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Chor der Oper Köln (Photo: Thilo Beu)

It is a lovely thing when the chorus earns the loudest cheer of a curtain call. At Oper Köln’s opening of their new production of Verdi’s Nabucco, despite an evening of superb singing from all the principal singers, it was the chorus bows that got the audience to their feet.

On Friday 29th November, there was an ‘artists funeral march’ in Berlin, to protest against the city’s proposed €130m (£108.6m) cuts to its culture budget. While these kinds of cuts are yet to be proposed in Cologne, there is a palpable fear that they might not be far away.

Coming from London, a city where opera has been the target of funding cuts, it is somewhat unbelievable to see the size and vitality of Oper Köln’s orchestra and chorus, both at least 60 people strong, led by Sesto Quatrini. Despite some questionable acting from chorus members, this is what the Va, pensiero chorus is meant to showcase: the collective power and emotional resonance of a well-supported, unified ensemble.

The production is set in an unspecified time where people seem to only have access to grey clothing and Adidas Sambas. Although this neutral setting gives room for the music to take centre stage, and perhaps allows us to consider the eternally destructive nature of power,  it feels like a missed opportunity to engage with the historical context that gives the opera its enduring significance.

Lukas Singer, Evgeny Stavinsky, Ernesto Petti, John Heuzenroeder, Marta Torbidoni, Chor der Oper Köln (Photo: Thilo Beu) 

There was some marvellous singing from the main cast; the warmth and strength of baritone Ernesto Petti's voice brings the necessary gravitas to the titular role. Marta Torbidoni plays a wonderfully vindictive Abigaille and Aya Wazikono has, at once, a strength and sweetness to her voice that brings out the compassion and loyalty of Fenena. Young Woo Kim in his role debut as Ismaele is the star solo performance of the night; his superb acting and tender lyricism beautifully convey his character’s inner conflict and romantic devotion.

Yet, it was the collective might of the chorus and orchestra that left the most profound impression. With the possibility that Germany’s well-funded opera tradition could be under threat, Oper Köln’s Nabucco should serve as a reminder of what can be achieved when the full resources of a company are allowed to shine. Small choruses can be brilliant, but if we want audiences to continue to be enraptured by the scale and grandeur of something like the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, we must preserve and invest in the resources that make such moments possible.

Until 12 January oper.koeln