Robert le diable at the Royal Opera

Robert le diable was very interesting for me on so many counts. In David Cairns' biography of Hector Berlioz, there was a lot of mention of Meyerbeer in Paris at the time - yet I'd no exposure to Meyerbeer's operas. Then a friend of mine said "there are reasons why some operas don't get performed much - they weren't any good". And there was my sheer curiosity to be exposed to one of the first "grand operas".

So, voila, Robert le diable at the Royal Opera. Laurent Pelly's new production was grand. Lots of movements and textures. Lots of people. The cast of many sang well - and in particular Bryan Hymel. Not sure whether the "ballet" worked in the middle act - it was dancing around lots of obstacles.

And how was it in the end? There was not a dull moment. Musically? No, it's no match for later grand operas. But then one has to put this pioneering work into context. For sure, one felt entertained for the evening. Perhaps it's time to review other grand operas.

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The Westin, Shanghai (上海)

It's only 5 minute's from The Bund (外灘) and a relatively new hotel, The Westin Shanghai ought to be a fantastic place for both business and pleasure. Quite a few tourist guides have also rated this highly. It took me about two days to work out why I never warmed to it. The reason? The sense of proportion is erratic across the entire hotel - some corridors are too narrow, beds too close to the wall (even though I was in a mini-suite), some staircases have irregular steps, etc. The list goes on. What was enjoyable? The location. One could stroll down to The Bund for dinner, drinks or the view. The staff are nice too - always trying to help. What was not enjoyable? Where shall we begin - the fake palm trees, the tightly spaced cafe, the finishing touches, etc.

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Fidelio comes around to the Royal Opera only once in a while. With Lise Davidsen as Leonore, there was much to look forward to. The overture sounded firm at the beginning, but there were minor ensemble issues - the strings just didn't sound tight enough. Lise Davidsen was phenomenal. From the "fake" flirting with Marzelline (sung by Amanda Forsythe), "man to man" talk with Meister Rocco (sung by Georg Zeppenfeld) to the true Leonore in emotional turmoil - whe tackled them all with gusto. Her stature and firm voice also added further conviction to the role, but never too forthright to be forced. We were lured in the a sense of security with the naturalistic stage set reminicent of Figaro in Act I. That was all knocked back with Act II - Florestan was on a stone island surrounded by a non-descript chorus sitting down in front of a doorway - all starkly lit. The stage set bore no relation to the scenerary to Act I. Set and costume designer Rainer Sellmaier ...

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