujourd'hui parmi les meilleurs sopranos du monde. [The two female interpreters are perfect: Janet Perry (Ännchen) and especially the young American Cheryl Studer, who, with the role of Agathe, now ranks among the finest sopranos in the world.]" In Le Quotidien de Paris, Gérard Mannoni expressed a similar view: "Heureusement, la distribution, d'une magnifique qualité, fut très applaudie. Cheryl Studer, Agathe, est sûrement l'un des tous meilleurs sopranos lyriques de la nouvelle génération. [Fortunately, the top quality cast was very well received. Cheryl Studer, Agathe, is certainly one of the best lyric sopranos of the new generation.] " That statement was echoed by another reviewer: Cheryl Studer is "une grande Agathe dont les qualités vocales font une des valeurs les plus sûres de l'art lyrique d'aujourd'hui. [a great Agathe whose vocal attributes make her one of today's surest assets of the operatic world.]" (32) We will conclude the press review with Pierre Flinois, who singles out Cheryl Studer among "une distribution vocale de qualité, mais sans miracle. Ah si, il y a Cheryl Studer, pantin presque lamentable s'il ne s'exprimait (33) toute une âme. Le timbre, superbe de chair, la technique impeccable, mais sollicitée sans magie pour Und ob die Wolke superbe vraiment sinon fascinant... [a vocal cast of quality but not outstanding. Ah yes, except for Cheryl Studer who portrayed what would have been a pitiful puppet had it not been infused with a heart and soul. She displays strongly supported tone and faultless technique, despite somewhat prosaic conducting, in a truly superb, if not fascinating, Und ob die Wolke...]"
Radio-France, co-sponsor of the event, aired the opera on the national network France Musique on Saturday 16 April 1988. The BBC broadcast it on Wednesday 21 February 1990 and the French-speaking national network Radio-Canada a few months later, on Saturday 2 June. It is not known if the broadcast is a recording of a single performance or if the tape is the result of several takes on separate evenings. In any event, the music flows so naturally that it suggests a complete performance on a single night. As presented by Radio-Canada, the performance starts with the famous overture, the initial spoken scene between Agathe and the Hermit having been edited out. If we do not take the prologue into account, Agathe appears for the first time in the opera at the beginning of Act II, where she sings a duet with Ännchen (Schelm, halt fest!), followed shortly by her first big recitative and aria (Leise, leise, fromme Weise) (34). A spoken passage between Agathe, Ännchen and Max leads to a trio with the above-mentionned characters, after which the famous Wolf's Glen scene takes place and concludes Act II. In the third and final act, Agathe sings her second big solo (Und ob die Wolke sie verhülle), certainly one of the most ravishing arias ever written by Weber.
Technically speaking, the role of Agathe is rather challenging for a soprano: the range extends from B below the staff (twelth bar of the recitative of Leise, leise, fromme Weise, on the word "Nacht") to B natural above the stave (on "ent-GE-gen", seven bars before the end of the same aria) therefore covering two octaves. By and large, most of the writing is contained within the staff, and presents consequently a tessitura a shade low for Studer's naturally high placed soprano instrument. Nevertheless, her silvery soprano tone is ideally suited to this lyric role, and she gives an assumption that is technically as close to perfection as one can dream of and artistically very moving indeed. She inhabits her character and communicates through word pointing and colouring of the voice Agathe's many moods: in turn anxious, confident, tender, passionate and exhilarated. Her two arias are undoubtedly the vocal highlights of the performance, judging by the audience's reaction as captured by the broadcast.
The first aria, from Act II, Leise, leise, fromme Weise, introduced by a softly caressing clarinet, starts with a brief recitative in which Cheryl Studer shows magnificent breath control and a perfect legato. Particularly impressive is the phrase Welch schöne Nacht, with a diminuendo on a downward scale from F sharp (on schö-) to B natural below the staff (on Nacht) without a noticeable break between registers. The long phrases of the first theme of the aria (marked Adagio) are sustained with rock-steady equality of tone, a perfect illustration of what soft singing should sound like, and of what the Italians call "cantar sul fiato" (litterally "to sing on the breath"), where the sound unfolds naturally, effortlessly, softly, without a hint of being pushed out. Special mention should also be made of the long phrase mein Gebet zur Himmels halle! which scans the complete staff from top to bottom and concludes the first theme of the aria. The soprano also pays great attention to the composer's indications, for example the diminuendo on Weise (see p. 72 of the score, last line).
With the return of the recitative, the atmosphere becomes progressively more agitated, as Agathe looks through the window and sees menacing clouds gathering in the sky. In this passage, the soprano colours her voice with great artistry; for instance on the words dunkler Wolken dumpf und schwer, before returning to the more serene adagio of her resuming prayer, which is the exact musical repetition of the first theme. Again, great respect is paid to the composer's indications, as in the last phrase, with its crescendo on the word sende, and its diminuendo on the down scale on the words deine Engelschaaren.
In the andante passage that follows (second theme), Agathe becomes more animated, as she expresses her longing for Max. But yet again the theme is interrupted by a recitative that leads to the agitato passage where she anticipates Max's arrival. The increased elation is perfectly judged and culminates with the two passionate Er ist's! on the return of the well-known theme heard for the first time in the overture. Agathe's joy is again interrupted by a recitative: Max has not seen her yet. Has she been dreaming? But this momentary return of doubt and melancholy does not last long. Introduced by an increasingly animated orchestra, Agathe launches into her song of joy (marked Vivace con fuoco) on the most famous melody of the entire opera, which also closes the overture. This coloratura passage is magnificently managed, painting to perfection Agathe's anticipated happiness. For a very brief moment, it gives way to incredulity (Ist's nicht Täuschung, ist's nicht Wahn?), before resuming in complete euphoria and culminating on a gloriously ringing high B on ent-GE-gen ihm! This is indeed great singing that fully deserves the rapturous applause and loud cheering that the enthusiastic audience gave Cheryl Studer at the end of the aria.
The third act cavatina - Und ob die Wolke sie verhülle - is no less successful. Over an accompaniment of clarinet, horn, bassoon, strings and a nostalgic cello, Agathe states her belief in the Father who lovingly looks after His creatures on earth. The soprano again floats a legato line to marvel at - each note leading to the next without the slightest break, like liquid gold. Keeping an absolute smoothness of line does not prevent her from colouring the words when called for, as on the words Zufall dient die Welt. The middle section of the aria is aptly more animated (Für mich wird auch to rief mich sein Vaterwort als Braut), with subtle colouring of the words, and leads to the return of the first theme. One of the technical highlights of the cavatina must surely be the endless phrase aller wesen lieben wahr (p. 116 of the score, first line); it starts with a fearless attack on the exposed A flat, sustained as if to give God enough time to embrace all his creatures, and continues in a finely balanced diminuendo that ends with an A flat, one octave down, on the word wahr. The other technical highlight is the one-octave jump from E flat down to E flat at the bottom of the stave, on the word Al-ler (p. 116 of the score, line 2), repeated on mei-ner (p. 117 of the score, last line), which leads to the conclusion of the aria on an ethereal pianissimo on the words lieben wahr, thus crowning a very moving performance of this magnificent role. The audience was transported and rewarded Cheryl Studer with another well-deserved resounding ovation.
The whole production was extremely well received as the curtain fell - no boos for Achim Freyer at the end of the performance, as was apparently the case at the première. The fact that every performance was sold out is also an indication of the success Der Freischütz enjoyed with the Paris audience. As for Cheryl Studer - singing her first Agathe - she was much acclaimed by the public and, except for some minor negative criticism, received excellent reviews. Indeed, one particularly discerning critic wrote: "Mais tout est en devenir chez elle: demain elle sera l'une des toutes grandes. [But she is only standing on the threshold of her career: tomorrow she will feature among the all-time greats.]" (35) Time proved him right.
Cheryl Studer Society - Marc Guilhamet - October 1995
(1) BMG Classics Eurodisc 69005-2-RG. See complete discography for details.
(2) Claude Nanquette, "Der Freischütz" Opéra International mai 1988.
(3) Jean-Luc Macia, "Weber-Choucroute" La Croix 25 mars 1988.
(4) Ronald Crichton, "Der Freischütz/Châtelet, Paris" The Financial Times 23 March 1988.
(5) David Stevens, "Der Freischütz Comes to Paris" International Herald Tribune 26-27 March 1988.
(6) Ronald Crichton.
(7) Christian Leblé, "Freischütz, une fable romantique, version douce" Libération 16 mars 1988.
(8) Mihaï de Brancovan, "Enfin Paris découvre le vrai Freischütz" Revue des deux mondes mai 1988.
(9) Pierre-Petit, "Médiocre" Le Figaro 17 mars 1988.
(10) David Stevens.
(11) Gérard Mannoni, "À la fête" Quotidien de Paris 16 mars 1988.
(12) Ronald Crichton.
(13) Ronald Crichton.
(14) Mihaï de Brancovan, Revue des deux mondes.
(15) Jacques Drillon, "Robin des Bois" Le Nouvel Observateur 25 mars 1988.
(16) Franck Erikson, "La Chasse gardée de Weber" L'Express 18 mars 1988.
(17) David Stevens.
(18) Sylvian, "Der Freischütz, Petit Robin des Bois" Minute 6 avril 1988.
(19) Pierre Flinois, "Le Freischütz au Châtelet" Diapason mai 1988.
(20) Nicole Duault, "Le Freischütz, un plaisir kitsch" France-Soir 24 mars 1988.
(21) Mihaï de Brancovan, "Der Freischütz au Châtelet" Panorama du Médecin 24 mars 1988.
(22) Jean-Luc Macia.
(23) Anne Rey, "Balles à blanc" Le Monde 19 mars 1988.
(24) Mihaï de Brancovan, Revue des deux mondes.
(25) Jean-Luc Macia.
(26) Hélène Jarry, "Le Complexe d'adipeux" L'Humanité 15 mars 1988.
(27) Mihaï de Brancovan, Panorama du Médecin.
(28) This criticism of Cheryl Studer's supposedly strong American accent when singing in German is somewhat surprising. In 1983, after living in Germany for only three years, she sang her first big role in Braunschweig: Violetta, in Verdi's La traviata. The performance was sung in German and, a few days after the première (27 April 1983), here is what a German critic had to say about Cheryl Studer's pronunciation: "Dazu bestach sie durch besonders gute Textverständlichkeit. [She was also impressive with her exceptionnally clear enunciation.]" (Marion Eckles, "Jubel um die Violetta" Wolfenbütteler Zeitung 3. Mai 1983.)
(29) Mihaï de Brancovan, Revue des deux mondes.
(30) Mihaï de Brancovan, Panorama du Médecin.
(31) Jacqueline Thuilleux, "Le Freischütz assassiné" Valeurs actuelles 21 mars 1988.
(32) Olivier Brunel, "Coup franc" Le Quotidien du Médecin 26 mars 1988.
(33) The syntax is incorrect, probably due to a printing error. It should either read: "s'il n'exprimait" (if it [the puppet] did not express) or "s'il ne s'y exprimait" (if, through it [the puppet] a whole soul were not revealed).
(34) See the score section for Agathe's two arias.
(35) Pierre Flinois.
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