That’s How Opera Got Me

Polina. Opera journalist and columnist for OperaWire.com. Here is a diary of my adventure of being an opera critic. 

[polinalyapustina]

I lost my sunglasses and am now desperate, I hoped they might be at the restaurant we had lunch that day I saw them last time, but all in vain. Before, my every day was filled with numerous sweet reminders — glasses, rings, lovely emails, the perfume of Off. SMN coming from my wardrobe; now they are all gone.

[polinalyapustina]

Criticism on Fridays: Re: Metropolitan Opera Outsourcing - Opera Wire

(Photo: Dmitry Lyapustin) Every Friday, Polina Lyapustina delivers a short essay on some of the most sensitive topics in the industry with the intent of establishing a dialogue about the opera world and its future. The way you enter the New Year sets the tone for the whole year ahead, the old superstition said. And I wonder whether we should {…}

What happens with the Met Orchestra musicians?

Analysis of the situation with the MET orchestra from the perspective of the industry. 

[revedebeatrice]

When you make a deal with the devil and become young again

[polinalyapustina]

A Promise of Youth to All the Aged Masterpieces

MusicAeterna and Teodor Currentzis 2020 Review: Fragments Part I — Traviata

Nadezhda Pavlova — Violetta Yulia Sayfulmulyukova — Annina Viktor Shapovalov — Dottore Grenvil

Teodor Currentzis — conductor musicAeterna — orchestra

December 4, 2020 This review originally appeared on Operawire.com on December 7, 2020.

I’ll be honest. I frankly turned my back to classical productions being streamed lately, and listened to some exceptional pieces just to keep abreast with what’s happening in the industry.

Sometimes, they were beautiful voices. Sometimes it was about an unusual approach. Or maybe another would have a special not-to-miss status. But there were always entire layers of problems — the industry tried but couldn’t find the right way to take advantage of the online space. Bad, better, or really decent productions — none of them could be compared to the real live opera experience.

So absolutely nothing could satisfy deeply, excite, or move me to tears. I don’t know if I am in the majority, but I would venture to guess that I am not alone. And sadly, it seemed like opera producers accepted this state of affairs. “It will end one day, let’s just wait,” seemed to be their message.

And I accepted it too, shifting my focus to smaller opera companies, trying to show up for some unusual solutions — bad times make them evolve, so they at least appeared flexible and lively.

But what if not all of us see what is happening in the shadows. Or perhaps, some people are not just giving up on the prevailing circumstances to stop creativity?

It’s likely that not everyone has such privilege, and yet, what if?

Regaining the Music

My friend, an Italian musician, recently said that Russian sadness, however, is never a form of melancholy, but an aspect of the strength to resist and fight against adversity. And I guess, Teodor Currentzis adopted this quality over the years at the conservatory in Saint-Petersburg and later working in Perm.

Last Friday, the maestro came to his audience presenting a new project called “Fragments.” In short videos available for streaming literally everywhere, the musician plans to project his vision on some (famous) operatic pieces, which have been processed in the millstones of opera productions over the years and therefore lost their authentic brightness and radiance.

“We aim to restore the wasted beauty, the abundance of flavours and colours that have been sacrificed on the altar of the mainstream and the music industry.”

Currentzis started with Act three of “La Traviata,” and this, I believe is a Manifesto. “La Traviata” needs to be reapproached like no other opera. If you love “Traviata” — watch it and rejoice. If you hate it — drop everything and take a look at this, now.

Currentzis’ vision not only delivers a beautiful sound, but reveals the true feelings which were buried under brands, names, and dresses for years. It reminds us of why “La Traviata” is a true masterpiece.

Filmed in dark tones, the video does not distract you from the sound but guides you through the story. The air on stage is not transparent and makes the subtlest sounds of strings tangible, as Currentzis embraces them with his finger, conducting without a baton.

The chamber acoustics play with echoes, making the silence amplify every sound. The sunbeam glides in the dark when the voice appears — so clean and light upon its arrival at the sixth minute. It doesn’t sound like an opera, it sounds like something sacred.

And this understanding — no this feeling — breaks down all prejudices about this opera to me. How many times have we read a libretto or synopsis of the third act and been reminded of how Violeta has found her spiritual comfort in religion. But no matter how talented the sopranos taking this role were, I could never feel this depth in their singing behind Violeta’s deadly sorrow.

Never Been Heard This Way Before

Nadezhda Pavlova brings a stunning interpretation of the role. Her fine singing paints incredibly sensual pictures in chamber acoustics. What can the voice create for such a piece as “Traviata” when there’s no need to travel over the whole auditorium? Was the third act of Traviata simply created to be this piercingly quiet? In Pavlova’s beautiful singing, transcendent love and tenderness, coming through time and space. “Addio del Passato” has never been heard this way before.

Yulia Sayfulmulyukova and Viktor Shapovalov, as Annina and Dottore Grenvil, are both irresistible too. Their singing cannot be rated, with the support of orchestra, silence, and light, these are heavenly voices.

The whole performance feels like you’re playing with your fingers in the air, or watch the blinding white sky through it. You feel so much, try to catch it all, but eventually get so little — only smells, the only warmness of sun. But do you need any more?

Fortunately, you can play this Fragment all over again as much as you want. I played it numerous times in a single day. And now, I can only wait and wonder, what’s next?

I usually put the most powerful messages in my conclusions, but today, I only say want to say that Currentzis and musicAeterna have done almost the impossible — they lived out the period of anxiety, inefficiency, repetitions, and weird approaches as if it didn’t concern them. And, in contrast, they effortlessly brought us the music they wanted. I simply haven’t heard anything better this year.

[polinalyapustina]

Inter-Holiday Criticism: New Year’s Resolution

What the Industry Needs to Do to Look and Feel Better in 2021

The opera industry was having a weird time this year. Like all of us, they spent most of the year locked in four walls, communicating with their audience on Zoom, checking the archives in search of anything to diversify a boring everyday routine, and discovering the possibilities of remote work. We are all equal in the face of the crisis, and it seems that even the whole opera industry is no exception.

As Christmas passed, the special time has come and set us to nest at our warm places (like we didn’t do it the whole year), enjoying the silence of native walls. We are supposed now to reflect on what we have achieved in 2020 and write foolishly pretentious New Year’s resolutions. But this year, locked in the flats that many of us grew to hate, we can only celebrate the fact that we made it to the end of the year.

Meanwhile, psychologists suggest people take it easy on the self-improvement quest in 2021. Well, I never wrote any for myself, but I guess this suggestion to stop challenging ourselves will be very welcomed by many people. Ah, yes, please. We all know another year of fights is coming, and any extra obligation sounds unadaptable.

Yet, not for all of us, I guess. At the end of this hazardous year, it strikes me that any intentions plotting the opera industry’s reset would be the right idea.

So, let’s write them all down. What could the industry hope to improve in the coming year? To look and to feel better, to work more effectively, and to be happier? After all, isn’t that the point of any New Year’s resolution?!

Self-development

Examine your relationship with classics and find something new in the old wardrobe.

Have fewer expectations and rely only on yourself.

Examine and restore the quality of old and new productions.

Keep holding important conversations (like equality, #metoo, #blacklivesmatter).

Relationships

Develop better and healthier relationships with streaming-services.

Build cross-institution relationships between theater companies.

Better-looking

Stage productions that fit now. Remember that the world is changing.

Get quality feedback from the audience.

Become Online and Global. Launch own streaming platform.

Work

Discover the new approaches and repertory for studio recordings.

Cooperate with the best professionals in video production.

Make money and cut costs (preferably not at the expense of employees’ salaries).

Family

Take care of your workers.

Educate your audience.

Work with the younger audience (without a delusion that getting online is enough).

And never to forget:

Wash hands, drink more water, and take vitamin D.

As I imagine, to write it down is not enough. Now it’s time to share it with friends and get inspired by their cheering vows. What would you say about that? Would you hope the industry to solve it all?

These days, after watching numerous Holiday concerts from different continents (most of them quite similar), and still sitting under the most serious restrictions in the country the worst affected by COVID-19 (in the last month of 2020), I would not glow with hope and say “Yes, you’ll do it!”

But since we decided that we are all equal, I suggest not to require from the industry too much — after all, only 8 percent of people keep their New Year’s resolutions. But it’s always good to remember what could and actually must be done. For the better lives of millions of opera workers and for preserving this incredible art-form for today and the future.

Originally appeared on Operawire on Dec 30, 2020

-----------------------

Every Friday, Polina Lyapustina delivers a short essay on some of the most sensitive topics in the industry with the intent of establishing a dialogue about the opera world and its future. The choice of topics discussed, how they are researched, and how they are portrayed is conducted independently of OperaWire’s editors.

[polinalyapustina]

On the modern state of opera criticism

Recently, mourning the death of truly great soprano Jessye Norman, many opera singers, directors, and other professionals shared in social…

Here’s my reply to iconic mezzo-soprano Jessye Norman spoke out on opera critics, or better to say to all these people who posted this famous extract of her interview.

The whole interview is actually great, but this quote was taken out of context. And I really wanted to confront the wave of negative celebration it caused.

Here is my essay and it was also published on OperaWire.  

[polinalyapustina]

Time for updates

“Better rarely than never” post 😅

The new season has begun and with my new full-time job, I decided to concentrate on essays and fewer reviews. And certainly no interviews. Haha. This never worked out. I got Paris, Munich, Copenhagen, Bergamo, and Rome to cover in the first half of the season.  

But I work on my editorial material as well. The first one is my reply to iconic mezzo-soprano Jessye Norman, or better to say to all these people who posted this famous extract of her interview.

The whole interview is actually great, but this quote was taken out of context. And I really wanted to confront the wave of negative celebration it caused.

Here is my essay and it was also published on OperaWire.  

I also went to Paris to see Don Carlo. And reviewed it as “Anxiety is a new drama”. Now I finish my interview with Roberto Alagna, which I never planned to have but that was a moment to seize, and so I did.

I also found that my beloved editor-in-chief puts me as an example to other authors, and my heart melts. Really. Me. After one season. I know how much I’ve grown but I’m so grateful he also thinks so. I recently received some messages from other writers and critics not only from OperaWire and we keep chatting still. Most of them are far from my understanding of art-criticism, but they all feel excited about my essays (1, 2, and 3). I think they can turn a bit from judging vocal performances into proper criticism 🤞.

Operawire also committed an article about balancing career and personal life in the opera industry from the female perspective. For which I work with an amazingly talented young soprano, whose name I cannot yet reveal. But you know her 100%. 

LNOBT is still LNOBT. I fulfill my obligations and will work with them further very unlikely. I have a pre-concert lecture there on Saturday (prior Madama Butterfly). I will talk about different roles for soprano. 

I had coffee with a very interesting person: the director of this year's Banchetto Musicale festival. We talked on Baroque music (she talked, I have not enough experience so far to talk on her level). That was fascinating. I really hope to do anything with her in the future. 

And one more thing. I got a message from a friend from my childhood. We both grew in the industrial city in Ural, with cultural level as any post soviet industrial city. We used to play football together. He reached me to ask if I’m really an opera critic. Because being 34yo he was recently accepted to Ecole Normale Cortot in Paris as a baritone. He holds his Masters in Physics and what a twist. Still can’t believe we both made it to the opera industry. 

And I made a List of publications! Yay!

[polinalyapustina]

Opera Criticism in ‘the Best of All Possible Worlds’

Memoirs on My First Opera Season

All in all, this essay I would call the most important in the whole 2018–19 opera season. It contains my conclusions on the industry and modern opera criticism, you can read it on Medium (I ruled out a possibility to include it into the curator’s choice, so it will be always free of charge).

Full essay (in English).

Nemunas magazine (translated into Lithuanian).

The first part (on Tumblr, in English).

Collage by Dmitry Lyapustin.

[polinalyapustina]

Opera Criticism in ‘the Best of All Possible Worlds’ (Part 1)

Memoirs on My First Opera Season

This essay was published in Nemunas magazine on 21st of July 2019, translated into Lithuanian.

I’m now finishing my first opera season as an international opera critic. During this year I wrote about thirty reviews for three publications and started researching for writing two big articles about the problems of the industry. But the more I write about the opera world, the more problematic I find sharing my critical opinion.

Far behind repertory stagnation, gatekeepers, merciless directors, and other serious issues, we are quietly missing the crisis of criticism. And it’s nothing about unprofessional writers or loyalty to singers and opera houses.

It is about two most important components — the opinions and the medium for their distribution.

Here you can read a full version 

Part One: What’s on Us?

When I started to write about opera, I got an additional course in Music Theory from the University of Birmingham. I thought to refresh my knowledge was really important. So I could describe what I’ve seen more confidently. Go, watch, review. That’s an opera criticism, as is. And I’ve adored some perfect examples of this: complex, with numerous details about singing, acting, and conducting, balanced with special terms, and not confusing. And yet, they contained nothing on the background. Nothing, that could affect the industry as a whole.

Critics lacked complex vision. The reviews, sharing something more than a professional opinion about the performance — some conclusions made on the basis of experience and confirmed by what’s just been seen were very rare.

But isn’t it a responsibility only opera critics could take? To watch and to estimate the general progress of the entire industry. Aren’t we those who have both a proper knowledge and an ability to describe and discuss problems in the best way? Why most of us, critics, avoid doing this?

When I see another performance, I always recall some previous operas I’ve seen and find connections. Together they always reveal some common issues. Something bigger than a particular production. And sometimes I do spend half of my article to discuss this notable problem. Though I never judge. I try to ask questions. I try to represent different perspectives as I see them. I can find a topic for a separate article after every performance I’ve seen in my life, but should I? Should I write another big piece, trying to catch attention to this problem out of nowhere, when I have a vivid example illustrating my thoughts? So I find it more accessible for an audience [and accessibility is extremely important] if I include those related topics in my review.

I’m not saying, put your extra thoughts in your every review. I’m saying, show what you have more. In your articles, in your lectures, in your talks.

Don’t you feel like this or don’t you feel like doing this?

You will say, I know you will because I had some talks like this before, that you haven’t noticed any trends besides some obvious. I’ll say — you need to study. You’ll say that you’ve been doing this job for 20 years and my approach doesn’t work for you. I’ll remind you that the world is changing, and the art is reflective.

I’ll ask you to tell me about #metoo in perspective of opera. You’ll say about women in the industry, about those who’s been hurt. I’ll ask if that’s it. You’ll remember some miserable female characters, nothing related to the general progress of the industry though. I’ll agree. I’ll ask about Calixto Bieito. You’ll roll up your eyes. Easy! He’s a monster! There’s always something offensive in his violent productions…

I’ll recall November evening in 2018 when I rushed into Opera Bastille straight from an airport. With the last call, I was making my way through the line of opera critics to my seat in the middle of a row. I was a black oversized sweater, messy hair, tired, carrying my backpack. They were noble, refined, male, fifty plus. They had estimated me. And they were right, I was different.

That was opening night of “Simon Boccanegra”, a new production by Calixto Bieito, featuring Ludovic Tezier and Maria Agresta.

“…In his production, Calixto Bieito decided to add and highlight the character of Maria Fiesco. When you see her in the prologue, Jacopo Fiesco drags a plastic sheet with a girl on it. She is still alive. She seems no more than a victim of his. She is moving but isn’t resisting. […] In the next scene, she is already dead, but stands up and starts her senseless existence on stage almost all the time, half-naked, receiving just anxiety or ignorance from everyone else. Even Simon, after his own death, heads toward her but also abandons her.”

That’s how I later described the most offensive part of this production. My colleagues did the same. And then, they were stuck. As they were stuck during the premiere.

One of the critics questioned loudly during the interval, “Isn’t it disgusting?” “Offensive,” I corrected quietly to myself. My neighbor leaned to me, “Do you know, what to say about it? How to justify your opinion against the big name of the director?” “I do,” that was a promise. “I’m happy you’re here then, we need you to say something,” he left me pop-eyed.

So I would conclude the description of that performance and quite likely the whole review with questions on eternal values in the modern world — in the opera world, expecting if not to start a dialog, then to provoke some thoughts:

“A woman, a lover of the main hero, a mother of his beloved child, a great loss for her father, a symbol of memories. Maria represents all of these virtues in the libretto itself. But here we see her as a victim, before and after death — weak, ignored, with no goal and reason to exist, naked, autopsied and surrounded by rats on the curtain during the interval. What this representation was supposed to mean? Is it the image of a woman we need in contemporary opera? Moreover, how does this support the themes of unity that encapsulate the opera itself?”

No one else asked any questions or did any conclusions in their reviews. They were short. They punctuated: Terrible. Disgusting. Wasted. And then, they returned to describing a beautiful singing.

I wasn’t sad, because I remembered us walking down the stairs after the performance. I was sharing my ideas modestly, my colleagues were promising not to copy. I wouldn’t mind, and yet they wanted to share their own opinions.

Suddenly, one of them asked, “What should we study about that?” I was glad to hear this question. I said, “You should study the modern world.” We laughed, and he asked for something “petite” to start. I suggested #metoo but in art perspective. “And then,” I added, “rotate those terms. And study more.” Short and easy to remember. Not that easy to do.

But I assumed they would find what to say next season. And I had to rotate the perspective already in a month, talking about how weak argumentation could harm feminism on the example of a new production of “Otello” at Bavarian State Opera.

“The character I really feel sorry for is the victim — Desdemona,” — [director Amelie] Niermeyer said. I wonder, why having all the instruments to highlight any shade of Desdemona’s personality, the director decided to show this proud, true, and noble woman as just a victim, deserving pity?

Perhaps, Niermeyer tried to bust the problem, depriving it of “unnecessary details.” Details like a social context and love itself. And what was shown was just darkness with no shades.

Instead of blackface, the director turned the whole opera into black.

In this review, I had to defend a historical and social context, proving that you cannot change the source for the sake of your ill-conceived ideas. I also advocated feminism as a reasonable and relevant idea against what was showing in the performance.

After the first half of a season, I caught myself thinking I was writing on women’s right way too often. I didn’t want to be branded this way. But instead of avoiding the topic, I decided to study more and open my eyes to the bigger picture. Indie opera, local theatres, new approaches. And this worked out perfectly.

There would be many general problems to discuss in my followed reviews: the big topics of the small operas, the importance of the inner match to the role, the external perspective of the directors, acting and dramaturgy, sustainability, national mentality, popularity and status, experiments, and gatekeepers.

Also, many of them would lead to the greatest one — the lack of open communication in the industry. Solving this problem would be the long-run objective of my future research.

But even before reaching this goal, I see clearly — an opera criticism is an essential tool to build these connections, but only if we use it to the full.

[polinalyapustina]

The garden that Bernstein grew - Opera Criticism in a Modern World - Medium

This essay was written for Lithuanian National Opera season book 2019–20 and was published in July 2019 in Lithuanian.

I wrote an essay about Bernstein’s Candide and his adventure in composing and revising it in 25 years for LNO 2019-20 season book. 

Why do you think an Ouverture to a musical has become the composer’s signature piece and was performed to open his first tribute concert and then everywhere during the world celebration of Bernstein’s Centenary in 2018?

[polinalyapustina]

I recently got my first ever conflict of plans with another contributor. As I wrote before, I received my tickets to the Bayreuth festival, which was just wow, cause even my editor-in-chief could get them. And now another contributor received an invitation to the festival from one of the powerholders of the industry. And we both had our plans on Parsifal.

Now two important facts:

He is an amazing reviewer of Wagner and Parsifal is his signature subject.

He is definitely the best writer on operawire and the one whose reviews I adore. He is Jonathan Sutherland.

So, he said, nicely, that we should let David decide. Hah. The decision seemed obvious. But at least I had my main premiere of Tannhauser left.

But David's answer was unexpected:

Given the circumstances, which are unique, I have no issue publishing two different Parsifal reviews if you are both able to attend.

I cannot believe this. Really. To be compared to Jonathan Sutherland and not to lose. I really should appreciate my own approach to writing more.

[polinalyapustina]

Not Just Another Zeffirelli Obituary - Opera Criticism in a Modern World - Medium

After His Death, We Still Have a Lot to Learn from the Famed Director

[polinalyapustina]

My spring in a few words

I haven’t written anything here for a while... 

Loads of things happened recently: 

I wrote some more reviews for OperaWire. Check them all here.

I wrote 3 huge essays for the yearbook of National Opera.

I had a heartbreaking press experience with Barbara Hannigan. But I will write a separate post on it. Here’s her interview:

Soprano and Conductor Barbara Hannigan on Conducting, Equilibrium Project, and Ojai Festival

I went to Paris and attended 5 events in 7 days (including 2 Tosca’s with Vittorio Grigolo and Marcelo Puente as Cavaradossi — Kaufmann went missing).

Here are what I got in Paris:

Rolando Villazón Is Completely Fine

Silver Age Of Russian Culture At Palais Garnier

Jonas Kaufmann Goes Missing, But Anja Harteros Brings The Superstar Power

Showcasing Bright Young Imperfection

My articles were chosen by Medium’s curators — 5 out of 9 articles I posted since March.

I started to write essays and the first one was already bought by Nemunas magazine for July issue.

I also got a contract for more publications in autumn. Hope to write a column for a cool culture/lifestyle newspaper!  

As you could notice, I mostly share links to my Medium page, where I collect my articles for different publications. I like my Medium publication “Opera Criticism in a Modern World.” I would really appreciate if you could check, clap, and follow me there! Medium is lovely too! 

[polinalyapustina]

Aaaaaaw! This is crazy! I finally got my accreditation to Bayreuth 2019! 

My editor-in-chief couldn’t reach them for a few months, so it’s just incredible that I managed to get press tickets a month before the festival! 

[stoportotouch]

alvaro: since my father was the king of peru and he's dead now, that technically makes ME the king of peru.

alvaro: but don't think too much into that.

alvaro: because verdi and piave certainly fucking didn't.

[polinalyapustina]

When you screwed and just forgot about #BSOfanciulla and got on site in the last act, but there’s Anja Harteros’s singing Andrea Chenier... 

That was their intermission program as I got once some ads started ;) But that was a lovely moment of wtf ;)

[polinalyapustina]

The biggest problem with this Forza is that Don Jose and Ramirez got there somehow ;) Cannot stop messing up with this :D