Ice and Steel

Vladimir Dechevov (1889-1955) is not as familiar to Western audiences as other Soviet-era Russian composers, so it's no surprise that his 1929 work Ice and Steel is known to opera lovers primarily through reputation rather than repertory productions. Fortunately, viewers will now be able to see Ice and Steel, thanks to this strikingly innovative production from Germany's Saarländisches Staatstheater. The opera must have been daring for its time, from both a political standpoint (in its depiction of the bloody 1921 Kronstadt Mutiny involving 14,000 people, most of them sailors, in an open rebellion against the Bolshevik regime) and an artistic one (Dechevov favored an avant-garde style that was at odds with the Kremlin-preferred socialist realism). Immo Karaman's stage direction borrows heavily from the Brecht/Weill playbook, both in the stark staging and overall visual interpretation (eyeliner and lip gloss could be one-third of the production's budget here). Dechevov's jolting and challenging music, coupled with the profoundly harsh libretto by Boris Lavrenov, mirrors the emotional upheaval of those caught up in the mutiny's fury, offering a richly textured meditation on the frustrations, betrayals, courageous acts, and sense of determination in a time of unprecedented unrest. Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, and PCM stereo, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)