The 2011 Salzburg Festival featured six fulloperatic productions. Almost withoutexception, singers were of the highest

standard, which is in keeping with this elitistmusical extravaganza. The most satisfying of thenew productions was Leos Janácek’s MakropulosCase. The young Emilia Marty had been given anelixir to prolong life by her father and was 337years old. Now a renowned opera singer, sheappears during the conclusion of a century-longinheritance lawsuit. To Emilia, the fate of theinheritance is not important. She only wants thewritten formula to maintain youth.

The production was directed by ChristophMarthaler with sets and costumes by AnnaViebrock. The center stage functioned as alawyer’s office, dressing room and finally acourtroom. The arduous role of Emilia Martywas taken by soprano Angela Denoke whogave a stunning, impassioned portrayal of theprotagonist’s narcissistic character. Only at theend, in her searing monologue, did she cometo terms with her age and let an element ofhumanism crept in. She decides she has livedenough and offers the elixir formula to anaspiring singer, who nonchalantly burns thedocument. Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonenachieved sumptuous, nuanced playing fromthe Vienna Philharmonic. This was the unques-tioned operatic highlight.

Richard Strauss’s The Woman without a Shadow, afairy tale, involves two couples, one celestial(Emperor and Empress) and the other earthly (thedyer Barak and his wife). The Empress casts noshadow (a metaphor for infertility) and to save herhusband she must acquire one. The nurse takes theEmpress to the earthly abode of Barak where sheengineers a plot with Barak’s wife, promising thelatter riches if she will relinquish her shadow. Initial-ly she agrees, but subsequently reneges, and eventhe Empress refuses to accept it.

Christof Loy presented an academic production.Designer Johannes Leiacker staged this opera inVienna’s Sofiensäle, the location of many famous

recordings. This concept was novel but also con-troversial. Loy himself pointed out in a programinterview, that the Sofiensäle was the site where theAustrian Nazi party met and subsequently “a centerfor rounding up Jews marked for deportation.”

THERE WAS no question about the brilliantperformance of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestraunder Christian Thielemann. He really came toterms with the dramatic score and kept the giantorchestral forces under tight control, resulting inglorious sound. Soprano Evelyn Herlitzius portrayedthe complex wife most effectively. AnneSchwanewilms was outstanding as the Empress andMichaela Schuster took the role of the sly nurse.Wolfgang Koch, the sonorous baritone, sang therole of the Dyer. Stephen Gould as the Emperorhad an imposing ringing tenor.

The hottest ticket in the current festival wasVerdi’s early opera, Macbeth, conducted by Riccar-do Muti. With Muti at the helm of the ViennaPhilharmonic, the performance was impeccable.His interpretation was paced slower than his pre-vious forays into the opera.

Peter Stein’s production was classical. DesignerFerdinand Wögerbauer utilized the large passage

way between the orchestra pit and front row seatsin the Felsenreitschule (Riding School) for KingDuncan’s entourage and later for the flight ofrefugees. Another ingenious effect was to projectBanquo’s future descendents, in line with theprophesy, to include images of British royalty(Charles I, Victoria and the current Queen Eliza-beth). The three tiers of stone arches were effec-tively utilized when rebel soldiers covered withbranches from Birnam Woods emerged from them,fulfilling the witches’ prophesy.

Baritone Zeljko Lucic was an impressive Mac-beth, especially in the banquet scene whenaccosted by the ghosts of Banquo. Macduff,tenor Giuseppe Filianoti, rose to the occasionwhen mourning his family (their bloody corpseswere displayed on stage). Pride of place, howev-er, went to Russian soprano Tatiana Serjan asLady Macbeth. At no time did she have to forceher voice. Her early letter aria was a real tour deforce and equally inspiring was her sleepwalkingscene. Serjan’s passage across the upper tier ofthe Riding School attired in a white night gownin the prelude to her final aria was my mostcherished memory of this opera and the festivalin general.

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Opera at the Salzburg Summer Festival

• By IRVING SPITZ

SOPRANO ANGELA DENOKE (Emilia Marty) in Janácek’s ‘Vec Makropulos.’ (Walter Mair)

Of the three newproductions, one was

outstanding, one academicand the third traditional