Salzburg Festival Fierrabras Franz Schubert

© Salzburger Festspiele Monika Rittershaus

It is once more a try to reactivate this opera by the famous Lied Composer Franz Schubert. Fierrabras is a romantic opera of medieval heroes and love based on a French medieval heroic epic of the same name. Franz Schubert composed it in 1823 during the period of growing nationalism and the political outcome of the post Napoleon time. The plot takes place in the time of the Frankenking Karl and his fight against the Arabic occupation in Europe. It is the happy ending love story of two couples and the glorifcation of human values as forgiveness, mercy and grace. The composition of the opera shows Schubert´s attempt to create a grand romantic opera coming from the traditional German Singspiel. He never saw his opera staged. We have seen several resets of this opera full of romantic music, lovely duetts, arias and choir scenes in the last years. Nicolaus Harnoncourt and Claudio Abbado have been important protagonists. This year production of the Salzburg festival was directed by highly regarded Peter Stein known for his traditional style under the conductor Ingo Metzmacher known for his interpretations of contemporary music at the festival over the last years.

Once the curtain opens the spectator immediately feels himself in the early Middle Ages, the time of the knighthood and the first clash of the European and Arabic culture. More than expected there is a very strong relation to current top news. The stage design by Ferdinand Wögerbauer goes  back to the early theatre creating depth and dimension by several layers of decoration being pushed or droped on stage. It is a black and white world by colours, costums and characterisation. The Frankencourt of Charlemagne is shining white, the knights in bright armament and the Moorish court in black. The movements on stage are traditional too - so very static without emotion, the singers step forward to the edge of the stage when singing. So the evening lacks excitement although there is dense series of action. Knight fights, prison revolts, loving couples fighting for their sake. So Ingo Metzmacher tries to bring up tension and movement in the pit. He conducts with impressive acurance having contact with every musicien of the Vienese Philharmnic Orchestra as well as the numerous singers on the stage. He seems to be everywhere. He imprisons Franz Schubert romantic harmonic and melodic attempts. He rests very mechanical and unspiritual in his interpretation so the music seems a conglomeration of military marching music. For the singers the partiture is very demanding in the combination of strong rhythm, parlando and melody. Michael Schade is Fierrabras, the strong son of the Moorish leader falling into the hands of the Franken knight Roland sung by Markus Werba. Both do not succeed to bring their voices to flourish. MIchael Schade´s tenor seems inflexibel in height changes and clumsy. Real festival athmosphere create the young bright tenor Benjamin Bernheim as Edinhard and his beloved Julia Keiter as Charlemagne´s daughter Emma. Both master fine and accurate the requests of the composition, modulate sensible with the orchestra and show a strong potential in their voices. Dorothea Röschmann is a dramatic Florida.

At the end there is strong, but disciplined applause for the performers and some buhs for the direction.