ROMEO & JULIE •TEATRO REAL MADRID
★★★★★★
Photo: Javier del Real
REVIEW: ROMEO & JULIET, MADRID: AN ABSOLUTELY FORMIDABLE OPERA SHOW
A truly magnificent performance at the Teatro Real in Madrid: an opera evening on a grand scale, which ranks among the season’s highlights both vocally and visually.
Thomas Jolly’s staging of Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet unfolds within an enormous, multi-storey set, where the action is set in a gigantic palazzo-like setting with sweeping stone staircases, gloomy vaults and a forest of opulent chandeliers. The visual language is consistently monumental and at times utterly overwhelming.
Photo: Javier del Real
A flooded crypt accessible to boats brings to mind the iconic boat scene in The Phantom of the Opera, and the entire stage is populated by a festively dressed chorus in wild, glittering carnival costumes, constantly in motion. A wild lighting design gives the production a distinct musical feel.
The whole thing is buzzing with life. There is dancing, fireworks, layers upon layers of extras and grand choreographed scenes in the finest grand opéra style. In some places it seems almost dreamlike, like weightless tableaux; in others it tips over into the decidedly over-the-top and somewhat directionless, which has also divided the critics, with the visual excess and periodic lack of dramatic focus in particular being highlighted as weaknesses.
Conversely, there is no doubt that this popular approach brings energy and pace to Gounod’s work, which – let’s be honest – can well have a tendency to drag. Here, things are livened up, and the audience is kept constantly engaged by the visual bombardment.
Photo: Javier del Real
From the orchestra pit comes an impeccable, romantic-sounding accompaniment, though the lyrical flow of Gounod’s score could perhaps have had a little more edge, more passion and intensity. It remains beautiful and well-controlled, but without quite burning through with maximum dramatic force.
And then there is the American soprano Nadine Sierra. The absolute centrepiece of the evening and the one who elevates the performance from the impressive to the unforgettable. She delivers a Juliette who combines youthful exuberance, technical virtuosity and dramatic weight, ranging from innocent lightness to tragic intensity, carried by a voice that moves effortlessly through even the most difficult passages.
Most striking is her ability to command the space. Even in this scenographically overloaded universe, she stands out clearly as the dramatic and musical focal point of the performance. The audience reacted accordingly: standing ovations several times throughout, not just at the end, but in the middle of the performance – the sort of thing one only experiences when something truly exceptional happens right before one’s eyes.
Photo: Javier del Real
The intensity of the evening was further heightened by the fact that the performance was being filmed for television and broadcast live to big screens in around 160 Spanish cities. This created a particularly electric atmosphere in the auditorium, as if everyone was aware that this was an event that extended beyond the usual theatre space. It looked and felt like an evening that will be remembered – and which may well stand out as one of Nadine Sierra’s finest moments.
The standard was such that one’s thoughts turned to the very biggest names like Netrebko and Asmik Grigorian and a place in the same league. The singing was so moving it gave you goosebumps!
Photo: Javier del Real
With this production, the Teatro Real confirms its position as an opera house in the absolute European top flight. A place where ambitions are high, where they dare to take risks visually and dramatically, and where they attract top international singers. OK, perhaps the staging was almost too much, but lively, bold and engaging – isn’t that how you make opera relevant?
All in all, a six-star experience. A visually lavish and at times over-the-top production, crowned by a world-class soprano performance, leaving you with the feeling of having witnessed something truly special.
