Season opens at the State Opera: Don Carlo remains awkward, but Adriana Lecouvreur delights

The Vienna State Opera began its season with two evenings that could hardly have been more different, both musically and theatrically. The contrast, the review suggests, was painful.

Verdi’s four-act “Don Carlo,” staged by Kirill Serebrennikov, returned nearly two years after its contested premiere and about 18 months after its second run. The production focused heavily on crimes in the clothing industry, with a program theme built around the T-shirt. For the reviewer, that approach misses the opera’s central connection between politics and religion, despite the staging’s detailed attention to costumes.

The musical performance did little to soften the criticism. Pier Giorgio Morandi led the orchestra competently but without much inspiration, while the low brass repeatedly produced an aggressive, harsh sound. The volume, the review argues, did not make the evening more exciting.

Vittorio Grigolo’s portrayal of the broken title character also comes under fire. His gestures and sustained intensity are described as a stereotypical version of an Italian tenor, with vocal mannerisms and an overly theatrical style. By contrast, Étienne Dupuis stands out as Posa, bringing the role long-breathed phrasing and noble restraint. The review awards him the evening’s vocal crown. Günther Groissböck earns the theatrical distinction for his portrayal of Filippo, while Elena Stikhina rises to painful grandeur in Elisabetta’s major aria.

The response to Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur” is far more favorable. The review describes a capable ensemble led by a brilliant mezzo-soprano, and audiences that included many visitors to Vienna cheered both productions.