© Salzburger Festspiele Ruth Walz
It is one of million jewish fates during the German Nazi Regime. The heritage of Charlotte Salomon comprised of 1325 gouaches and several textsheets and music pieces. She called the total package Leben? oder Theater? Ein Singspiel - Live? or theatre? a Singspiel. Her father, who survived the troubled years hidden in the Netherlands received it 1947. Later it was dedicated to the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam. It is a stunning documentary of a shocking touching boigraphy. Charlotte Salomon was born 1917 in Berlin into a bourgoise jewish family. Her mother made suicide in 1926. Afterwards her difficult relation with the stepmother Paula Lindberg began, an acclaimed singer. Charlotte inscribed at the Hochschule der Kuenste and successfully participated at several competitions.1939 she left Germany to flee from the aggression of the Nazi Regime to Villefranche, where her grandparents settled. Shortly after her arrival her grandmother suicides herself as many other family members did. Charlotte can not further suffer the life with her grandfather and kills him. In 1943 she is arrested by the Nazi, deported to Auschwitz where she is murdered, being pregnant in the 5th month.
Young French composer Marc Andre Dalbavie and Librettist Barbara Honigmann used the artistic opus of Charlotte Salomon and integrated it in the elaboration of a musical presentation of this touching cruel story of a young devoted Jewish girl. The result is a convincing and exciting production. Marc Andre Dabalvie keeps the orchestral part limited to a sensible sound carpet, mostly harmonic colourful by instrumentation - played by the Mozarteum orchestra conducted by the composer. The part of Charlotte Salomon is divided into a singing role, beautifully performed byMezzosoprano Marianne Crebassa and a spoken part dramatlicly performed by actress Johanna Wokalek.
The singing partitur takes credit of old French canzons, jiddish folk songs and classic a capella style. Supported by the intellegent and conclusive direction of Luc Bondy and his stage designer Johannes Schuetz it is a very lively moving forward and conclusive entertaining performance. Stage design includes the expressive paintings of Charlotte Salomon as videoinstalllations along the flow of the story.
It is remarkable how realistic and simple all elements are kept. The audience is banned and stays attentive. The miserable life of Charlotte is convincingly brought a life by all particpants. The hearitly applause is well earned and remunerating the Salzburg Festival for its continous effort and contribution to contemporary music and exceptional artistic evenings..
the 27 of August, 2014 | Print
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