Sonya Yoncheva shines as Juliette

Gounod: Roméo et Juliette

Vienna State Opera

28 June 2013

Verve and pomp underscore this Jürgen Flimm revival, in which the aural proceedings tend to compliment the German director's brash and candid pseudo-modern setting.

Fortunately both leads, Piotr Beczala and Sonya Yoncheva, are ideally suited to their parts and are indeed solely responsible for making this an interesting evening.

While not quite rising to the subtleties and artistic heights of the 2010 Salzburg Festival revival, Beczala here presents a virile, vocally luscious Roméo, and one lacking only minimally in style and finesse when pitted against legendary performers of the role such as Björling or Gedda.

Replacing the scheduled Nino Machaidze, Sonya Yoncheva (in her State Opera role debut) transpired to become the most convincing interpreter of the part since the production's inauguration some 50 performances ago in December 2001. She is in possession of the necessary physical attributes, plus an easy and convincing stage manner. The voice has true presence with ample reserves of tone and fit schooling to compliment the soprano's evident musicality and dramatic instinct. Looking at her forthcoming schedule, one can but hope that the voice (and the singer) will prevail, and that the artistry may further mature.

The remaining cast rather fell below average in this run, with the exception of Dimitrios Flemotomos (Tybalt) whose bright, imposing tenor shows future promise. Gabriel Bermudez was a well-costumed but modest-toned Mercutio, Dan Paul Dumitrescu a shallow Frère Laurent, and Il Hong a mismatched and underpowered Capulet. Juliet Mars was a nicely-boyish, but vocally somewhat stretched Stephano - while the further supports remain unmentioned.

Patrick Woodroffe's lighting indeed challenges the leads for star status, blatantly dominating beyond any human interaction throughout the production - which has definitely acquired a tired feeling, with chorus and ballet going through their end-of-season "disco" motions, and the remaining cast seemingly following the stage manager's notes and their artistic instinct, upon demand.

Plácido Domingo donned his conductor's cap for the evening, and considering the golden material at hand (arguably the finest opera orchestra to be found, ideal romantic leads, and Domingo's acknowledged musicianship as a vocalist) was rather pedestrian in his contribution. His forte appears to lie in the the score's more boisterous and less exposed moments, rather than the lyrical/romantic passages in Gounod's score. One wishes to aurally see the stars appearing in the wonderful Act 2 entr'acte, for example. The coordination between stage and pit was indeed evident in the set pieces with a certain accommodation of the singers' demands, but the score contains much more to be discovered - and revealed.

Ancillary credit, however, for the unanticipated presence of Miss Yoncheva, whose 2010 success in Domingo's OPERALIA competition and cooperation with the Alvaro Domingo artists agency have surely served as an undoubted propulsion in the young soprano's career.

The house saw an ebullient reception at every opportunity from the Septuaganarian's Vienna fan-base, to grace that of the two vocal leads.

Text © Moore Parker

Photos: Capodilupo Angelo