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4... Elettra’s aria from Idomeneo, an opera that has never reached quite the same popularity as his other mature operas. The reason for the relative neglect is that it was written in the old opera seria style, which today seems outdated, and yet it contains a wealth of great music, this aria being one of the greatest, which must have touched even those who had never heard it before, in particular in Paulina’s intense reading....The final number before the interval was one of the most wonderful arias Mozart ever wrote, ‘Non più di fiori’ from his last opera, La clemenza di Tito. Here the soprano is partnered by a clarinet or a basset horn. The latter is in the original score but I do not know which instrument Jonas Viklund played, only that he played it marvellously well. And Paulina was the Vitellia of one’s dream...two great arias from Così fan tutte were on the programmme: Fiordiligi’s ‘Come scoglio’ with its wide range, forcing the soprano down into the basement, excellently negotiated by Paulina.
Among the soloists the experienced Paulina Pfeiffer (Hanna) and Mathias Zachariassen (Danilo) stand out for both singing and acting on a high level. They have a perfect understanding of the piece, having starred in several productions at the Dala-Floda Festival. The supporting couple, Evelina Stenvall (Valenncienne) and William Davis Lind (Camille), are talented and Anders Falbe is a tremendously dynamic Zeta with dramatic stage presence.
The central romantic couple, Mimì and Rodolfo, are of course crucial for a successful performance, and here we had two trump cards, Paulina Pfeiffer and Mads Wighus. Paulina has been the prima donna in several of the productions at Dala-Floda Opera Festival and always stood out as a sensitive interpreter with magnetic stage presence, never over-acting but deeply involved. Here, as Mimì, she caught the shyness and vulnerability of the seamstress to perfection; so, the sudden infatuation and, in the third act, the sorrow and desperation. Her death scene was immensely moving. Her glowing singing in the arias and the love duet were highlights and, not to forget, the inwardness of the more intimate scenes. A Mimì who will long be remembered. Mads Wighus, who quite recently changed from baritone to tenor, sported a powerful lirico-spinto voice with brilliant, ringing top notes, but also the ability, just as his Mimì, to scale down and sing softly. The first act finale was a real treat.
La Boheme is a resounding success
