Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, 17/07/2016

Stravinsky : Oedipus rex
Stravinsky : Symphony of Psalms

Orphei Drängar
Gustaf Sjökvist Chamber Choir
Sofia Vokalensensemble
Philharmonia Orchestra
Esa-Pekka Salonen

This staged presentation of these two works was apparently originally designed for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, of which Salonen was the Music Director until 2009, and is now Conductor Laureate.  From Los Angeles, Salonen went to the Philharmonia Orchestra as Principal Conductor, and seems to have brought a little baggage along with him, in the shape of this Peter Sellars concoction, for the greater pleasure of the Aix audiences this summer.

Sellars, with his characteristically exuberant imagination, has conceived the Symphony of Psalms as complementary to Oedipus rex, a sort of commentary on the final scenes of Sophocles's Oedipus in Colonus, and the translation of Oedipus upon his death as a blessing for which thanks and praise can and should be offered.  In staging both pieces, he has jettisoned Cocteau's original narrative text (with which Stravinsky was, apparently, never very happy), and replaced it with something not dissimilar, rather freer in style, and more based on Sophocles's drama.  It is also told by Antigone, one of Oedipus's two daughters, who accompany the fallen king into exile and the long years of wandering.  Like Cocteau's Narrator, Antigone explains the plot that unfolds in the Latin sung text, but with more personal interpolations.  As a result, some of the hieratic quality of the piece is tempered, and the impression of Oedipus being little more than Fate's chew toy is also somewhat mitigated.

There is no loss of drama, however, thanks to a clear and very direct staging.  No decor to speak of, but a set of seven extremely striking and beautiful African tribal thrones is set across the stage.  Each character appears with a large, carved wooden mask, of similar inspiration, all the work of Ethiopian artist Elias Sime, and although Sime's work is wholly original, it was also reminiscent of the famous Saito Kinen Festival production, staged by Julie Taymor, for a similar suggestion of an antique African civilization, rather than the obvious Greek one.

Elias Sime's thrones, Oedipus Rex
© the author (2016)

The chorus is dressed in everyday clothing, all in shades of blue and grey, and express themselves not just in song, but also in some form of sign language, and this carries through to the Symphony of Psalms, which restored some of the sense of intense ritual that Stravinsky wanted for Oedipus rex.  The singing did the rest, an incisive, vivid sound, very clear diction, a sense of complete conviction, matched at every point by the orchestra.  (Though I admit to being curious as to just why Salonen had to go to Sweden for all three choruses taking part in the proceedings?)

I found Joseph Kaiser's Oedipus good, but just a little bland, the only (slight) weakness in an exemplary cast, with Violeta Urmana majestic as Jocasta, and Sir Willard White taking all three of the bass roles, Creon, Tiresias and the Messenger, with the kind of authoritative presence one expects from this engaging and evergreen performer, deploying a striking variety of timbre to delineate each of the three characters.

Putting the Symphony of Psalms into this semi-theatrical context was, I felt, a little distracting from the actual music, though the performance was more than adequate.  While I liked the concept, and particularly liked the way the chorus was still signing its text, the reappearance of Oedipus and his two daughters sort of 'earthed' the piece for me, rather than enhancing its spirituality.  And while Laurel Jenkins's choreographic contribution as Ismene was attractive enough, a) I was occasionally reminded a little too much of Nijinsky's "Grecian" steps for his "Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un Faune" and b) if it comes to choreography on the Symphony of Psalms, I'm quite familiar with the Kylian version.  There's no comparison.

However, these were still both excellent performances, vocally assured, orchestrally outstanding, and given a staging that was thought-provoking, and not merely provoking.  Tonight's performance was streamed live, and the link should be available for at least a month, here.  If there are no territorial issues with the broadcast, I do recommend taking a look at it.

[Next : 4th August]