We're in the final stage of rehearsals here in Prague for Idomeneo.
The theatre we are performing in, the Estates Theatre, was where Mozart gave the first performances of Don Giovanni and La clemenza di Tito. It features in the film Amadeus. It's a perfect little theatre, with balcony stacked upon balcony, giving it a very intimate but exciting atmosphere as an audience member.
A plaque on the floor of the orchestra pit commemorates the spot where Mozart conducted from the fortepiano.
(I don't know why it's upside down!)
In the UK, a cast will rehearse for 4 or 5 weeks in a dedicated rehearsal room with a mock-up of the set before moving onto stage for an intensive week of rehearsals putting together costumes, set, lighting and action with piano, then with orchestra. The process has a good momentum leading up to a Dress Rehearsal and Opening Night. This will be repeated 3 to 5 times over a season, building up a small repertoire of pieces on offer.
Opera Companies here still operate a repertory system, putting on a different show every night drawn from a much larger repertoire. Add to this the fact that the spaces are shared between opera, ballet and drama, and the scheduling becomes a nightmare.
We have been rehearsing Idomeneo in 5 different rehearsal spaces including the stage, but with little or no suggestion of the set. The rehearsals on stage feel very much like one of those 1930's films where everyone is on stage doing different things whilst technicians bang and crash in the background. Ok, it's not quite that bad here, but it certainly isn't a focussed rehearsal space.
Last week we had two days to rehearse with set, costumes and lighting with piano. It went pretty well considering the short amount of time but we encountered a very different way of working. We are used to continue the creation process in these rehearsals, with lighting and technical cues remaining fluid as we experiment to see what works best. Often happy accidents occur which really lift the production into something living.
Here they are used to everything being decided and fixed before this stage and to it not changing. So there has been some resistance to trying alternatives.
Next week we have the orchestral rehearsals but without any set, costumes or lighting. These rehearsals strictly belong to the conductor as they are about concentrating on balance, pacing and communication between him and the singers. This leaves Yoshi and I twiddling our thumbs a little, maybe giving the odd note. Frustrating as, for us, the momentum drops.
We pick up again next Friday with everything and have 2 pre-Dress Rehearsals leading to a public Dress Rehearsal. Until then, more sight-seeing!
Yoshi taking a picture of the poster outside the Estates Theatre.
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