GMF – Press - Stamford Advocate, June 14 2009

Press

from the Stamford Advocate, June 2009

‘Kaiser’ is focused, energetic musical dialogue

By Jerome R. Sehulster

In a word, superb.

That sums up the Greenwich Music Festival's premiere of Viktor Ullmann's one-act opera, Der Kaiser von Atlantis, the centerpiece of its 2009 season. "Kaiser" is an hour-long commedia, chock full of the outrageous, the bizarre, a little love, a lot of death (yes, he's always there), and a hymn to life and decency, all played out at the levels of excellence and economy one has come to expect from the Greenwich Music Festival.

Viktor Ullmann composed Der Kaiser von Atlantis as an entertainment for fellow prisoners in the concentration camp in Theresienstadt (or Terezin), a small Czech city to the northwest of Prague. There, he and many other Jewish composers, performers, artists and intellectuals were interned by the Nazis in the mid-1940s.

In a brief pre-curtain speech, musical director and festival co-founder Robert Ainsley set the stage for "Kaiser," saying the opera is not explicitly about life in a concentration camp, nor about the Jews there, nor about Hitler and the Nazis. Rather, he said, it's a dialogue in a mix of musical styles one might find in the urban cabaret of the time. That said, however, the terrible reality of extermination facing Ullmann and others in the camp is never far from the humor of "Kaiser." For that matter, performance of "Kaiser."

When one thinks about the grim world it depicts, Kurt Weill's "Dreigroschenoper" (Three Penny Opera) is not really very funny either, despite the catchy dance tunes.

This "Kaiser" succeeded by dint of expert musicianship by all, crisp and creative stage direction by Ted Huffman, and performers who never lost their focus or energy-Jeffrey Tucker began the show as the Loudspeaker, the booming bass voice that introduces the characters. But he was also cast as Death, the looming figure who argues with Life, characterized by the Harlequin, engagingly sung by tenor Peter Tantsits. Both were masters of the mug, the latter echoing Marcel Marceau at times, the pair even doing a brief Laurel and Hardy thing, but everything always with an almost effortless flow. Harlequin's motley was a faded pair of patchwork uniform pants with suspenders; his sleeveless gray shirt looked forever unchanged, as the text implied; his whiteface makeup stopped at an unkempt beard that covered the lower half of his face. Death's outfit was a large woman's nightgown covered by a great coat. True to form, Harlequin was a charming, but hypomanic jester while Death was animated primarily in his expressions.

The Drummer is sent to announce Kaiser Overall's declaration of another war. True to the Loudspeaker's introduction, she is unreal: mezzo Katherine Pracht had arms that were artificially ex-tended, capped with long plastic hands, high platform shoes, and facial makeup like Heath Ledger as the Joker in the last Batman film. Her singing was aptly forceful.

But Death goes on strike by breaking his sword, leaving the Kaiser clueless: What now? The hanged don't die. How troublesome! Since they can't kill each other, try as they might, Tenor Matt Morgan, a Soldier, falls in love with-soprano Rachelle Durkin. an enemy Soldier (Bubikopf). Kaiser Overall (Keith Phares) is in a quandary, and indeed the Kaiser's stiff military bearing crumbles as the evening progresses. Things are only resolved by his agreement to die himself. Phares delivered the Kaiser's Farewell with stirring conviction. Their whiteface makeup now smeared, the others regain their humanity and face an end with dignity.

Marcus Doshi, stage and lighting designer, created an economic performing space lit from front and behind. Paul Carey's costume design suggested the ragtag outfits Ullmann and his performers might assemble for the camp performance of "Kaiser" (that ultimately never took place). Zack Winocur's choreography consisted of seamless movements of the characters who, when not singing, also moved props and announced the new scenes with painted canvases.

Ainsley led the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) in Ullmann's fascinating score. For its time (1943) it's not particularly "modern." The most obvious influences, to my ears at least, are the music of Alban Berg and Kurt Weill, with a few subtle musical quotes from others here and there. Ullmann's interesting choices of instruments (banjo, guitar, harmonium and saxophone) were dictated by what was available to him in Terezin. But his mix of styles and soun4s works admirably well and under Ainsley's sure hand and the ICE's masterful playing, it's all there without drawing undue attention to itself. All in all, "Der Kaiser von Atlantis" was a musically and dramatically engrossing experience.

The Greenwich Music Festival this year focused on music by Jewish composers from Theresienstadt (or Terezin). Other offerings in the festival included songs and choruses by Pavel Haas, Gideon Klein, Hans Krasa, who, with Ullmann, were later transported to other concentration camps and killed.