Kozena in Pelleas et Mélisande at the Met conducted by Rattle
Tue, Dec 14 2010, 8:15PM
Have learned in December's issue that Rattle is conducting Kozena, his wife, in Pelleas et Mélisande at the Met. Sounds a little like nepotism. I know that today singers are required to sing in a host of languages not their own, but why Kozena who probably had to learn the role phonetically since she is Czech instead of Dessay who has already sung the work in Vienna with an all-French cast at the Theater An der Wien conducted by Bertrand de Billy? It sounds all to convenient that she was chosen for the part. True, physically she looks the part thin and ethereal as he is, but musically is another thing. Any opinions out there?
Wed, Dec 15 2010, 10:26AM
#2
RE: Kozena in Rattle's Pelleas et Mélisande at the Met
Yes, I am aware that singers these days have to handles lots of languages. Take the following example: I own two different versions of Pelléas et Mélisande. One, the von Karajan rendition from the 1970s with José Van Dam and Federica Von Stade. While the singing is excellent and mellifluous, the diction is not. Whereas I can perfectly make out what Van Dam is singing because he is a native French speaker and has excellent diction, most of the time I can't make out what Von Stade is singing because she is not a native French speaker and her diction is lacking. I have to depend on the libretto which mars the whole experience for me because it draws my attention away from the music. The other, is the Desormière performance which was recorded during WWII on shellac discs and subsequently remastered digitally. The performance is so idiomatic that I can listen to it and make out every single word the singers are singing without recourse to a libretto. The reason this is so is because it is an all-French cast which had performed the work on stage numerous times as it was in the repertoire of the Opera Comique. Musically, performances by non French singers may sound right because the composer has written out musically where performers should stress words, especially in Debussy, where the entire work follows the patterns of the spoken language and has no arias.
Wed, Dec 15 2010, 12:52PM
#3
RE: Kozena in Rattle's Pelleas et Mélisande at the Met
Your suggestion of nepotism is ridiculous. The idea that Kozena is not right for the part merely because of her nationality is ludicrous – would you suggest roles in opera should be restricted to native speakers? (In any case, do you know for a fact that Kozena is not a French speaker?) The sole test of whether she’s right for the part will be how she performs on the night.
Plus I can’t accept the suggestion that a conductor of the stature of Rattle would insist on his wife taking a role when which she’s entirely unsuited for it. Nor indeed is it credible that an opera house such as the Met would let a conductor cast someone in a leading role when they thought she was unsuitable. Perhaps you just like the odd conspiracy theory.
Of course there are precedents for conductors promoting the careers of their opera singer wives (Richard Bonynge and Joan Sutherland being the classic case in point), but if they tried to do that when the wife in question wasn’t up to the part, then I think both their careers would be doomed to failure. (To switch media, Helena Bonham-Carter appears in a lot of Tim Burton films – but that doesn’t mean she’s not the right person for the part in question).
Thu, Dec 16 2010, 2:49AM
#4
RE: Kozena in Rattle's Pelleas et Mélisande at the Met
Parisboy, von Stade studied in Paris as a young woman and I am confident that her French is much more than passable. The issue you are referring to may be that, as recorded, her diction is occassionally not top=notch. I have a few recordings of her singing show music in English--her native tongue (and mine)--and I have had trouble understanding her; I've had to consult the lyrics. When I heard her sing Charlotte and Melisande at the Met, however, I thought her French was more than adequate. I yield to none in my admiration of her voice and talent; she's always been one of my favorites. But her diction, as recorded, has often left a lot to be desired. This could also have to do with microphone placements and the producing staff; Bonynge wrote that at the beginning of Sutherland's career, sound engineers had a very hard time capturing the beauty and the size of her voice. Some singers may "record" better than others; some sound better in person. (And, as we all know, some record a bit better than they ever sound in person.)
I am not worried about the "nepotism" of Rattle conducting his wife. It is not easy for American companies to engage singers or conductors who are based in Europe, as the commitment in time spent away from other engagements is rather intense, and there are tax and foreign exchange issues as well. So if the Met is able to engage a conductor of Rattle's stature--or at least give American audiences an opportunity to judge for themselves his stature in a rather demanding piece of operatic literature--I am not convinced that he would risk that opportunity just to increase the household income or have his wife "with" him in the hotel room. As for the appropriateness of Melisande for Kozena, I doubt anyone could name any opera singer who didn't sing a role that didn't turn out very well for him or her. It happens. It's part of being an artist and taking chances.
Bill
Thu, Dec 16 2010, 12:14PM
#5
Kozena in Pelleas et Mélisande at the Met conducted by Rattle
Sir Simon did conduct the wife in the epochal Ruth Berghaus Production of Pelléas here at the Staatsoper unter den Linden. Her total lack of stage presence, personality and ignorance of the text and its clear pronunciation made this a most dreadful experience, only surpassed by her vapid Oktavian at the same venue. Her being cast in roles that require her to be the center of attention and to dominate the stage remains a complete and utter mystery to me.
Thu, Dec 16 2010, 7:19PM
#6
RE: Kozena in Rattle's Pelleas et Mélisande at the Met
I don't think Rattle would insist on his wife taking the role to increase his household income. I believe he would do it to advance his wife's career and stature though. I did not say she was unsuitable for the part either. I don't think that opera roles should be restricted by nationality either. I just think that extra coaching in diction is necessary when learning a role that is not in one's native tongue. Take the following example: I went to the Staatsoper in Vienna to hear Don Carlos (Verdi's Don Carlo in French). The cast was completely comprised of non-French speakers. I could only understand the odd word here and there. I was completely surprised that a house such as the Vienna State Opera with its lavish budget and global reputation for excellence couldn't coach them better in French. Of course, it didn't matter to the audience because they have screens that translate the text into English and German. However, as my luck would have it that night, my screen was not working on that night. I had to leave the theater because I was not enjoying the performance as I did not have prior knowledge of the plot or the text.
Thu, Dec 16 2010, 7:22PM
#7
RE: Kozena in Rattle's Pelleas et Mélisande at the Met
Whnew1,
Your post was most informative. Thank you for providing information which I did not know.
We can't know until she actually performs it. Then we'll know if she's right, musically and as a physical presence onstage. I wouldn't have thought she'd have particular troubles learning the role. Singers these days have to handle lots of languages. Recordings I own have American and Dutch mezzos singing Melisande, and they sound musical enough to me.
Cheers!
Terry