Daphne: A Bucolic Tragedy in One Act. That title kinda says it all: Short (as operas go), sad, and country (Greek style).
Cleveland Orchestra enthusiasts (count me in there) have learned to look forward to an opera offering every year. This year, Franz Welser-Möst conducted Daphne, a rarely-performed opera by Richard Strauss.
Unlike the composer’s Salome, which also features a woman’s dilemma and hinges on religious obsession (plus incestous passion, doomed loves and beheadings), not much happens here. Young Daphne, a tree-hugger (literally), spurns her simple shepherd friend and attracts the attention of the god Apollo. One does not turn down a Greek god without severe consequences — as Daphne finds out when Apollo asks Zeus to turn her into a laurel tree since she’s too fine to be human (or something like that — doesn’t make sense, really).
Vocally, the production alternately thrilled and captivated. It was easy to hear voices even though the singers performed primarily behind the orchestra. As Daphne, Regine Hangler employed her supple soprano to convey the maiden’s love of nature and later, her terror at what she had done. If at times it was hard to believe that she was a teenage girl, it was not difficult at all to picture rich-voiced tenor Andreas Schager as the authoritative, impulsive Apollo.
The rest of the ensemble, including doomed shepherd friend Leukippos (tenor Norbert Ernst), Daphne’s father (bass Ain Anger) and mother (mezzo-soprano Nancy Maultsby) and various shepherds and maids brought rich vocal talents to their roles. The men of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus (directed by Robert Porco) formed and reformed on the risers set behind the stage, playing onlookers as the spectacle unfolded.
In an addition by director James Darrah, dancer Bryna Pascoe was added to the mix. She often looked like a confused forest maiden as she wandered around the stage throughout the opera, stripping off gowns and standing in (perhaps visually) for Daphne. It seemed an unhappy idea, as she drew focus away from the music. Was it an attempt to spruce up the story?
The costumes certainly didn’t help. Drab cream-colored robes (except for Pascoe who stalked around in a sexy long black gown and a skimpy shift) and belted tunics evoked memories of Mrs. Shinn’s Ladies Classical Dance Group (aka the “pickalittle” ladies) in The Music Man when they put on a show.
The announced intent of scenic designers Cameron Jaye Mock and Emily Anne MacDonald was to transform the stage environment into a place at one with nature. I’d hoped for use of props, plants or lights as we saw for Leoš Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen last year, but aside from a green layer of funeral carpet (or astroturf?) for the non-instrument occupied stage portions and a glowing orb suspended above (in turns lit as the sun, moon, etc.), little else was visible from orchestra level seats. Placement of the vocalists behind the orchestra also meant that although we heard them, we missed many of the wonderfully expressive scenes that the Cleveland Orchestra production of Damnation of Faust two weeks ago created by placing the soloists stage front.
Bottom line? The Cleveland Orchestra, masters of sound, can always be counted on to dare to provide something musically special.
[Written by Laura Kennelly] [Photo: Cleveland Orchestra]Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106