As part of the commemoration of composer Luc Brewaeys' passing, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen presented a remarkable concert. It combined two works that express a deep sense of loss and abandonment and which—as the live experience showed—worked extraordinarily well together, even reinforcing each other in emotional intensity.
L'uomo dal fiore in bocca, Luc Brewaeys
In the work of Luc Brewaeys (1959-2015), we cannot overlook the highly skillful application of spectral technique, which in the score of L'uomo dal fiore in bocca serves as an ideal way to convey the ambiguity between reality and illusion. Luc Brewaeys characterizes this ambiguity more as a "contrast between drama and irony" (Opéra Magazine 2007). The opera premiered in February 2007 at the Muntschouwburg as a commission from Bernard Foccroule and was conducted at the time by Patrick Davin (1962-2020), who sadly also passed away far too young. The concert performance by the Symphony Orchestra of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen was conducted by Sora Elisabeth Lee, who masterfully handled the notoriously difficult chords and daring harmonies and clearly motivated the orchestra to the highest precision. The orchestra score alone provided spine-tingling moments and tension (the strikingly repeated notes in the harp, the rhythmic effects in percussion and brass).
Davide Damiani (who also sang at the premiere at the Muntschouwburg) and Thomas Blondelle threw themselves heart and soul into this ghastly and cynical piece about a man who missed his train and strikes up a dialogue with a stranger to whom he tells the story of his incurable mouth cancer. The tuba serves as a third protagonist and provides, as it were, a continuous reflection on the meaning of life. A rare solo role for this instrument, brilliantly performed by Frank Vantroyen. Three female voices sing texts by Tasso, adding feminine poetic depth to the proceedings, sung serenely and heavenly by members of the Choir and Young Ensemble of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.
The Human Voice, Francis Poulenc
The concert opera was preceded by a sublime performance of La Voix humaine by Francis Poulenc. The incomparable French soprano Véronique Gens for this kind of work inhabited the skin and soul of the "human voice" who sings out her despair and abandonment for some 45 minutes. What a compelling performance! Through her text interpretation, simultaneously restrained yet with utmost expressivity, you felt compelled to share in the woman's fear, uncertainty, and pain. In this work too, the orchestra, with its appropriate nuances, emphasized the emotional power of the piece.
A concert of unusually powerful intensity. A beautiful tribute to a lost but not forgotten talent.
