2020-03-06 Le Prophète (Meyerbeer), Deutsche Oper (Berlin)

Jean de Leyde = Gregory Kunde
Fidès = Clémentine Margaine
Berthe = Elena Tsallagova
Graf Oberthal = Seth Carico
Zacharie = Derek Welton
Mathisen = Thomas Lehman
Jonas = Gideon Poppe
1. Bäuerin = Jacquelyn Stucker
2. Bäuerin = Anna Buslidze
1. Bauer/ 1. Wiedertäufer/ 1. Bürger/ Soldat = Ya-Chung Huang
2. Bauer/ 2. Wiedertäufer = Byung Gil Kim
2. Bürger/ Offizier = Michael Kim
3. Bürger = Samuel Dale Johnson
4. Bürger = Timothy Newton

Enrique Mazzola, conductor
Deutche Oper Berlin

Director  -  Olivier Py
Sets, Costumes  -  Pierre-André Weitz
Lighting  -  Bertrand Killy
Chorus master  -  Jeremy Bines
This page was last updated: March 10, 2020
In French, and surtitled in German, English

This is another version of Le Prophete than the one Neuenfels directed in Vienna State Opera in 1998. Placido Domingo was Jean and Agnes Baltsa Fides. In Vienna we had the shorter version of Le Prophete. I really wish Deutsche Oper Berlin gave us the libretto to this new version.

This is Grand Opera in French. Wonderful singing and acting, Of course, nudity and rape scenes must be staged these days. Nothing can happen behind the scene. More violence, sexual and other, and real nudity of men and women. Sometimes understated can be more powerful but not in Olivier Py's vision.

Modern times are on stage, with cars and modern guns. And in the end Oberthal wins. Surely we could have gotten the ending where Jean and his mother destroy the building with the people inside dying together with Jean and his mother. But Oberthal is there to survive. Only Jean is dead by a selfinflicted gunshot wound.

Gregory Kunde was a great Jean. Clementine Margaine was an amazing Fides. They were all amazing together and alone, all the soloists, chorus, orchestra. A great conductor and Meyerbeer is wonderful.

Winning most of the applause was Clémentine Margaine! Clémentine Margaine! Almmost all the applause goes to this great French contralto (or mezzo soprano as they say in the cast list!