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Skilfully constructed: William Kentridge's new Wozzeck at the Salzburg Festival

By James Imam, 09 August 2017
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“Berg's music seethes and pulses in Jurowski's hands”
Reviewed at Haus für Mozart, Salzburg on 8 August 2017
Programme
Berg, Wozzeck
Performers
Vladimir Jurowski, Conductor
William Kentridge, Director
Sabine Theunissen, Set Designer
Greta Goiris, Costume Designer
Matthias Goerne, Wozzeck
Asmik Grigorian, Marie
Gerhard Siegel, Captain
Jens Larsen, Doctor
John Daszak, Drum Major
Mauro Peter, Andres
Frances Pappas, Margret
Tobias Schabel, First Apprentice
Huw Montague Rendall, Second Apprentice
Heinz Göhrig, Madman
Concert Association Vienna State Opera Chorus
Ernst Raffelsberger, Choirmaster / chorus director
Vienna Philharmonic
Salzburger Festspiele und Theater Kinderchor
Wolfgang Götz, Choirmaster / chorus director
More Opera reviews
COC triumphs with Kentridge’s brilliantly conceived Wozzeck
John Gilks, 25th April
William Kentridge's production of Berg’s Wozzeck has it all: wonderfully imaginative and disturbing designs, terrific acting and singing plus fabulous orchestral playing. 
*****
Oh To Believe in Another World: Shostakovich and Stalin on film
Mark Pullinger, 24th April
William Kentridge's film, a patchwork collage depicting Shostakovich's complicated relationship with Stalin, is played as film score to his Tenth Symphony at the Southbank's genre-crossing Multitudes festival. 
***11
A toy-box of tyranny: Shostakovich, Stalin and Kentridge collide
Kurt Gottschalk, 7th December

Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony is a massive and aptly complicated work to which William Kentridge’s film adds contextual layers of stop-motion animation and vintage footage in a surreal nightmare of tyranny.

****1
Bleak and hopeless: William Kentridge's Wozzeck at the Met
Robert Levine, 2nd January
Despite theatrical drawbacks, this Wozzeck is heartily recommended due to Yannick Nézet-Séguin's staggering understanding of all facets of Berg's score.
****1
Barbed wire fences and gas masks: Wozzeck in Sydney
Zoltán Szabó, 30th January
Kentridge’s use of video technology creates another, highly complex, visual score next to Berg’s sonic one.
****1
Risk of sensory overload: ENO's Lulu
David Karlin, 9th November
William Kentridge's Lulu for ENO is easier to admire than it is to love. But if you want to be challenged dramatically, this is the opera to do it.
***11
More reviews...
Read reviews of
Alban BergAsmik GrigorianConcert Association Vienna State Opera ChorusErnst RaffelsbergerFrances PappasGerhard SiegelGreta GoirisHeinz GöhrigHuw Montague RendallJens LarsenJohn DaszakMatthias GoerneMauro PeterSabine TheunissenSalzburger Festspiele und Theater KinderchorTobias SchabelVienna PhilharmonicVladimir JurowskiWilliam KentridgeWolfgang GötzWozzeck
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James Imam
James Imam
James Imam is an arts journalist writing for publications including The Financial Times, The Times, Musical America and Opera magazine. He grew up in Manchester, read anthropology at Cambridge and has since lived in Milan. As a once-aspiring countertenor he has an abiding interest in Baroque music.