Past Production Reviews
4María 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.
Fridman was powerful, Konu Kim gave a profound performance filled with different colors and emotions. No one could ever anticipate what Kim would do with the role as he first entered Act one, singing with a bright timbre and giving each phrase a smooth and delicate color. His phrases starting out with a piano sound and would eventually crescendo to a forte with smoothness and facility. That bright optimism could be seen in the aforementioned duet with Sylvia. While Fridman sang with delicacy and darker hues, Kim’s timbre contrasted with gleam, his high notes projecting beautifully into the hall. In the role of the King, Florian Sempey brought an imposing baritone to his character. From the start of the performance, he gave off an air of authority that started to weaken throughout the evening. In the his duet with Sylvia, Sempey brought a refined and controlled timbre that showcased his power over her. He forced Fridman into his arms undressing himself and insinuating forced intercourse. Overall the orchestra was solid but Tingaud sometimes indulged in slower tempi particularly in the ensemble strettas. It may have added to the drama to give more time to the ensembles but it seemed more French in style than the energetic Italian Bel Canto. The chorus led by Fabio Tartari was also part of the success of the evening. The changes in character that were conveyed showed their versatility. At the beginning they were boisterous, animated, joyful and prepared for a party, singing with unending energy. In the third act, the men’s chorus was gossipy, singing in a soft staccato as they were conspiring and entertaining themselves with the secret of Sylvia being the king’s mistress. In the final act the ensemble sang with an angelic tone, bringing the opera to a powerful and heavenly finale. Overall this was an unforgettable evening that thankfully has been recorded for release through Dynamic and presented Lidia Fridman and Konu Kim as promising figures in the opera world.
Il tenore Roberto Jachini Virgili nei panni del medico il Dottor S. mostra un bel lirismo
È evidente che la forza di questa produzione risieda nelle doti, sceniche e vocali, della protagonista, un’Angela Nisi in stato di grazia: il soprano brindisino, infatti, fornisce una pregevolissima prestazione vocale, supportata da tecnica sicura, che le conferisce pari disinvoltura nel settore centrale come in quello acuto, agilità ben sgranate, picchiettati ammirevoli, sovracuti sicuri; anche il fraseggio viene gestito attentamente, sfumando in pianissimi e messe di voci tanto quanto calcando i momenti più drammatici del terzo atto (accorato in particolar modo l’“Addio del passato”). Dal punto di vista teatrale Violetta si spende totalmente in scena, regalando un’interpretazione credibile anche quando potrebbe esserlo meno (castigata in un tailleur pantalone nel secondo atto, o a scena praticamente vuota nel terzo), senza mai eccedere nel macchiettistico, pur ricercando sempre la massima espressività.
