Berliner Zeitung, 7th May 2004
First of all: “Antigone” in the Sophiensaele is a production definitely worth seeing. Whatever objections can be raised against the work of the independent opera company Novoflot ... doesn’t alter the fact that such a lively opera evening as this is one of a kind in Berlin at the moment. ... What Vicente Larrañaga achieves with the Novoflot orchestra mirrors his success with Krenek’s “Glockenturm” and Milhaud’s Minute Operas. Each phrase is tensely articulated, even in the rugged overture with its restless woodwind figurations, he retains command of the basic rhythm, and the orchestral playing is faultless. Also the coordination with the singers and the forceful chorus (rehearsed by Fausto Nardi) works perfectly. ... One sees, that here, more than is generally the case in music theatre, one is concerned with the body; ...and what the young singers achieve physically, and seemingly without effort while singing, will spoil our next visit to a Berlin opera house. ... The deployment of live video recording and ready-made video sequences is also skilfully done ... The staging might reduce the drama to the level of obvious personal relationships, thus trivialising it; but one thing it’s not is boring.
First of all: “Antigone” in the Sophiensaele is a production definitely worth seeing. Whatever objections can be raised against the work of the independent opera company Novoflot ... doesn’t alter the fact that such a lively opera evening as this is one of a kind in Berlin at the moment. ... What Vicente Larrañaga achieves with the Novoflot orchestra mirrors his success with Krenek’s “Glockenturm” and Milhaud’s Minute Operas. Each phrase is tensely articulated, even in the rugged overture with its restless woodwind figurations, he retains command of the basic rhythm, and the orchestral playing is faultless. Also the coordination with the singers and the forceful chorus (rehearsed by Fausto Nardi) works perfectly. ... One sees, that here, more than is generally the case in music theatre, one is concerned with the body; ...and what the young singers achieve physically, and seemingly without effort while singing, will spoil our next visit to a Berlin opera house. ... The deployment of live video recording and ready-made video sequences is also skilfully done ... The staging might reduce the drama to the level of obvious personal relationships, thus trivialising it; but one thing it’s not is boring.
tip Berlin, 10 / 04
...How does one stage “Antigone” today, the drama of someone who takes a stand, and who, despite the royal decree, buries her brother, and dies for it? Ideally like the young Berlin opera company Novoflot. Under the directorship of Sven Holm, Tommaso Traetta’s opera from 1772 ... becomes a very contemporary contest: the bone of contention has visibly gone astray, postures are telegenic attitudes, and whoever works themselves up into a rebellion, is first of all thrilled by their own pose. Antigone (Gesa Hoppe) styles herself for the burial as for an after-work-party, her fiancé Emone (Gillian Crichton) chats about his views on relationships in chewing-gum English from the video screen, and the rest of the wonderful ensemble are also radiantly convincing. What is more, the direction has at its disposal an effective cliché-filter: thanks to clever breaks, to the high musical and acting standard, and the well coordinated orchestra under the leadership of Vicente Larrañaga, this up-to-date “Antigone” is never one dimensional.
taz Berlin, 7th May 2004
...The staging by Sven Holm and his Novoflot team attempts to show baroque music theatre from a new perspective, actually exactly along the lines of Tommaso Traetta’s “Antigona”, an Italian reformist opera from 1772. It seduces to the operatic form, which one is neither used to in such a setting nor in such intimate circumstances. No pit separates the audience from the young orchestra, which sits at the edge of the stage.
...This Antigone is quick-tempered and emancipated, but above all self-sufficient. The others vie for attention; Antigone is the star. She is well acquainted with the film medium. To honour the burial, she dresses up in front of the camera; later she films herself in close up over her own grave, like a film diva just before a martyrdom: “Oh grave, oh nuptial chamber!” ...Antigone (Gesa Hoppe) is however also self-righteous and terribly intellectual. Because her bridegroom Haimon wants to rescue her, he dares to remark that he has buried Polyneikes. To his mumbled American-English – “Yeah, I fucking did it” – she replies, in a German intellectual posture, with an interpretation of the Antigone myth. ... Imaginativeness lurks in every corner of the staging. ...
Berliner Morgenpost, 7th May 2004
... Now the young Berlin opera troupe Novoflot show his major work “Antigone” in the Sophiensaelen, translated with rough edges and surprising turns in a up-to-date stage grammar. For the war of Thebes, director Sven Holm sends martial arts fighters into the fray. The emotional outbursts of the singers are recorded in close-up by live cameras. On occasion, right into their throats. Small film episodes are cleverly interspersed leading out of the hall of the Sophiensaele. ... A further novelty is the way in which the singers dance to Traetta’s music in an individual and modern style. Ismene practices Tai-Chi, Antigone swings her hips like a musical star. ...Superb singers and instrumentalists make the opera into a musically sensual experience. ... The chorus and orchestra lead by Vicente Larrañaga are, from the sprightly overture to the mournful finale, engaged solicitors of Traetta’s all to rarely performed music.
Rheinischer Merkur, 19 / 2004
... Novoflot play with the pathos of the opera, and interrogate it with humour and irony. Holm and Larrañaga have removed all secco-recitative and a few choruses to make room for modern representational forms. With dance, spoken word, video and projected texts, they recycle the content of the cut parts. ...The staging presents a complex simultaneity of a high operatic standard and scenes which are completely untypical for the opera. ... This play with the “real” people behind the professional singers is Holm’s objective.
Braunschweiger Zeitung, 8th May 2004
...Hard, but apt. The stage design in the decaying hall is bare, the costumes everyday, the effect strong. ...
Orpheus, September/October 2004
...Whoever was looking forward to Traetta’s rare Antigone on May, 5 was disappointed bitterly. ... First, the ambience of this ruin of a building [Sophiensaele] may be ideal for clubs but certainly not for opera. ... Third, the “staging”, i.e. the presentation, ... was so bizarre, grotesque and abhorrent that one virtually longed for Schlingensief, Kupfer or Konwitschny. Director Sven Holm had decided to seat the audience on a pedestal in the middle of the small dirty hall in front of which some confused ado about utterly uninteresting events was taking place. ...
As idiotic as the presentation was, as impressive was the musical side ... With Vicente Larrañaga a young, energetic director conducted the small orchestra carrying Traetta’s music congenially. Elevating it to the highest heights and in collaboration with his joyfully playing musicians weaving it into a dense sound. The woodwinds alone deserve a hymn. And the singing was good! In the title part Gesa Hoppe was calling attention on herself with an interesting, not always very idiomatic Soprano mastering glowing arcs just as well as the best declamation. Hanna Dóra Sturludóttir full of pathos and sense for the line as the commenting Ismene was outstanding as well. ... The choir (Fausto Nardi) ... was acquitting itself bravely in spite of its look. So, music-wise one could have been happy if one would only have brought a blindfold. ...
Klassik in Berlin, 5th May 2004, www.klassik-in-berlin.de
The young artists approach the serious material with a lot of fun and imaginativeness. ... What can be achieved in a large opera with a lot of pyrotechnics and stage magic, is realised here with an intelligent use of video, with clever symbolism, and in a simple, practical set (stage design: Leonie von Arnim, costumes: Daniela Selig). The innovative integration and use of technology (video), the play with the most varied forms, types, and references, is characteristic of this staging. ... There is much evidence of a strong filmic influence, and the narrative and presentation techniques learnt from film are used astutely for the opera form. With a great scenic fantasy the direction doesn’t only form, but cuts scenes over each other, contrasting and interpreting the representational apparatus of the opera and extending it in an extremely exciting and entertaining way.
Also refreshing is the humour – in opera productions unfortunately much to rare - with which the young artists play, without however reducing or denunciating the characters and their stories. The people on the stage and in the orchestra have visibly at least as much fun as the public, and this gives the evening its own additional dynamic. ... The approximately twenty piece orchestra lead by Vicente Larrañaga performs lucidly and with a lot of energy. The soloists, from whom a fare amount of physical exertion is demanded in this fast staging – including a punch up during the singing – master their roles excellently. ... A clever, well considered dramaturgy (Sebastian Bark) rounds off the positive impression, including the witty program. An all round sound, successful, entertaining and intelligent opera evening.