Many of Janáček’s later operas deal broadly with the theme of redemption, but the routes they take to get there are remarkably diverse, from bleak brutality to gentle comedy. Although Věc Makropulos also concludes on a note of redemption, the prevailing mood of the opera is less certain and all the more fascinating for it: in the course of its three reasonably brief acts it touches on legal procedural, historical mystery, and complex chamber drama, revealing itself only in the final scenes as a tragedy of sorts, albeit an unconventional one.
Although Claus Guth’s new production at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden adopted a sombre tone that left little room for frivolity or lightness, its meticulously directed action and haunting imagery – heightened by a commanding performance of the title role from Marlis Petersen and bracingly dramatic…
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