Bandmaster and operetta composer Franz Lehár first set his ambitions in the direction of grand opera; Kukushka was presented in 1896 in Leipzig, some say to great acclaim, others say to indifference. He later revised it–for Vienna (his dream)–where, renamed Tatjana, it was a flop when it premiered in 1906. Despite some fine orchestration and the occasional good piece of local color (the setting is Russia-Siberia), it is easy to understand its failure. The prelude begins moodily enough, offers a pretty, sensitive (though harp-infested) tune, but wanders and quickly turns tiring. Opportunity after opportunity for high drama is similarly lost throughout the opera: When heroine Tatjana’s father Sergej is accused of being in league with the devil and is almost killed, there’s little forward impetus or excitement; and even when the tenor hero, Alexis (in love with Tatjana) intervenes and is banished to Siberia at the close of Act 1, we feel little. There are two extended duets for Tatjana and Alexis–one as he’s about to leave for Siberia, and the other as the pair lies dying in the Siberian snow. The first contains some nice, lyrical singing (albeit unison, without so much as a third to break the monophony) but it doesn’t have the desired effect, and the last, with a nice tune or two, is inappropriate.
The biggest role is Alexis, and tenor Herbert Lippert, although occasionally pushed to his limits, is very impressive. Dagmar Schellenberger’s Tatjana also is impressive, but Lehár gives her no musical profile. Roland Schubert as Sergej displays a fine bass voice, and in the needs-more-to-do role of Sasha, who also is in love with Tatjana and eventually leads her to Alexis in Siberia (and then inexplicably disappears), Karsten Mewes is fine. The orchestra and chorus are well-rehearsed and seem to care, and Michail Jurowski leads a tight show. So, this is a good performance of a work that never convinces–and if you’ve ever wondered what a full-blown opera by waltzy old Lehár would be like, now you know.
