Last year the Salzburger Pfingst-Festspiele were cancelled. With the experience gained during the summer festival which could take place in a reduced form in 2020, there was again a Whitsun festival this year: four days of enjoying a well-filled, varied programme.
As the theme for the tenth festival under her artistic direction, Cecilia Bartoli chose "Roma Eterna" a tribute to her birthplace. It was four well-filled days with seven performances and concerts in the various theatres of the Mozart city and the projection of some films that illustrated the diversity of Rome such as "La dolce vita" (Fellini) and "Accarone" (Pasolini). The originally planned gala dinner, offered by a three-star chef, however fell victim to corona.
"Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno" (the triumph of time and disillusionment), an oratorio by Händel in two parts from 1707 opened the festival. It is Händel's very first oratorio which chose a libretto by Cardinal Benedetto Pamphilj: a discussion of four allegorical figures. Piacere (pleasure) urges Bellezza (beauty) to lead a life of carefree enjoyment and distraction while Tempo (time) and Disinganno (disillusionment) warn her. If Bellezza wants to escape the ravages of Time, she must ensure she secures a place in heaven where Time no longer has any influence.
In his staging, Robert Carsen made this contrast between the two worlds clear by transposing it to our time and society with the typical beauty pageants, disco, alcohol and drugs which gradually give way to that other world (set and costumes Gideon Davey). The final image of the performance shows us a "purified" Bellezza walking across an empty stage in a simple white dress towards a white light in the distance and "carrying her new heart to God".
It is the young French soprano Mélissa Petit who portrays this Bellezza and expresses her various emotions in the many arias allotted to her. She does this with a fresh and supple voice and admirable virtuosity. She will certainly gain authority in the five performances of "Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno" this summer at the Salzburg Festival.
Authority is certainly not lacking in Cecilia Bartoli in the role of Piacere, the devilish spirit in a red trouser suit who manipulates Bellezza (her impresario?) but who gives us with her interpretation of "Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa" the vocal and interpretative high point of the evening! Lawrence Zazzo (Disinganno) and Charles Workman (Tempo) received less prominent turns and profiles in Carsen's concept but also deliver beautiful vocal performances and integrate well into the ensemble.
In the orchestra pit sits "Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco", the baroque orchestra founded in 2016 on the initiative of Cecilia Bartoli and which in a sense has become "her" orchestra and now accompanies her almost always. Under the direction of Gianluca Capuano, they bring Händel's score to life, deliver beautiful detail work, pay attention to nuances and keep the audience captivated.
Of course, the Musiciens du Prince – Monaco are also in service – not in the orchestra pit but on stage for the concert performance of Mozart's "La Clemenza di Tito". At the back of the stage of the "Haus für Mozart" the Bachchor awaits its turn and Davide Pozzi (continuo Hammerklavier) and Robin Michael (continuo violoncello) follow the dramatic development attentively.
It was apparently the first time that Cecilia Bartoli performed the role of Sesto in a somewhat staged version and for soprano Anna Prohaska it was her debut as Vitellia. This is perhaps not the most suitable role for her slender, clear soprano voice and the portrayal of the temperament and demands of the vengeful princess. Cecilia Bartoli, on the other hand, gave us a moving and convincing Sesto: delightfully sung as we are used to from her. Charles Workman's Tito had royal bearing, warm humanity and virtuoso coloraturas. Mélissa Petit (Servilia) and Lea Desandre (Annio) formed an engaging young couple and Peter Kalman gave Publio his sonorous bass. Gianluca Capuano chose a rather robust approach.
Brexit and Corona were the spoilers that caused the concert "Dixit Dominus" with compositions by Arcangelo Corelli, Georg Friedrich Händel and Domenico Mazzocchi to be performed by the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir conducted by John Eliot Gardiner to be cancelled. No panic. Fortunately, Cecilia Bartoli still had a programme in reserve. Under the title "What passion cannot music raise" she presented, with the help of her orchestra, fragments from cantatas, oratorios and operas that provide evidence of the most diverse emotions that music can evoke.
Much Händel but also pages by Porpora, Hasse, Telemann and Vivaldi. Bartoli and the orchestra alternate and whenever Cecilia takes the floor, she appears in an adapted (historical) costume for the character she brings to life. The audience enjoys it (I do too!) and follows along with the changing moods. As a cherry on top, Bartoli and several orchestra members begin to outdo each other in virtuosity. Much to the delight of the audience who can't get enough of it. It's a celebration!
Les Musiciens du Prince-Monaco was not the only orchestra to perform in this edition of the Whitsun festival. The ensemble Artaserse brought a performance of Scarlatti's oratorio "Cain, overo il primo omicidio" with Philippe Jaroussky. The Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentina, conducted by Zubin Mehta, took the stage of the Grosses Festspielhaus for "Poema Sinfonico" a concert with compositions by Respighi and Mendelssohn and a concert performance of Puccini's "Tosca".
Corona also interfered with the planned program. Not in the "Poema Sinfonico" concert with the "Italienische" symphony and the violin concerto by Mendelssohn and the "Pini di Roma" by Respighi. It is with small cautious steps that Zubin Mehta, who recently celebrated his 85th birthday, makes his way to the conductor's podium. But once seated, he is clearly the master. However, the audience's ovations are primarily for Maxim Vengerov and his captivating, virtuosic interpretation of the violin concerto.
For the concert performance of Puccini's "Tosca", an opera set in this "Roma eterna" which was the theme of this edition of the Whitsun Festival, corona caused problems again and the replacement of two singers: not Anja Harteros but Anna Netrebko as Tosca and not Bryn Terfel but Luca Salsi as Scarpia. A pity, a pity, but it could have been worse!
Unchanged: Cecilia Bartoli as the young shepherd boy heard at the beginning of the third act but who usually does not appear on stage. It was in this small role that the ten-year-old Cecilia Bartoli made her debut at the Rome Opera back then! Now she walked past the orchestra, scattered across the wide stage of the Grosses Festspielhaus, with a projection of the Castel Sant'Angelo in the background, the place where the final act takes place. There was not much room to act and the executed Cavaradossi even had to sit next to the conductor for a moment while waiting for the end of the opera.
The singers moved freely and maneuvered skillfully and were able to convince the audience through their commitment and captivating interpretations. Anna Netrebko performed Tosca with her generous, expressive soprano, empathy, vulnerability and dramatic commitment and… two magnificent dresses! Jonas Kaufmann gave Cavaradossi distinction and profile and gave his generous tenor Italian sunshine. Luca Salsi's Scarpia had authority and allure and a precious expressive baritone. The various minor roles were solidly cast and Zubin Mehta led his phalanxes with a sure hand in an excellent dramatic build-up. The audience held its breath and cheered.
The production of "Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno" is on the schedule of the major Salzburg summer festival on 4, 8, 12, 14 August.
The theme of the Whitsun Festival 2022 will be announced in the summer.
- WHAT: Whitsun Festival Salzburg (Salzburger Pfingst-Festspiele)
- WHERE & WHEN: Salzburg, 21 – 24 May 2021
- PHOTOS: Cecilia Bartoli © Decca / Ferdinando Scianna; Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno © SF / Monika Rittershaus; Tosca, La clemenza di Tito, Les Musiciens du Prince-Monaco & Poema sinfonico: © SF / Marco Borrelli
- WEBSITE: Salzburger Festspiele
