Operas have always been occasions for high society gatherings among cultural elites: in the previous centuries, monarchs and aristocracy, high ranking government officials and the like would present themselves during the premieres, on top of the world; pretending to enjoy the happy marriage of arts and politics in celebration of music, pompous luxury and diplomatic relations. Gioacchino Rossini’s opera Il Viaggio a Reims was commissioned to glorify the coronation of Charles X as the King of France in 1825.
The opera’s libretto, by Luigi Balocchi, revolves around a group of aristocrats traveling to the coronation but becoming stranded at a resort hotel. This fictional gathering of European characters allowed Rossini to weave in themes of unity and cultural diversity, fitting for the celebratory occasion. Il Viaggio a Reims is designed as a showcase of vocal brilliance and ensemble artistry rather than as a traditional opera with a long-term repertory life. Due to its specific purpose and the immense technical demands of the score, Il Viaggio a Reims was not intended for frequent revival. Therefore its staging at the Deutsche Oper Berlin has been a milestone event for audiences. The music of Il Viaggio a Reims is a testament to Rossini’s genius as a composer. Its combination of technical brilliance, emotional nuance and sheer theatricality creates an exhilarating experience that continues to captivate. This opera is not only a celebration of the voice, but also a testament to Rossini’s ability to transform an occasional piece into a masterpiece of the operatic repertoire.
Il Viaggio a Reims was created in the best traditions of opera buffa, a genre characterized by its comedic and light-hearted nature, which originated in Italy during the 18th century. Rossini wrote his masterpiece to showcase the exceptional talents of the leading singers of the day, resulting in highly demanding arias and ensembles. Each role features intricate coloratura, wide vocal ranges, and ornamentation. Highlights include Corinna’s lyrical and meditative arias brilliantly performed in the Deutsche Oper production by Lilit Davtyan – a young soprano singer from Armenia, now a Theodora Schnauck-Betow Scholarship holder performing in Berlin and world-wide. Davtyan’s singular performance was characterised by delicate phrasing and emotional depth, precision and coordination.
Unlike Corinna who is, according to the storyline, a poetess, the rest of the opera protagonists represent various European nations, and their musical styles subtly reflect their cultural identities: the British and German protagonists are characterized by respective national anthem motives that Rossini orchestrated without changes (coincidentally, the music of the German anthem is almost the same as the current Georgian one), the Italian character’s musical line is evocative of Rossini’s previous opera characters, emphasizing the composer’s psychological sophistication and wit in portraying people. The English character, Lord Sydney, for one, stood out due to a stunning performance by Georgian Bariton Michael Bachtadze, who studied in Tbilisi and now works in Berlin. Bachtadze won the International ‘Open Opera’ Competition Berlin 2012. He was awarded a guest contract at the Berliner Seefestspiele, where he took on the role of Escamillo in the opera Carmen, to great acclaim. The premiere was broadcast on the cultural TV channel Arte in France and Germany. Bachtadze’s first engagement was at the Stadttheater Bielefeld as a bass-baritone, where he enjoyed outstanding success as Mozart’s Figaro (title role), Amonasro, Golaud and Ruslan in Glinka’s opera Rusland und Liudmilla. In 2007, he was awarded the Operntaler 2007 for his work and was nominated as the best young singer in the NRW 2007 Critics’ Poll – Music Theater. Lord Sidney’s arias performed by Bachtadze at the Deutsche Oper were deeply poignant. Traditionally a melancholic love lament, they had fresh significance, framed as an introspective soliloquy. His character, though understated, became one of the emotional anchors of the production, embodying both the longing and compassion that make Il Viaggio a Reims so enduringly human.
The whole opera is conceived as a revue consisting of a series of numbers: arias by the protagonists, the ballet interlude that used to be a characteristic feature of most Paris operas of the time but which was sadly replaced in the German production by occasional background video snippets of slo-mo dance-like move sequences of Corinna and other protagonists. To make it worse, the stage director had the unfortunate idea of setting the whole thing not at a high end resort hotel, as the original libretto had it, but in the mirror-hall of a hospital of some sorts, with the characters partly attached to beds, or wearing most of the time white hospital nursery clothing- lingerie, sleepwear, nightgowns or bra-and-panty sets.
For sure, all of this was meant as satire, with characters singing in lab coats and underwear adorned with EU or national state symbols, embodying both the grandeur and absurdity of the opera’s original premise, all hinting at the challenges of unity and identity within Europe’s current complex sociopolitical landscape.
Yet Director Jan Bosse’s attempt at provocative staging is unlikely to hit the point, because dismissing contemporary elites as a superficial, sex-obsessed, sick crowd locked away is a vision both naive and unreal. Contrary to being confined to asylum beds, contemporary folks of power, corrupt as they are, exercise enormous power and influence on European and world affairs. It is only through art that hypocrisy can be revealed: Rossini’s witty characters and vibrant music help us to see the true from the untrue, and to rethink the misfortunes of the European past for the sake of the present.
By Lily Fürstenow
