Preview - Wolfgang Rihm’s opera Jakob Lenz at Hampstead Theatre
Pictured is Wolfgang Rihm
Published: 12 April, 2012
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
NEXT week, English National Opera is launching its first co-production with Hampstead Theatre, staging the UK premiere of Wolfgang Rihm’s opera Jakob Lenz.
In the process, Hampstead is becoming a fully paid-up member of the ENO international club of co-partners, taking in such illustrious opera houses as The Met in New York, Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg and San Francisco Opera.
The chamber opera Jakob Lenz charts the mental disintegration of the eponymous real-life Sturm und Drang poet.
Through Lenz, the composer Wolfgang Rihm explores the abuse society inflicts on those suffering from psychological disorders, in this case schizophrenia.
Andrew Shore is taking on the title role after fabulous ENO performances as Dulcamara in The Elixir of Love and Herr von Faninal in Der Rosenkavalier.
Award-winning young director Sam Brown is in charge of the intimate chamber opera staging.
Only time will tell whether the ENO/ Hampstead Theatre co-production will deliver more opera in north London.
“Nothing is planned, we’ll see how it goes and whether we can find other things to do together,” says ENO artistic director John Berry at his St Martin’s Lane office.
Hampstead Theatre director Ed Hall concurs, adding that putting on more opera/music at the theatre remains a key objective.
For ENO, the Jakob Lenz staging with Hampstead Theatre continues the company’s extraordinary transformation in recent years.
Not so long ago, ENO was the subject of scorn and derision for productions during the time of “directors’ opera”.
Now, the wheel has turned full circle and ENO is becoming the envy of the opera world.
That’s primarily due to Berry’s policy of going for co-productions with major international opera houses, with nearly three dozen involved in staging four dozen operas over the past three years.
What’s more, ENO is at the centre of this international co-production network, originating nearly all of the recent stagings.
Partners include opera houses in Holland, Portugal, Lithuania, Spain, France, Russia, Poland, Germany, Austria, Belgium and America.
Most prominently, ENO has put together seven co-productions with The Met in New York – Madam Butterfly, Satyagraha, Doctor Atomic, Two Boys, Eugene Onegin and, most recently, The Death of Klinghoffer.
It’s almost as though The Met is using ENO as its offshore new production house. “It’s not just about sharing costs that we’re into co-productions in such a big way, though that’s obviously a major benefit,” Berry says.
“Rather, it’s through co-productions that we’re able to meet the demand of audiences for new work rather than trotting out revivals.”
For a long time, ENO has been ranked behind the Royal Opera House. But now, says Berry, the stream of co-productions has it into “a major international production house”.
There’s huge scope to capitalise on ENO’s successful co-production policy. North London opera buffs will be hoping next week’s Jakob Lenz staging leads to more ENO/Hampstead Theatre partnerships.
• Jakob Lenz, an ENO Hampstead Theatre production, Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, NW3. Performances on April 17, 19, 21, 24, 26 and 27. 7.30pm, £45, 020 7722 9301, www.hampsteadtheatre.com