'Mayerling' reviews Cope in reviews Rojo in reviews recent RB reviews more Ami Shah reviews Discuss this review (Open for at least 6 months)

As posted on our Postings pages...

With the potential for confusion in mind, Cope's and Rojo's opening night did everything possible to make it all clear. If last night is a preview of the nights to come, we all should take along our pillows and blankets and move into the opera house, gleefully enjoying each night's show.

Jonathan Cope's Rudolf is spot-on. He is simultaneously strong, wilful, determined, stubborn, worn-down, lost, searching, knowing... a perfect blend of the uncertainty we know and the certainty we seek. From Act I, his unhappiness with his arranged marriage is clear, as is his desire for some sense of understanding and unconditional love - he seeks this in his mother, only to find later that she, also, is not what she seems. And his world of disillusionment grows.

Rudolf's despair is tangible - when he storms out of his wedding celebrations, then again when he enters his mother's chambers, later, while on the hunt, and finally, in the 'morphine pas de deux'. In his numerous pdd, Cope is appropriately needy and conflicted... and it's all in the details: in the first pdd with Mary, he is left sitting on the floor, relishing in his sensations, only to find Mary coming at him with a gun - he turns and notices at the right moment; rushes away with the right speed. Most effective, however, is how he portrays his recurring headache (or, as some have said, the voices in his head). Cope does exactly what is needed for this role - tackling it head-on, with reckless abandon emotionally and superb control physically.

Rojo's Mary is the perfect partner for Cope's Rudolf. Her transformation from a young playful girl in Act I to an obsessive, infatuated teen in Act II is complete - she is a young, beautiful woman aware of herself and her body. This Mary is raw sensuality, and she knows it to a point that it becomes frightening. In many ways she seems more calm and collected, and thus perhaps even slightly madder, than Rudolf. Rudolf has been obsessing with guns/skulls/drugs/sex for years - and Mary quickly leaps into this world, making the obsessions *her* domain. The gun doesn't scare her, she willingly points and fires with no fear, no desire to put it down, and when it is in Rudolf's hands, she is not scared of it. And, as noted in another review, the manner in which she watches Rudolf inject his last morphine is spine-chilling.

Yet another woman in Rudolf's life, his mother the Empress Elisabeth, is wonderfully portrayed by Zenaida Yanowsky. While it may indeed be a stretch to think of Yanowsky as Cope's mother, she is such a versatile dancer and actress that no stretch of the imagination was necessary. She carries herself as a true empress, stately and dignified, aware of the pressures and sorrow that surround her. She wants to be there for Rudolf, her only son, and is also aware that she has hurt him. With Yanowsky, again, it's the details that count - her long long limbs reaching the end of every movement; looking back over her shoulder as she runs out with 'Bay', to make sure that this time, Rudolf is not watching.

To be extremely nit-picky, one time each when these fine dancers let me down (but only very very slightly): in the bedroom scene with Stephanie, Act 1, when Rudolf is stage left, back to the audience, and Stephanie runs at him from stage right a few times - Rudolf has to extend his left arm to catch her/lift her, and this is done slightly too early: he knows she is on her way before she is on her way! In the 'morphine pdd' (I think) there is a moment (I believe a picture of it w/ Alina and Johan is somewhere on last year's thread), when Rudolf lifts Mary over his left leg, she is facing away from him and has one leg on each side of his waist - instead of looking frightened or passionate, Rojo looked back at Cope in a way that seemed to be slightly scared or 'erm, when are you going to put me down...' Finally, after the Empress orders Countess Larisch to leave, she walks out of Rudolf's room almost too stoically, especially after delivering such a nuanced and shaded performance in all other scenes.... Did anyone else catch these moments?

However, I'm being quite unfair, as these three principals made Mayerling last night - but such a complex story with so many important pdd cannot be carried by they themselves! Christopher Saunders was an excellent, distinguished Bay, Ricardo Cervera a delightful Bratfisch, and Jose Martin, Yohei Sasaki, Edward Watson, and Bennet Gartside remarkably strong officers.

But what of Rudolf's other women? Gemma Bond as his wife, Princess Stephanie, was definitely technically able, but not surprised and scared enough - on her wedding day, she has to be royally disgraced by her new husband's indiscretions, that night, she has to be completely scared out of her mind. Particularly in the bedroom pdd, Bond seemed, as my friend noted,'to know what was coming next' - she was almost acting ahead of the movement, instead of as the story unfolded. Her fear was rather superficial, not petrifying. Similarly, at the tavern, she needs to be more internally disgusted with everything - with Mitzi, with the drinking, with the fact that places 'like this' exist, with Rudolf, with the overt sex... rather she just seems upset, and when she is ordered to leave she just leaves in that same state of being upset - I would have liked some haughty disapproval with an evil eye as she walked out - beoming even more disgusted with her husband.

The brothel scene needs a bit more of nuance - Bratfisch is supposed to dance to distract Stephanie, to entertain her, but he doesn't appear to be dancing for her, and the whores don't necessarily seem to be competing for attention on the dance floor or to really be offering themselves... and the police inspection happens so fast (and they run on right next to Rudolf!) - so how do he and Mitzi get the chance to hide??? Similarly to Bond, Dierdre Chapman as Mitzi and Jamie Tapper as Marie Larisch never completely melt into their roles - Tapper has proven herself (in my eyes) as capable of demonstrating lover's despair as well as manipulative seduction in 'Manon' - but her Larisch is not as nuanced, and Chapman has her moments when she is acting and moments when she is dancing... and beautiful moments when both are combined!

This brings us to the second problem of trying to produce Mayerling - not only is the story complicated, but each character is as well. Yet, except for Rudolf, the time given to each character to develop and show these details is limited - one has to simply dive in. Lucky for us, we have three dancers who seem to already be well-immersed in the waters. Yanowsky, Rojo, and especially Cope (remember, I am a loyal fan!) have set a high standard - not just diving into their characters, but embodying them.

Anyone else up for camping out at the ROH?