Bejun Mehta opened the world premiere performances of Toshio Hosokawa’s Stilles Meer at the Hamburg State Opera this month, creating the role of Stephan. The opera is set in Fukushima following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Bejun’s portrayal was heralded with tremendous acclaim from audiences and critics alike:
“But alone the countertenor Bejun Mehta (Stephan) moved all to tears with the flow of his peaceful voice. He succeeded with intense emotions . . .”
Aber allein der Countertenor Bejun Mehta (Stephan) lässt in seiner ruhigen Stimme Tränen fließen. Ihm gelingt intensiv ein emotionales, dabei sehr einfaches Beteiligtsein,. . . (Manuel Brug, Die Welt)
Remaining performances take place January 30 and February 9 & 13, and feature Susanne Elmark as Claudia and Mihoko Fujimura as Haruko. Kent Nagano conducts the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg for this Oriza Hirata staging. The production has been filmed for eventual Unitel DVD release.
Continue reading for additional reviews of Bejun’s spectacular performance:
“The countertenor Bejun Mehta was sensational, touching, and flawless in the role of the father.”
Sensationell, anrührend, makellos: der Countertenor Bejun Mehta in der Rolle des Vaters. (Joachim Mischke, Hamburger Abendblatt)
“The countertenor Bejun Mehta proclaims heartbreaking laments and sighs to her, immersed in harp sounds, with a warm timbre clearly trained in Baroque ornamentation techniques, and with an inwardly directed grief which seems to make earthly time stand still.”
Der Countertenor Bejun Mehta wirbt in herzzerreißenden Lamenti und Seufzern um sie, von Harfenklängen umspült, mit warmem Timbre, hörbar geschult an barocken Verzierungstechniken und mit einer nach innen gewendeten Trauer, die alle irdische Zeit außer Kraft setzt. (Verena Fischer-Zernin, NMZ.de)
[Claudia] lives like Ibsen’s “The Lady from the Sea” in a dreamworld, from which no one can retrieve her. Particularly not her German ex-partner. The countertenor Bejun Mehta plays him. Mehta’s focused portrayal places his character’s lack of understanding of Claudia’s mood and Japanese culture convincingly at the center of the opera.
[Claudia] lebt wie Ibsens “Frau vom Meer” in einer Traumwelt, aus der sie niemand herausholen kann. Schon gar nicht ihr deutscher Exliebhaber. Der Countertenor Bejun Mehta spielt ihn. Mehta stellt das Unverständnis seiner Figur für Claudias Gemütslage und für die japanische Kultur überzeugend in den Mittelpunkt.
(Reinhard J. Brembeck, Süddeutsche Zeitung)