BWW Reviews: The Mariinsky's THE ENCHANTED WANDERER at BAM

Thirteen years after its concert premiere with the New York Philharmonic, New Yorkers finally saw a fully staged production of Rodion Shchedrin's opera THE ENCHANTED WANDERER. The Mariisnky Theatre began its two-week residency at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with a one-night only performance of this rarely performed opera. Director Alezei Stepanyuk's production, despite some interesting elements, did not did not live up to Shchedrin's fascinating score. Still, the Mariinksy's presentation of THE ENCHANTED WANDERER proved to be one of the more interesting operas in New York so far this season.

Based upon the novella by Nikolai Leskov, THE ENCHANTED WANDERER is a bleak portrait of a monk, Ivan, who is haunted by visions of his former, sinful life. After murdering a monk, Ivan is captured by the Tartars. Eventually, he flees and enters the service of a Prince. Consumed with alcoholism, Ivan gives a large amount of the Prince's money to a gypsy girl, Grusha. The Prince then purchases Grusha for himself, only to discard her when he finds a wealthy bride. Eventually, Grusha is so consumed by jealousy and anger that she asks Ivan to kill her.

Bass Oleg Sychov gave an admirable performance as Ivan, especially considering he served as a last minute replacement for Sergei Aleksashkin. Mezzo-soprano Kristina Kapustinskaya was impressive as the gypsy Grusha, a role she has lived with for years and has even recorded under Gergiev's baton.

The most captivating performer, however, was tenor Andrei Popov, who assumed several roles: the monk Ivan killed who appears in a vision, the Prince, the magnetizer who encourages Ivan's fateful vodka binge, and an old man in the woods. Shchedrin's vocal lines, though at times melismatic, tend towards broad, sinewy phrases - all of which poured out of Popov's throat with effortless legato.

While there are aspects of THE ENCHANTED WANDERER that invoke the supernatural - like the appearance of the monk's ghost - it's certainly no magic opera a la Mozart's MAGIC FLUTE. Yet, Shchedrin's sound world is what transports us to another dimension (the entire opera is, of course, recounted as Ivan's visions of the past). Popov was the only performer who - with the combination of his excellent musicianship and stage presence - was able to transport me to the strange world of THE ENCHANTED WANDERER.

Though Shchedrin's music for the solo voices was excellently composed, his writing for the chorus cannot go unmentioned. The Mariinsky Opera Chorus presided over the action, seating in rows at the back of the stage. Blending elements of Russian Orthodox music with modern compositional techniques, the chorus plays a substantial role in creating the opera's mystical soundscape.

Shchedrin's skillful orchestrations contribute significantly to the drama. I was particularly taken with the first orchestral interlude, "Russian Shepherds" because of the bird-like a solos in the winds, though the whole score is full of striking orchestral effects.

Alexander Orlov's sets, consisting primarily of wooden platforms bordered with wheat, were simple and elegant. A rope that becomes Ivan's noose as well as Grusha's seductive swing hangs ominously in the center of the stage for the entire production. Irinia Cherednikova's costumes, inspired by traditional Russian clothing, perfectly complimented Orloy's sets. Yevgeny Ganzburg created a few striking lighting effects, though perhaps there could have been a few more "lighting moments" in the storytelling.

Alexei Stepanyuk's minimalist staging did well enough to match Shchedrin's score, though at times, the mise-en-scène was so stark and simple that the drama lost energy. For example, in the aria and chorus "Ivan's Plea," Ivan begs to be saved from captivity with the Tartars - all represented by male dancers. Though the music was quite beautiful, this section of the score seemed to stretch on for a couple of minutes too long because of the static staging. Likewise, Grusha's her entrance aria, when she sings about the setting sun, seemed to drag.

Considering THE ENCHANTED WANDERER clocks in at just less than ninety minutes, I was surprised to see at least a dozen patrons seated in the orchestra leave before the opera's end. Perhaps Stepanyuk's staging was too static to captivate them. Still, Shedrin's score is enchanting enough that perhaps New Yorkers would be lucky to see another staging of THE ENCHANTED WANDERER in the coming seasons.

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