Choreography: Christian Spuck
Direction: Fabio Luisi
Opernhaus Zürich, December 6th 2016
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| Picture: Gregory Batardon |
Should you go?
At your own risks: don't blame me if you're bored.
At your own risks: don't blame me if you're bored.
Why?
A production which fails to raise interest despite its great production value and technical qualities.
On the one hand, you've got a good and interesting interpretation of Verdi's Messa di Requiem by Fabio Luisi, with a very competent orchestra and soloists, although I had a hard time with Francesco Meli's rather sour-sounding voice. Sadly the choir struggled on a few parts, but altogether a good rendition.
On the other hand, you've got a ballet from Christian Spuck that tries to accompany the requiem, but fails to connect with it. Despite the great efforts to make dancers and singers share the stage seamlessly, the dancing looks more like an independent sideshow that happens to use the same music, even though the music seems unsuited for ballet (some parts certainly are).
Without any form of emulation between the music and the dance parts, the usual weaknesses of Christian Spuck shine : it's elegant but already-seen, well-arranged but repetitive, superbly danced but ultimately boring. A shame for a choreographer that is obviously talented, but is basically repeating itself on something that simply doesn't work.
"To die, to sleep", as the bard would say.
Swann
On the one hand, you've got a good and interesting interpretation of Verdi's Messa di Requiem by Fabio Luisi, with a very competent orchestra and soloists, although I had a hard time with Francesco Meli's rather sour-sounding voice. Sadly the choir struggled on a few parts, but altogether a good rendition.
On the other hand, you've got a ballet from Christian Spuck that tries to accompany the requiem, but fails to connect with it. Despite the great efforts to make dancers and singers share the stage seamlessly, the dancing looks more like an independent sideshow that happens to use the same music, even though the music seems unsuited for ballet (some parts certainly are).
Without any form of emulation between the music and the dance parts, the usual weaknesses of Christian Spuck shine : it's elegant but already-seen, well-arranged but repetitive, superbly danced but ultimately boring. A shame for a choreographer that is obviously talented, but is basically repeating itself on something that simply doesn't work.
"To die, to sleep", as the bard would say.
Swann
