How premiere creates enthusiasm

Rostock. The enthusiasm was unanimous. The audience at the Volkstheater Rostock, full of standing and cheering, applauded many times, Saturday evening after the premiere of “La Bohéme” opera. Musical Theater Season Begins Shows in Rostock: Giacomo Puccini’s worldwide success, which premiered 126 years ago and is currently No. 2 in the world’s most performing opera houses (No. 5 in Germany), still looks modern.

A huge success in the field of opera: with perceptibly appealing music, but also sophisticated sound engineering of intertwined dominant ideas, with a tragically ending love story between Mimi and Rodolfo, which can’t be too heartbreaking and is equally endearing. Touching melodies.

Applause from the scene and bravo in the first picture

Smoothly and meticulously running on the podium of the North German Philharmonic, Kapellmeister Martin Hannus savors the soulful immersion sounds of the score along with orchestral at its best in mood, with humor more than emotion. He confidently drives through the slopes of some intricately built passages with changes between soloists and choirs.

All this opens safe spaces for singers to develop their great vocal qualities, so that already in the first scene, after the melodies of the performances of Rodolfo and Mimi, applause and courage interrupt the events on stage: for Alexander Nesterenko as the poor poet. Rodolfo, tall, simple, with a strong lyrical character; Natalega Kantrack as Mimi, captivating with her performance and with her wonderful, clear voice soprano that floats easily in the room.

Bohemians are the pioneers of the “sixty-eight”?

Director Cusch Jung uses simple tricks to make sure operas from antiquity can stay alive and vibrant. It updates the costumes and especially the attitudes of the characters in the ’70s trend, which is of course a romantic look too. The director takes an interesting explanation of the fact that Puccini’s Bohemians are understood as the pioneers of the “sixty-eight” generation and were presented as such from the 2001 production by the Berlin State Opera in the program.

Christmas at La Bohème. Contrasting couple: on the left Musetta (Lena Langenbacher) seated on Marcello (Grzegorz Sobczak), on the right Mimi (Natalija Cantrak) with Rodolfo (Alexander Nestrenko)

© Source: Dorit Gätjen

Indeed, it feels coherent and refreshing: Mimi, now more normally active, is still an angel here, or the spirited Musita (Lena Langenbacher), whose association with the painter Marcello (Grzegorz Sobczak) is strengthened, is the contrasting love affair with the main couple in This story.

Perfectly coordinated design for the perfect stage enjoyment

As a singer, actor, and director, Cusch Jung brings with him a lot of experience from musicals, and in the wonderful way and ease with which he effectively brings this play to theatrical events. In addition, the design of the stage (Karin Fritz) and lighting (Stefan Zühlsdorff) create an overall impression of the ideal – to enjoy the stage perfectly.

However, whether the Bohemians are really rebellious (as required in the program brochure) or rather simply lifestyle rebellious can be debated as a special form of the adaptive path is excellently debatable. In any case, the four Bohemians in this opera, along with Rodolfo and Marcello, the philosopher Colin (Jossi Gulla) and the musician Schonard (Daniel Holzhauser), happily go through life without any apparent intentions of rebellion. Even in the winter of winter.

“La Bohéme” at Volkstheater Rostock

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© Source: Dorit Gätjen

Everything still seems to be going as if the veterans would like to depict it in retrospect in their autobiography. Until Mimi dies. Because this love must fail: Mimi, who suffers from a serious lung disease, cannot live the bohemian, neglected life with its own perils. Or in other words: Rodolfo and Mimi fall short of their love under these difficult circumstances.

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The director exacerbates the social problem by transferring the fourth image abroad, that is, to homelessness. The audience is affected by it. And your own sympathy. And – as I said – excited.

Upcoming meetings: October 7, 2022, 7:30 pm and October 16, 2022, 3 pm, Volkstätten Rostock

By Dietrich Petzold