Ekaterina Bakanova / Recensioner

The pairing of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci seems to resist any attempt to decouple, which could be a result of clinging to tradition or, more likely, because they really fit well together. The two stories are of similar nature, and they share a musical language rooted in verismo. Conductor Paolo Carignani gave a truthful interpretation of this shared language, leading the Philharmonia Zürich in an emotional, passionate reading of the scores. The chorus in both operas has a very prominent role, and their part is particularly difficult, both vocally and rhythmically. The voices were excellent, showing no strain even in the most arduous passages, but they struggled at times with the rhythm: Carignani had to work hard to keep the chorus at the same tempo as the orchestra. Perhaps this was due to reduced rehearsal time in a reprise; hopefully these snags will be ironed out in the rest of the run.

Wie soll man als Rezensent einen solchen Opernabend würdigen, bei dem Superlative nicht auszureichen scheinen, um den gewaltigen emotionalen Eindrücken, denen man ausgesetzt war, gerecht zu werden? Von den mit bewegender Sensibilität intonierten Passagen der Streicher in der Introduktion zu Mascagnis CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA bis zur erschütternden Feststellung des Doppelmörders Canio am Ende von PAGLIACCI "La commedia è finita!" war man einem bis ins Knochenmark ergreifenden, ununterbrochenen Gefühlsstrudel ausgesetzt, an einem Abend, bei dem einfach alles passte, szenisch UND musikalisch. Grischa Asagaroffs Inszenierung in der Ausstattung Luigi Peregos hat seit ihrer Premiere vor 13 Jahren nichts an Stimmigkeit verloren, ja eher noch an Intensität dazugewonnen. Die genaue Charakterisierung der Rollen, die detailreiche Führung des Chors und das genaue Setting trugen zur überwältigenden Gesamtwirkung der beiden veristischen Reisser entscheidend bei. (Näheres zur Inszenierung kann man in meinen Berichten zur Premiere von 2009 und den Wiederaufnahmen nachlesen.)

Autentica sorpresa della serata, il soprano Barbara Massaro ha interpretato il ruolo di Tirsi trasmettendo intatta la tenerezza del pastorello innamorato, credibilissima per freschezza vocale e immedesimazione scenica in quello che fu il primo ruolo del quindicenne Farinelli.

Barbara Massaro che ricordiamo per un ottimo Jemmy nel Guglielmo Tell del Circuito Lombardo, canta in questa serenata il ruolo en travesti di Tirsi: la sua prima aria in tonalità minore “Quando ritorni al fonte” è svolta con un timbro sopranile seducente, intonatissimo, ricco di colore e screziature che rendono le frasi sempre interessanti. Nella seconda parte “Non giova il sospirar” e “Il piè s’allontana” sono cantate con accento languoroso e melanconico assieme, rendendo il personaggio pastorale ben caratterizzato e credibilissimo nella sua passione amorosa.

If it's not broke, don't fix it!" Most clichés gain their status through being true, but that one is honoured in the breach as often as in its application, the desire to sell something new (even if it isn't really) as addictive to the vendor as it is to the buyer. Not always though. "25 years of Richard Eyre's La Traviata" is emblazoned (in gold, no less) on the cast list and the programme compiles a Who's Who of opera stars who have sung the roles in that quarter century - it was staged here as recently as January after all! So you've every right to expect something good, something slick, something that can fill hundreds of seats on wet Tuesday night a week before Christmas. And that's what you get.

Apart from Oropesa’s Violetta, the superb tenor Liparit Avetisyan gives a convincing performance as the passionate Alfredo, a role that is rarely achieved in operatic productions. The German baritone Christian Gerhaher in the role of Giorgio Germont, the man responsible for the break-up, also offers an impressive performance. The entire leading cast as well as the rest of the cast secured the narrative’s realism that is so brilliantly embedded in its musical fabric, which translates on stage in a manner that even those not musically trained, gain a satisfying musical and dramatic experience. The stamp of the director of this revival, Pedro Ruibeiro, is much in evidence. The dramatic performance, highlighting the conflict between father-son, the shift in Germont’s attitude towards Violetta, the ‘saintly courtesan’, is made clear in their first encounter in Act II. His hard tone and demeanour towards this fallen reveal early signs of softening and gestures of respect. The social norms layered with hypocrisy are superbly probed musically and dramatically in that first encounter between the two. The dramatic tension is given momentary relief by the colourful and beautifully performed gypsy’s singing dancing and the matadors. They lighten up the atmosphere before the mood darkens.The evening, in its entirety, can be summed up as memorable