Le Nozze with Plachetka - Standing Ovations at the Estates Theatre

Adam Plachetka, Kateřina Kněžíková.
Photo: National Theatre

Tripple good luck: I'm subscribed to the National Theatre on Facebook, where they announced that Adam Plachetka, who's now singing in Vienna, would make a special appearance in Prague; and there were two seats left in the centre of the second row! Moreover, the places before us were empty for the first two acts, so we could admire the full stretch of the conductor, Mr. Jan Chalupecký, who not only did great job, but was also fun to watch.

I saw this production more than a year ago, and then I had a few objections - I didn't like the scene of "Non più andrai", the way how Figaro and others behave to Cherubino, and some actions of Rosina in Act II. (namely the obligatory rolling on the floor in a gown, which I find as one of the most annoying clichés in opera direction). HOWEVER this time, the Countess behaved more like a Countess, and what's more important, it was sensible how every singer was enjoying the performance. Even the end of Act I was palatable for me, and even the audience of the Estates Theatre - mostly tourists who take it as an attraction, especially at operas like this or Don Giovanni - was constantly cracking up. I don't know if it's just me having seen one too many eurotrash productions, or if the singers smoothed it up with performing it, or it was special because of the special guest, or all three, but it was a wonderful night for us.

Kateřina Kněžíková
Photo: National Theatre

What I love about Czech productions of Mozart, is that they are (more often than not) able to capture the fun, playfulness and lightheartedness of his work, that I can't find in many productions by renown directors. When you add the wonderful cast - Adam Plachetka as Figaro, Kateřina Kněžíková as Susanna (I'm told that they've separated... if the rumour that they were dating is true in the first place... well, who cares :-) ), Martin Bárta as Almaviva (you can also see him as a very good [and handsome] Don Giovanni here, with Kněžíková as Zerlina), Stanislava Jirků as Cherubino, Yvona Škvárová as Marcellina or Zdeněk Plech as Don Bartolo.

Farewell to Adam Plachetka

Today the last concert of the bass-baritone Adam Plachetka took place in Prague. Don't worry about his health, he's just starting next season at the Wiener Staatsoper. :-) Dear Wieners, take good care of him, don't make him appear in crazy productions, and let him get back to Prague as often as possible!

At mere 25 years of age, Mr.Plachetka has got an extremely beautiful voice, excellent technique, breathtaking expressiveness and an artistic approach of a middle-aged Met soloist. His artistic intelligence is way ahead of his age, and he is a wonderful actor, too.

His today recital with piano compiled of a selection of songs by Mozart, Sibelius, Ravel's Songs of Don Quijote, topped with four Schönberg's Cabaret Songs. Having heard Mr.Plachetka several times in full operas, never a concert, I must admit that I didn't expect he would make me laugh with Mozart's Warnung, or nearly shred a tear with Sibelius's Säf, Säf, Susa or Svarta Rosor. For the last four cabaret songs, he had a high chair brought on stage, changed his bow tie for a red one, put a red flower in his lapel and acted a cabaret singer. I still laugh when I remember it! The encores were my beloved Impossible Dream and On the Street Where You Live. The atmosphere was simply great. I can't remember the last time my hands hurt from applauding. The pianist, David Švec, had to ostentatiously close the piano keyboard to show that there would be no further encores (what a pity). Oh, yeah, and besides all the voice and acting and intelligence and sense of humour, he does look as good as on this photo *swoon*!

So, don't overuse him in Vienna, return him if possible, and if not, definitely go and see him. He might appear elsewhere in Austria, and in 2012 he's going to be doing Masetto at ROH. Quite a career ahead of him, let us enjoy him while we can. We are going to hear about this man.

La Finta Gardiniera @The Estates Theatre: Mozart & Dwarves

La Finta Gardiniera was finished when Mozart was only 18 years old. His arguably longest opera, in the old style of a looot of repeating in the arias, can probably be a tad bit... ahem... boring. Not so in the production of Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann.

Their more than twenty year old production of this underperformed opera, obviously televised in 1989, leaves little to be desired. Unlike their Clemenza di Tito, which I saw in this theatre two years ago and where they committed many UIF (UnIntentionally Funny) and WTF crimes , this production was very funny in the light Mozartean fashion.

Yes, I was a little worried when it began with a dwarf reciting Heinrich Heine while crawling up from the underground. However, within some twenty minutes, it was clear that it would be a pleasant evening. The Herrmanns' clever and fast-paced direction was (nearly) fully supportive to Mozart's almost Shakespearean comedy. Unlike many "modernized" productions, it was not trying to be "wiser than the author," and the sets offered a basis for many comic gigs. There was no ugliness or violence, so necessarily present in many today's productions. Nothing of the sets was there just pro forma, and even the shy Czech audience (well, at least half were Czech...) found it too difficult to muffle their laughter at times.

From the musical standpoint, there are no complaints on my part. Especially as Prague's opera sweethearts, Kateřina Kněžíková and our barihunk Adam Plachetka, were showing off not only their beautiful voices, but also a great deal of comedy talent. Plachetka can also be seen in Vienna, he had the "luck" of appearing in the fugly Salzburg Rusalka, and in three year's time, he will perform Masetto at Covent Garden. However, most of the cast was international, which opens some questions as to whether there are enough reasonably good Czech singers here. All that under the steady baton of Tomáš Netopil's, the new (and very young) chief-conductor of the National Theatre.

Overall impression: 85%

Adam Plachetka & Kateřina Kněžíková

Photos from their respective official sites.