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BREGENZ
For his new production of Andrea Chénier, director Keith Warner installed a sixty-ton, fourteen-meter-high, sixteen-meter-wide, three-dimensional reconstruction (designed by David Fielding) of JacquesLouis David's portrait of Jean-Paul Marat, dead in his bathtub, on the Bregenzer Festspiele's Seebühne. The creation will span the 201 1 and 2012 seasons.
Scaffolding rises from the lake across the corpses left shoulder, offering virtually no horizontal space (that is provided by two humongous books, one containing Chénier's poetry), severely crowding the playing area onto steep steps. As usual with Bregenz's extravaganzas, gimmickry is the star: a giant knife rises from the lake and slashes Marat, whose eyes open and glow yellow during Maddalena's aria; the Contessa's guests sport outrageous fantasies on period dress and wigs (some a meter high) by Constance Hoffman. Aerialists perform stunts in a giant gilt frame, while divers plunge into the lake, executing dazzling Olympic- worthy spins and turns. A minuet is performed - horizontally - atop the head, dancers secured by rock-climbing gear. But at the July 27 performance, a soprano and tenor dominated the show.
Roy Cornelius Smith has focused his career in Europe, where he is most in demand as Calai7. (He was performing the role in Berlin when one of Bregenz's three Chéniers withdrew during rehearsals and Smith was flown in to replace him.) A few kilos lighter than when last seen in these parts, he has now crossed into the dramatic repertoire, his voice darkening and gaining power, but without loss of its inherent sweetness and trumpet-like metallic top. Creating a vivid, charismatic character, Smith excelled in the role's two big...