Bellezza/Beauty - Sabine Devieilhe
Piacere/Pleasure - Franco Fagioli
Disinganno/Disillusion - Sara Mingardo
Tempo/Time - Michael Spyres
Le Concert d’Astrée
Emmanuelle Haïm (Conductor)
Krzysztof Warlikowski (Stage Director)
Handel's The Triumph of Time and Truth rewards one with a wide range of colour, virtuosic vocal displays and the sheer rhythmic energy. Arguably it is one of the composer's finest output and a reference for later works. The melody of the aria 'Cogli la rosa' is notably reused for the well known 'Lascia chio pianga' in the opera Rinaldo. I also have a soft spot for 'Tu del Ciel ministro eletto', the hauntingly beautiful aria that concludes the oratorio. Though I do not find the libretto always accessible because of its abstract outlook, which is supposedly a morality play, but in actual a philosophical debate of conscience. Back in February 2013, I attended a concert performance of the oratorio at Salle Pleyel, Paris, by René Jacobs conducting the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Musically it was a rewarding evening but I found it difficult to understand the intellectual debates.
The strength of Warlikowski staging is that it provides a visual context to realise the complex psychology and emotions, by presenting the libretto with a human touch through insightful dramaturgy. The stage, sets up as a cinema divides by a glass corridor in the middle, is not only a theatre on its own, but to incorporate the audience. The layout and light schemes have an intention to be seamlessly extended to every corner of the audience stand. We are to be participants than merely spectators. Also like many of Warlikowski productions, the female protagonist is a victim of male dominance and abuse, but also struggles with sexual desires and physical satisfaction. The portrayal of Beauty resembles heroines of tragic romanticism like Lulu, Alceste, Medea, The Dyer's wife and Judith. Their encounters and downfalls, especially when the world turns its back on her, provoke strong sympathy and lead to an emotional development.
In this staging, Beauty is not a goddess but a teenage girl suffers from illusions and her feelings. The experience of loss, dreaminess and stricken by grief gather the clouds that trouble her mind, and eventually lead to self destruction. The energetic overture with strong rhythmic drive accompanies a drunken youth clubbing scene under drug influence, as shown in the introductory film. The male dancer, who later reappears throughout, snogs with a guy and Beauty the same time until both collapse, being carried to the hospital and then he is supposedly dead. The projection screen is then retracted and a mirror appears reflecting the conductor. We know later that the film is an actual accident but beauty find its difficult to convince herself in believing the accident. It echoes on the words in the second aria by Pleasure that gloomy spirit and darkest sorrow grow if one cannot get rid out of the thoughts.
The first part of the oratorio continues the suggested plot in parallel to the text and reaches a spiritual questioning before interval. A household scene is first shown where Pleasure presents himself as a fun seeking, carefree and rebellious young man, though I cannot tell whether he is the brother or boyfriend of Beauty. She first leans on a tree while listening to him, then brushing teeth next to a washing basin. Time and Disillusion make the parental figures, and annoy Pleasure with their gloomy and sarcastic remarks in contrast to Pleasure, who celebrates earthly love and affections. The moment begins to twist and become surreal when Pleasure starts to dance with the dead dancer (now alive again), whereas Time and Disillusion work on a typewriter the other side of the room. A nurse also enters the room and the space seems no longer a definite one. Beauty also takes pills on a patient bed and we start seeing seductive girls flooding in from the glass corridor. Time suddenly kisses Beauty by force but Pleasure takes her away, who is now looking frail and choking a lot. She combs her hairs until a complete melt down, raging over Time continuous bashing of the 'truth'.
The stage lights go out but a lone table light is left on. Pleasure walks in the dark mysteriously alike a stalker, and the dancer collapses again and covers in blood, while trying to touch Beauty. Gradually the stage becomes a patient room on one side and the dining room in the other. The surreal state evolves from Beauty's hallucinations into a depressing cinema setting. It is probably a more realistic situation and objective outlook from the audience perspective. The collapsed dancer now in underwear only and even healthy enough to dance, while Pleasure smoking cocaine and sits in the cinema stall towards the back. Though sadness looming more on Beauty despite the dancer, her once affection, tries to seduce her. She gradually understands that the other three will not ever make her happy but only anxiety and doubts.
To conclude the first part, various women in different outfits and age reappear at the cinema stalls. Some showing themselves as drug addicts and not cheerful at all, a girl even cannot hold her tears either. They are probably variations of Beauty in similar mental states, and all wanting to know what they are after from substance abuse. The heated debate among the four escalates when Time and Disillusion pushing their belief on the illuminated man (the redeemer), and the everlasting truth. Towards the end a film shows a man believes himself is connected and speaking to ghost all the time. Even the female presenter is being convinced by his replies on what happens.
The message here I think is two folded. On the surface, the first half of the oratorio being shown as an abstract tale of illusions and surreal occurrence to search the meaning of all. On the other hand, in contact with ghost seems bizarre to believe logically, though like dreams and visions, spiritual visions are not always explainable. We could only glimpse and experience the strangeness in distance without necessary have an understanding. Warlikowski comes up with this unexpected explanation by borrowing the concept of Christ as a source of love and spiritual comfort. The male dancer becomes the metaphorical representation that provide Beauty the imaginative physical comfort and dwelling to heal her mind.
The second half turns away from the extraordinary dreamy states, but resolute to end all woes in action physically. It can be perceived as the alternate version of the drug scene aftermath that is shown back at the overture. The cinema stalls are now nearly empty except Time sits next to Beauty, who is still lamenting the dead dancer on the patient bed. Pleasure changes from his bohemian outlooks into a suit, and attempts to give counsel to Beauty. Time acts the same but fails to woo Beauty again. When the four sit together at the dining table, Beauty suddenly kisses Time and the shocked Pleasure drops the roses he brought. There seems a change of heart in Beauty but appears to be undecided as she throws away the roses after picking up. On the other side of the stage an old woman appear, and now a crowd of women gather in the glass corridor to change Beauty into a wedding dress. Though her sorrow and sadness increasingly apparent, when Time and Disillusion discuss turning to god for truth than the earthly pleasure. Pleasure behaves horribly on the table as Beauty further distanced herself from him and no longer listen.
Finally only Beauty stays with other women as spectators in the background. She commits suicide by cutting her wrist, which death is marking the way to redeem her sins and reaching for the imagined dwelling. However much we could agree on, I do not think Warlikowski is seeking moral dimension to determine whether suicide a kind of redemption, indirectly resembling to Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Though it is a more humanistic approach to see an unhappy and suffering soul that will only find peace by seeking away from condemnation, short live happiness or unwilling compromise with the perceived moral standards. It also triggers the sympathy and empathy for one who takes a difficult path to get out of the mental troubles and sorrows.
Sabine Devieilhe exceeds my expectation as a singer and an actress. Her characterisation as the vulnerable Beauty is highly convincing. She builds gradually from a troubled and trapped young female until the finale, when Pleasure stands up for her will and embraces the downfall in full. Her singing improves throughout the performance to become more flexible and natural, with the voice being warmed up. A bell like timbre and her tessitura sits comfortably within the vocal range. 'Tu del Ciel ministro eletto' is beautifully sung with an exquisite tone quality that marks a highly moving end. It is interesting that Handel assigns many virtuosic arias to the role of Pleasure, and Franco Fagioli is more than competent in nailing the part. His runnings are always impeccable alike a machine gun effect, which he can sustain a very long line, the energy and no need to snatch a breath. Some may not always enjoy his timbre, particularly in the higher vocal range, but I always feel that Handelian works complement his voice rather nicely. It also important to have a male singer to produce the masculine quality of the role than merely a technical display, which Fagioli is a bonus with the package. He also acts well as a rebel figure of the family and captures the emotional devastation rather vividly in the last part.
Sara Mingardo's singing is somehow disappointing that audibly some wears and tears in her voice even with the ideal timbre. Projection is sometimes underwhelming but one would credit her beautiful rendition in 'Crede l'uom ch'egli riposi', which the adapt tempo and phrasing are appropriate. Michael Spyres rightfully portrays Time as a controlling and stubborn fatherly figure to Beauty, but also have trouble in his affection for her as an older man. Sometimes he is probably too romantic by employing excessive vibrato that sounds too much for the performance style. Only gradually becomes more pleasant and less barking in his singing. Emmanuelle Haïm draws many dramatic playing from the period instrument orchestra Le Concert d’Astrée, and sensitive accompanying for the soloists. Tempos never go too extreme with smooth transitions. Morally the message of the play is not really worth to celebrate, but the dramaturgy and music quality of this production is a resounding triumph.
To see this production again, Lille Opera will stage it in January 2017 follows by Theatre of Caen in February 2017.
