Past Production Reviews
4Ben riuscita la Zozo di Federica Sardella, della quale si ammira, oltre alla spigliata presenza scenica, la indubbia facilità nella salita verso la regione alta del pentagramma.
Elegante e graziosa - anche se più marcatamente oca dell'interprete del giorno precedente - la Valencienne di Luisa Kurtz che sa gestire bene il fiato e con eleganza vocale interpreta in modo piacevole il simpatico personaggio.
María Rey-Joly, in the eponymous role, showed a mellow, lyrical soprano, which at the beginning seemed a bit empty in the middle register, but, in the second act, found a better foundation and richness. She was particularly effective in the larmoyant style, but she also approached the last difficult aria (“Da te solo”) with boldness, receiving great acclaim. Uberto, the father, was Markus Werba: his interpretation was full of emotion, and his bass well suited to the part, with good high notes and great support. Uberto has several madness scenes, inspired by Paisiello’s Nina; Werba was very effective, conveying his character’s madness without losing elegance and style. Edgardo Rocha was Ernesto, the unfaithful repentant lover; he had two of the most challenging arias, the second one (“Ah! Se il fato”) written by Paër for the famous tenor Marco Bordogni for the Paris debut of the opera. Rocha sailed through the coloratura and the high notes with his customary rock-solid belcanto technique. His voice found its place in the nose too often, but overall his performance was exciting. The director made a mockery of the character of Ernesto: he had an improbable blonde tuft and acted in an exaggerated and affected manner. Rocha was irresistible, his natural comic vein perfectly suited to this interpretation. Filippo Morace, as Don Pasquale, showed perfect style and a measured, elegant interpretation of the buffo character, although his voice lacked the projection required in the large Teatro Regio. Giulia Della Peruta was an adorable Vespina, her high soprano well suited to the spirited maid. The other singers rounded out the performance, contributing to a well-deserved success.
Per il primo appuntamento del 2016 con un’opera del compositore orobico nella sua città natale, la Fondazione Donizetti ha scelto di rispolverare, per la prima volta in epoca moderna, l’opera buffa Olivo e Pasquale, nella versione andata in scena al Teatro Nuovo di Napoli nel 1827.
