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Puccini’s Il trittico production at Berlin’s Deutsche Oper, created by the highly regarded Pinar Karabulut, walks a fine line between kitsch and melodrama. Achieving the right balance is a challenging task, and unfortunately, Karabulut’s new production falls short in that aspect. However, this very fact makes the evening’s performance a resounding success.
Karabulut, a popular feminist figure in Germany’s theater scene, has ventured into opera for the first time. As expected, this results in a lack of convincing chorus direction, reliance on tired opera clichés, and poor instruction for the singers, who are left to flail in the spotlight.
The concept behind Karabulut’s production is commendable — a single set taking the audience on a journey through the three operas of Il trittico: Il tabarro representing Hell, Suor Angelica symbolizing Purgatory, and Gianni Schicchi portraying Paradise. These operas also make references to Dante’s works. The set, designed by Michela Flück, resembles the landscapes found in Kinder Surprise eggs, featuring a lumpy plastic mountain, painted flames, and a paddling pool reminiscent of Banksy’s Dismaland project. The set rotates continuously. Costumes by Teresa Vergho have a futuristic touch with a blend of 1960s Star Trek and high school musical aesthetics. Characters like Michele and Gianni Schicchi wear coats seemingly made from red shower curtains, and the nuns don insect-inspired outfits with half-moon headpieces, while everyone’s hair is heavily styled with hairspray.
After the strained and questionable quality of the first two operas, Gianni Schicchi is presented with an abundance of slapstick comedy reminiscent of Laurel and Hardy. This unexpectedly causes the audience to burst into fits of laughter. The harder Karabulut tries — and she tries exceedingly hard — the more entertained the audience becomes. The closing applause is the most thunderous Berlin’s opera houses have witnessed in a long time, with a chorus of boos being enthusiastically drowned out by cheers.
Therefore, Deutsche Oper has a crowd-pleaser on its hands, which is something it desperately needed. Is it a feminist production? Not particularly. Is it a masterpiece? Overall, not really. Chief conductor Donald Runnicles was unable to perform due to illness on the opening night, leaving John Fiore to hold things together with little room for subtlety.
However, the cast is exceptional. Armenian soprano Mané Galoyan steals the show with her sweet, rich, and captivating singing in the roles of Suor Angelica and Lauretta. Jonathan Tetelman shines as the heroic bad-boy Luigi, even though he performs his big aria in the muddy paddling pool, clawing at the air like an alien. Misha Kiria exudes charisma as both the homicidal Michele and the endearingly criminal Gianni Schicchi, while Violeta Urmana delivers a wickedly sublime performance as the Principessa.
★★☆☆☆
The production runs until October 9, and returns on December 14. Visit deutscheoperberlin.de
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