THEATRE REVIEWS

The Wales Millennium Centre programme describes Wozzeck thus: this cornerstone of 20th Century opera is one of the most perfect and immediate pieces of music theatre and is a masterpiece of tremendous power.

Having seen the opening night at the Donald Gordon Theatre in Wales Millennium Centre I agree, and I would urge you to go to see this production by Welsh National Opera. Despite the tragic psycho-drama of the story and its obvious outcome, the overall sense at the end is that of having experienced something beautiful. Throughout, the quality of the performance is excellent and apparently effortless and the sound of the music is all-encompassing. I had to remind myself that there was an orchestra in a pit in front of me. The acoustics in the Donald Gordon Theatre are so wonderful. This affords the singers a very relaxed environment in which to perform at their best.

There are no histrionics in this opera. From the outset the audience feels pity for Wozzeck, beautifully performed by Christopher Purves. He is trapped in his role of the poor downtrodden Everyman. He is obviously not in control of his life or his mind. The captain (Peter Hoare), the doctor (Clive Bayley), his 'partner' Marie (Gun-Brit Barkmin), his colleagues, all push him and deride him; there is no love here. He cannot even look at his son. When Marie takes the Drum Major (Peter Svensson) as her lover, Wozzeck is pushed over the edge mentally and kills her. There is no surprise here as this has seemed inevitable almost from the beginning.

Despite the oppressive nature of the storyline, the audience is moved along quite quickly from scene to scene by the power of the music and the preciseness of the direction and the performances; there is no time to lament. The brightly lit white curtain drops and rises between scenes; it has a computer bar-code in the centre of it, relating to the fact that Wozzeck and, those like him, live in an automated computerised age. He works in a factory making baked bean tins; he eats baked beans from the tins using a spoon he carries around his neck and throws the empty tins into orange skips. The overwhelming and constricting narrow set, designed by Paul Steinberg, the bland colour and stark lighting all contribute to an awareness of the inevitability of the outcome.

The music, so expertly conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, builds to such a crescendo at the end that the audience is left numb, yet satisfied, as the tension is released, this is how it would end, and after a silent pause, the ironic repetition of his father's behaviour by the son in the very last moment of the epilogue elicits a knowing and sad "mmh" from the audience as the lights fade and the curtain descends. A wonderful production, directed brilliantly by Richard Jones. © JD

“Wozzeck” is at the Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff on the 25th February and the 12th March, 2005 then touring.