Opera Review: Theater Krefeld – Roméo et Juliette

The story of the lovers par excellence is timeless, so it can happen whenever. It is not historical facts that are important; what is important is the mutual attraction that overcomes all resistance. Hardly less accidental than dating is the place where the couple perishes. And so the long-abandoned swimming pool that Benita Roth puts on Krefeld’s stage may be considered the setting for Charles Gounod‘s “Roméo et Juliette”, the tragedy par excellence. Especially since rotating and sliding walls easily allow us to imagine a ballroom and balcony, church and crypt.

Suddenly the lost place of the empty indoor swimming pool becomes a memory room, in which memory-supporting props are stored in a tower of lockers. Queen Mab, the ruler of dreams who is accused of being an enemy of reality in Mercutio’s aria, uses her to fuel the couple’s dream of love with deadly consequences. Director Jan Eßinger contrasts Mercutio’s verdict with the rule of the fairy queen as the condition for the couple’s possibility of coming together. What reality would never have allowed, the dream approves of. There everything can become anything. Even time travel is now a thing of the past at the Theater Krefeld and Mönchengladbach.

Traveling through time: This story can happen whenever.

From scene to scene, the lovers effortlessly explore the world from the 1920s to the present day, from the Charleston party to the fashionable preferences of the present. Costume designer Marie-Luise Otto can’t resist the occasional irony. Neither the Elvis outfit for Frère Laurent, nor the eighties-inspired tracksuits for the men in the choir.

Brilliant orchestral and vocal performances

The musical side of this premiere at the Lower Rhine Two-City Institute is as winning as the scenic aspect. Under Michael Preiser, the house choir thoroughly enjoys its grateful part. High-class sounds come from the pit. Mihkel Kütson elicits the inherent advantages of the score from the Lower Rhine Symphony Orchestra: dramatic concentration, lyrical emphasis, sentiment that never seems kitschy and, last but not least, elegance. The strings are superb, the brass demonstrates security of effect combined with sophistication.

Sophie Witte outstandingly embodies the female title character. Witte transforms her coloratura into psychology. Juliette’s fears about taking the deep sleep potion take on an oppressive presence. Bryan Lopez Gonzalez’s Roméo is convincing in terms of play, and Gonzalez’s vocals are similar to his role. The highs lack radiance. Matthias Wippich gives his Frère Laurent bass authority and empathy for the lovers. The Mercutio by Jeconiah Retulla from the Niederrhein Opera Studio is definitely worth listening to. All other soloists join together with those mentioned to create a fantastic ensemble performance.

Theater Krefeld and Mönchengladbach
Gounod: Romeo and Juliet