The Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, the birthplace of the composer, dedicated its 40th edition to Montserrat Caballe and Bruno Cagli, two prominent Rossini interpreters. Highlights were the operas Semiramide, L'Equivoco stravagante and Demetrio e Polibio and a jubilee concert.
Introducing Semiramidethe pinnacle of Rossini's Italian career in 1823, director Graham Vick devised a psychological interpretation that certainly held meaningful significance for him, but was admittedly not easy to decipher for the audience relying on the libretto of this melodrama tragico by Gaetano Rossi. Forget Assyria and the temple of Baal and try to understand what the Brahmin priest and his followers sitting in a corner of the stage are supposed to represent. Or why Semiramide's subjects evolve in strict formations and the women look like flight attendants and showgirls. And why Arsace is clearly not portrayed as a man. Stuart Nunn, responsible for sets and costumes, provided large green screens that stagehands visibly shifted to occasionally depict, among other things, the room of Ninia, Semiramide's young lost son, complete with a large blue teddy bear! Salome Jicia, elegant in a blue pantsuit and white blouse, gave Semiramide authority and grace, singing with a full, expressive soprano voice and virtuosic coloraturas. Varduhi Abrahamyan is certainly one of the finest interpreters of the role of Arsace, with a ample, warm, supple mezzo-soprano that masterfully commanded the vocal part. The treacherous Assur had the noble voice of Nahuel di Pierro, which could have used somewhat more bite, especially in his hallucinations. Carlo Cigni was a noble Oroe, Martiniana Antonie a fresh-sounding Azema, Sergey Artamonov an impressive Ombra di Nino, and Antonino Siragusa a rather painful-sounding Idreno. The chorus of the Teatro Ventidio Basso sang well, and Michele Mariotti led the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai in a colorful, beautifully crafted orchestral performance with a well-structured overture and impressive ensembles. I wonder how this Semiramide, a co-production with the Opéra Royal de Wallonie, will come across on the Liège opera stage.
Lively caricature
Introducing L'Equivoco stravagante – freely translated as "the bizarre misunderstanding" – drama giocoso from 1811, Carlo Rizzi conducted the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale Della Rai in a well-balanced, lively interpretation of a score that clearly announces Rossini's mastery of brilliant ensembles and finales. These received precise and whirling performances from the chorus of Teatro Ventidio Basso and the soloists in a staging by the directing duo Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier with sets by Christian Fenouillat (a large room with many doors and a window overlooking cows in the meadow) and costumes by Agostino Cavalca (wealthy 19th-century bourgeois). The directing duo didn't shy away from caricature and kept the tempo lively. But why all the soloists wore false noses is a mystery to me. Paolo Bordogna was brilliant as Gamberotto, the nouveau riche father wanting the best possible husband for his daughter Ernestina. Teresa Iervolino gave her the right mix of clumsiness and innocence and sang her part with a clear, virtuosic soprano. The self-satisfied Buralicchio received good characterization from Davide Luciano and a sonorous voice, but Pavel Kolgatin (Ermanno) sounded unconvincing. Claudia Muschio and Manuel Amati, equipped with fresh voices, were the well-meaning meddlesome servant couple Rosalia and Frontino
The third opera on the program was Demetrio e Polibiogenerally considered the first (partially) opera composed by Rossini, performed in 1812. For this occasion, the rather peculiar and unnecessarily complicated production directed by David Livermoore from 2010 with sets and costumes by the Accademia di belle arti di Urbino was revived, but the result was not more convincing. Fortunately, the cast had a much higher level. The audience could thus safely concentrate on that and forget the setting. Jessica Pratt (Linsinga), Cecilia Molinari (Siveno), Juan Francisco Gatell (Demetrio-Eumene), and Riccardo Fassi (Polibio) brought their characters to life virtuosically and gave them dramatic intensity. Paolo Arrivabeni led the Coro del Teatro Della Fortuna M.Agostini, the Filarmonica Gioachino Rossini, and the singers in an altogether compelling performance.
To celebrate the fortieth edition, the festival also offered a gala concert that could be experienced live on the Piazza del Popolo via video projection. For the occasion, Carlo Rizzi conducted the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai, the Coro del Teatro Ventidio Basso, and a host of soloists (fourteen announced, thirteen performed) in a two-part program that showcased both the comic and the serious-heroic Rossini. The overture to Il barbiere di Sivigliaperhaps Rossini's most popular opera, opened the evening. The finale of William Tell, zijn laatste meesterwerk met zijn boodschap van vrijheid and hoop, rondde de avond af. Niet alle beurtand warand evand overtuigandd, maar natuurlijk werd publiekslieveling Juan Diego Florez onder applaus bedolvand evandals zijn tandor-collega Lawrandce Brownlee. Grote indruk maakte de Amerikaanse sopraan Angela Meade – geand vertrouwde gast in Pesaro – met haar vertolking van het dramatische toneel van Ermione uit de gelijknamige opera.
Introducing 2020 kondigt het Rossini Opera Festival eand editie aan van 8 tot 21 augustus met Moïse et le Pharaon, Elisabetta regina d’Inghilterra and La cambiale di matrimonio.
- WHAT: Rossini Opera Festival – 40ste editie
- WHERE: Pesaro, Italië
- WHEN: dinsdag 20 tot vrijdag 23 augustus 2019
- WEBSITE: https://www.rossinioperafestival.it/
