ROMEO AND JULIET — WEARING BORROWED COSTUMES SO FAR

This joint Ukrainian-Hungarian-German project was carried out by the National Opera of Ukraine with German stage director Michael HКnzel. The Opera lent costumes for three performances (the last one took place June 9). Interestingly, the leading parts are played by young performers. Volodymyr Kozhukhar, chief conductor, says the biggest problem was memorizing the lines in French. This time the management decided the opera would be in the language of the original. Maria Maidachevska, an excellent singer, taught the cast for several months. The stage rendition was born the hard way, and not only because of the language problem.

“What’s a lyrical opera? It’s operas like Faust , Romeo and Juliet or Carmen . In fact, PСtr Tchaikovsky referred to his Eugene Onegin as lyrical scenes, because of being strongly influenced by Charles Gounod. This is entirely different music and an altogether different style. One must act and sing with utmost delicacy, putting one’s heart into it. This opera is meant for a young cast. It requires outbursts of young temper rather than mature emotionality,” says Mr. Kozhukhar, adding, “I am against any translations of the original text, because it is attuned to the music, so all accents coincide. After all, you can count really good foreign versions of operas on your fingers. As we rehearsed the finale the music gave me the shivers. I told the orchestra they had to play as if walking on a razor-edge, so people in the audience would find their eyes running. For me, Romeo and Juliet is music meant to cure one’s soul.”

By modern standards, the new rendition did not cost the National Opera much: UAH 37,000. The Hungarian costumes had to be adjusted to Ukrainian forms and the soloists received outfits from the company wardrobe, from Verdi’s Rigoletto and Puccini’s La BohПme . Hence probably the somewhat discordant note struck by the doublets studded with “emeralds” and “diamonds,” worn by Romeo, Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, and Escalus against the background of ascetic foreign shapeless garments and berets. However, original costume designs are ready, so the cast will be properly dressed in the next season.

Michael HКnzel partially stylized the classical plot. In the Prologue, the choir appears wearing modern clothes and then they change into medieval attire in front of the audience. Mariya Levytska built the production design on a black-and-gray spectrum, incorporating medieval fresco elements.

“We made practically no changes in the libretto. For example, in Act 1, the Montagues and Capulets dance together at a ball, although Shakespeare made them inveterate enemies whose hatred would end only with the death of their children,” says Mr. HКnzel. “On my instructions the choir not only sings, but also plays and dances. When rehearsing I paid special attention to the soloists. I was happy to watch and hear them perform better with each passing day. Romeo’s part was prepared by Andriy Romanenko and Mykhailo Shuliak, that of Juliet by Olha Nahorna and Suzanne Chakhoyan (whereas Andriy and Olha are mature performers, Mykhailo and Suzanne are just starting and doing pretty well; Chakhoyan was invited specially for Juliet’s part, she is Yevheniya Miroshnychenko’s student). Volodymyr Openko and Mykhailo Kyryshev each prepared two parts, Mercutio and Paris, and take turns doing them. Pavlo Pryimak acts as the reckless Tybalt; Tetiana Pimenova and Angelina Shvachka as Gertrude. And I assigned Stefano’s part two charming singers, Liudmyla Semenenko and Kateryna Strashchenko. The biggest problem for me was the organizing aspect. At times little things got in the way of normal joint creative work. One of the rehearsals shortly before the premiere ended well after midnight. Now things like that must never happen, because the next morning the musicians and the cast had to report for another rehearsal at ten, without proper rest. I am not trying to lecture anyone, but the great Herbert von Karajan (I spent 8 years as his assistant at the paschal concerts in Salzburg) used to say, “If you don’t work well we will not meet the next time or ever again.” I look forward to another such project. For example, the Phalzbau Theater which I head in Ludwigshafen has only 21 persons on payroll, including the management and auxiliary personnel. Everybody works in a well-synchronized manner, so that musicians, singers, and stage directors under seasonal contracts never experience any technical setbacks. Time must not be wasted because some people do not observe discipline. At our theater we stage not only operas and ballets, but also musicals and dramas meant for adult and children’s audiences, along with chamber and symphony concerts. And we host jazz bands. As you see, our repertoire is diversified. It is because all staffers work like a fine-tuned mechanism. I invited your Opera to perform at our theater in 2001. Let them see everything with their own eyes.”

When he started on the opera, Mr. HКnzel watched two ballet versions of the tragedy: Prokofyev’s staged by Shekera and recent rendition of Tchaikovsky’s composition originally staged by Serge Lifar. He was very impressed by both and said he was sure his opera would not pass unnoticed, either. It was especially important for him because there is some Slavic blood in his family.

“My grandmother came from White Russia [currently Belarus]. She was born in Riga and I regret to say I have never visited her native country. She met my grandfather, an Austrian singer, after World War I, at a POW camp in Omsk. She was a pianist and freelanced. They got married sometime after 1917 and immigrated to Germany as soon as the Soviet authorities allowed. I want my Romeo and Juliet to become a bridge bringing nations closer together.”

Michael HКnzel is a member of the jury of an international contest for Romeo and Juliet performers (there are 15 different operatic versions of the tragedy). The Ukrainian soloists will fly to Budapest at the end of November and will probably win the Grand Prix. Remarkably, apart from the monetary award, the winners are offered several contracts with Hungarian and German opera houses.

№019 June 13 2000 «The Day»
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