554 Notes, March 2009
Teatro Regio di Parma. That this is not go- Holberg for years, but it was not until 1906
ing to be your typical opera production is that he produced Maskarade. Widely re-
clear from the start: the two DVDs are pack- garded as a comic masterpiece which bears
aged inside the cover of a hardbound book, comparison to Verdi’s Falstaff, it has been
which offers photographs and extensive produced only rarely outside Denmark,
commentary on the opera and production. due no doubt to the language barrier: few
The staging is the work of video artist singers on the international scene are com-
Pierrick Sorin, and consists of a modern- fortable singing in Danish. There are no
dressed cast performing before video cam- such problems here in this production
eras on a “blue screen” set. Their images from the Royal Danish Opera in Copen-
are then superimposed over ever-changing hagen, where it ranks as a national treasure.
and often surreal backdrops (filmed from This 2006 production was filmed at the
miniature models, also on stage), with the new opera house in Copenhagen, and cele-
finished product projected on large screens brates the newness of the theatre by thumb-
over the heads of the singers. The DVD re- ing its nose gleefully at tradition. This time-
lease adds another dimension to this by less “generation gap” comedy is presented
freely mixing views of all these aspects to in modern dress, which works quite well,
create yet another version. The young and and is full of sight gags, in-jokes, gravity-
mostly unfamiliar cast enters into this with defying and highly elaborate sets, and
enthusiasm and gusto, and their perfor- Cirque de Soleil-inspired choreography for
mances are never less than satisfactory, but the masked ball in Act III—sorry, there is
one suspects that a little more freedom of no “poultry in motion” for the familiar
movement on a traditional set might have Dance of the Cockerels! While only bass
made their performances more effective. Stephen Milling and veteran heldentenor
Contralto Sonia Prina as the heroine Poul Elming are well known on the interna-
Clarice and bass-baritone Joan Martín-Royo tional scene, the cast is superb, musically
as the corrupt tabloid journalist Macrobio and dramatically, but pride of place must
are the most successful at overcoming these go to baritone Johan Reuter, who nearly
obstacles and offer the most persuasive per- steals the show as the Figaro-like valet
formances. All in all, the production is Henrik. The DVD includes a documentary
highly entertaining, and any new recording on the rehearsal process and optional in-
of this forgotten masterpiece is welcome, troductions to each act by conductor
but it is likely to appeal most to viewers in- Michael Schønwandt. The only drawback in
terested in innovative staging techniqu