Roman Burdenko / Recensioni

NOT A GRAPHIC DESIGNER, BUT A CONTEMPORARY ARTIST, TO SIGN THE COMMUNICATION OF THE TEATRO MASSIMO. NOT JUST ANY POSTERS, BUT VALUABLE PICTORIAL WORKS, TO ILLUSTRATE - AS WAS DONE IN THE PAST - THE CONTENTS OF A SEASON OF OPERAS AND BALLETS. GREAT QUALITY, ALWAYS, FOR THE HISTORIC PALERMO THEATER ORGANIZATION ... Thirty years ago one of the blackest pages in the history of Italy in the second half of the twentieth century was written. Sicily was the scene of an implacable war, in which judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino were killed , on the sidelines of a series of more or less excellent murders, from that of the Christian Democrat viceroy Salvo Lima to the plethora of fallen exponents of Cosa Nostra in the internal war for the conquest of power. An annus horribilis , 1992, in which the dialectic between the State and organized crime was declined through opaque, controversial ways, in the escalation of violence and in the desperate attempt to stop its fury. MASSIMO THEATER OF PALERMO, A SEASON OF REBIRTH The historic Teatro Massimo dedicates the 2022 season to the thirtieth anniversary of those massacres , sumptuous Liberty architecture designed by the Basiles , the largest opera house in Italy, third in Europe after the Opéra National in Paris and the Staatsoper in Vienna. A symbolic place of Palermo, scandalously closed between 1974 and 1997, annihilated by cultural management and a city administration that found daily fertilizer in the link between the mafia and politics. The Theater, over time, " with the city has experienced mortifications and glories, oblivion and redemption, misery and splendor, emblem of the city of Palermo ": these are the words of Leoluca Orlando , Mayor of Palermo and president of the Teatro Massimo Foundation, proud to remember how " after the darkness of the mafia massacres, thanks to the reaction of civil society, the theater found its light again, and in the same way, after the darkness caused by the pandemic crisis, it found the public again and a great international success. A season, therefore, dedicated to the ability to react, to face the most dramatic difficulties with determination. Massimo celebrates his rebirth and therefore that of the entire city as best he knows how to do, that is in music “. First show expected for January 20, 2022, with the signature of one of the most authentic, wild, passionate voices of contemporary Sicilian dramaturgy: Emma Dante stages Les vêpres siciliennes by Giuseppe Verdi , for the first time in Palermo in the original French version in five acts , conducted by Omer Meir Wellber .The opera, which will involve orchestra, choir and corps de ballet by the Palermo Theater, is co-produced with the San Carlo Theater in Naples, the Teatro Comunale in Bologna and the Teatro Real in Madrid. Then, until October 2022, works entitled to the relationship between art and politics, to stories of riots and civic claims, to stories of pride and popular rebellion, will parade on the imposing stage of the Teatro di Piazza Verdi: from the debut of Cenere (13 and 14 May) , the investigative work by Gery Palazzotto , with music by Marco Betta , Fabio Lannino and Diego Spitaleri ,which concludes the trilogy on the mysteries of the mafia massacres, up to some classics of opera such as Simon Boccanegra and Tosca . FROM THEATER TO PAINTING. ARTIST CAMPAIGN FOR THE MAXIMUM OF PALERMO To embellish this special year there is also the communication campaign, entrusted to the visionary talent of Francesco De Grandi(Palermo, 1968), a Sicilian artist who occupies a first-rate place on the scene of contemporary Italian painting: the task of to return the plot of stories, memories, metaphors and biographies that will come to life in front of the audience over the course of an entire year, becoming music, poetry, choreography. Every suggestion that De Grandi will have compared to a title, a libretto, a story, will be part of a single "concept novel", a new chapter of his personal pictorial theater: dozens of refined tables with a soft and restless line, pieces unique on paper destined to revive in different formats in the form of prints and illustrations. An important choice, by the direction of the Massimo, which with an intelligent cultural operation has on the one hand reawakened the tradition of the legendary artist posters - designed by giants of late 19th century painting for theaters and nightclubs, just before it was born art graphics - and on the other hand confirmed the desire to graft the power of contemporary research onto the authority of the great modern classics. In the same way, mixing languages, aesthetics, creative horizons.“ A rising 2022, the lions of Civiletti with their muses guardians of our beloved Theater stand out in the warm light ”, declared De Grandi in the official presentation of the project. " I tried to restore the energy of a theater that stands up proudly after a devastating period", he added , "a theater that has fought during this year of closure and interdiction to viewing in the presence of the shows, resisting and remaining close to its spectators. And it is still here, above the rubble, looking into the distance, against the backdrop of a new dawn ". And at Artribune he explains the nature of the designed works a little more closely: " They are mixed techniques on paper, they try to intercept a singularity of the work they represent. A character, a striking image, a phrase of an aria, a word that describes a subtrack. The images are then digitized and processed in digital collage, to make them adaptable to all formats and uses, posters, playbills, etc. ". And finally, “ The writings that flicker ”, she says, “ are from #ditosinistro ”. The reference is to his small irreverent, ironic, totally digital project, made up of quick sketches and words like lightning bolts, thrown on the net like scratches on the sidelines of the daily news. Thus, the Superintendent of the Massimo Theater Francesco Giambrone - who in recent years has carried out a high-profile work, including rigor, ingenuity and dedication - speaks of the " desire to develop a cultural narrative capable of multiple gazes of a high artistic level ", with all the intention of " enhancing internal forces del Teatro, preserving the level of employment and maintaining the commitments undertaken with the artists who have suffered the cancellation of productions during the period of closure and the health emergency ". Around the concept of "rebirth", almost two years after the outbreak of the pandemic, this important place sings its song of resistance and writes another piece of its history, sinking its roots in tradition and not ceasing to cultivate critical thinking, experimentation, gaze on the present. - Helga Marsala

Thirty years after the 1992 mafia massacres, the Teatro Massimo in Palermo dedicates the 2022 programming to the memory of the dramatic events that triggered a season of revolt and participation of civil society which generated among the many reactions also the reopening of the Massimo and the re-appropriation of city spaces such as the Zisa cultural sites and the Spasimo. The president of the Teatro Massimo Foundation, Leoluca Orlando , the superintendent Francesco Giambrone and the artistic director Marco Betta presented today in the Great Hall of the Teatro Massimo the 2022 season which will be inaugurated on January 20 with the new staging of Les vêpres siciliennes , grand-opéra by Giuseppe Verdi , for the first time in Palermo in the original French version in five acts , conducted by Omer Meir Wellber with the direction of Emma Dante . An international co-production with the San Carlo Theater in Naples, the Teatro Comunale in Bologna and the Teatro Real in Madrid, which will involve the Massimo Orchestra , Chorus and Corps de Ballet . After the inauguration with Les vêpres siciliennes , the Season continues until October 2022 with other works evocative of participation and civic collections and of the binomial art and politics, such as Simon Boccanegra (in the historic setting signed by Sylvano Bussotti recently deceased, to whom the opera is dedicated), Nabucco and Tosca, among others. And a program of activities is put in place in the month of May aimed at commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the mafia massacres : Starting with Cenere , the investigative work by Gery Palazzotto to music by Marco Betta , Fabio Lannino and Diego Spitaleri , which debuts on 13 and 14 May and concludes after Le parole rubate and I traitori the trilogy dedicated to the mysteries of the mafia massacres the circle on betrayals and lies that led to "the greatest misdirection in Italian judicial history". The show is played by Gigi Borruso . On 23 May One minute of no silence a collective project that unites artists from all over the world in composing a minute of original music which, sent via the web, will compose a symphony of "minutes of no silence" in memory of the victims of the '92 massacres . And again on May 23 , the program will culminate with the performance of the Requiem Mass by Giuseppe Verdi, conducted by Omer Meir Wellber with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Massimo directed by Ciro Visco . Finally, on May 27th there will be the world premiere of Falcone and Borsellino at the Teatro Regio in Turin. The legacy of the righteous , a composition commissioned by Marco Tutino , in co-production with the Turin Culture Foundation - MITO Settembre Musica, the Teatro Regio in Turin, the Piccolo Teatro in Milan and the Teatro Massimo in Palermo , in collaboration with CCO - Crisis as an opportunity. The opera will be performed in Palermo on July 19 , at the Teatro di Verdura, on the day of the death of the magistrate Paolo Borsellino killed by the mafia. The dramaturgy is by Emanuela Giordano , staged by the actors of the Piccolo Teatro di Milano. In May there is also a happy anniversary, the 25th anniversary of the reopening of the Teatro Massimo (which took place in 1997) and to celebrate its anniversary, on May 12, Michele Mariotti , the next musical director of the Teatro dell'Opera di Rome, who will perform the Symphony n. 2 by Gustav Mahler " Resurrection ". "The Teatro Massimo is the emblem of the city of Palermo", declares Leoluca Orlando , president of the Teatro Massimo Foundation and mayor of Palermo. “And with the city he experienced mortifications and glories, oblivion and redemption, misery and splendor. He is the undisputed protagonist of that cultural change that is constantly evolving. This year, the 2022 programming is entirely dedicated to the memory of the 1992 mafia massacres, the thirtieth anniversary of which next year and which marked not only the history of our city but of the whole country. Since that 1992, however, a movement of rebellion and great civil commitment has started which, among other things, led in 1997 to the reopening of the Teatro Massimo, whose twenty-fifth anniversary will occur next year, and to the reconquest of others urban spaces that today constitute the heart and reference point of the city's cultural activity. So after the darkness of the mafia massacres, thanks to the reaction of civil society, the theater has rediscovered its light and in the same way, after the darkness caused by the pandemic crisis, it has rediscovered the public and a great international success. A season, therefore, dedicated to the ability to react, to face the most dramatic difficulties with determination. Massimo celebrates his rebirth and therefore that of the entire city as best he knows how to do, that is in music. " The 2022 programming - adds the superintendent of the Teatro Massimo Francesco Giambrone - with the reopening reconquers the desire to elaborate a cultural narrative capable of multiple glances of a high artistic level, enhancing the internal forces of the Theater, preserving the employment level and maintaining the commitments undertaken with the artists who have undergone the cancellation of their productions during the period of closure and the health emergency. We dedicate this new season to the ability to resist and react even in difficult situations, sometimes extreme, such as those in which the world of theater has found itself ". The complete program of operas, ballets and concerts of 2022 celebrates the reopening of the Theater, today as then, with a program that sees great protagonists of the contemporary scene alternate on the stage in Piazza Verdi and at the Verdura Theater. Among them: Placido Domingo, who sings for the first time at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Roberto Abbado , Kent Nagano also for the first time on the podium of the Teatro Massimo Orchestra, George Petean, Anna Pirozzi , the Mongolian baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat , Maria Agresta in her Italian debut in one of the most dramatic and intense roles of Donizetti's theater, in the role of Elizabeth I in Roberto Devereux . And again Ewa Plonka , Maria José Siri , Erwin Schrott John Osborn , Fabio Sartori , the young and talented conductor Michele Spotti , Maria Yakovleva , the étoile guest of Davide Bombana 's choreography Dangerous Liaisons and the duo of visual artists Masbedo . The graphic image of the communication project is new and high-profile , entrusted to a highly talented artist such as Francesco De Grandi who has created a pictorial concept that takes its cue from the titles scheduled to compose a large fresco of which each opera is a gusset. “A rising 2022 - writes De Grandi in his dedication - and the lion of Civiletti with his muse, guardian of our beloved Theater, which stands out in the warm light. I tried to restore the energy of a theater that stands up proudly after a devastating period, a theater that has fought during this year of closure and interdiction to viewing in the presence of the shows, resisting and remaining close to its spectators. And it is still here, above the rubble, looking into the distance, against the backdrop of a new dawn ". The theater production projects dedicated to schools will also restart in 2022 , with particular attention to the social aspects that saw the resumption of the activity of the Danisinni Choir in 2021 and which provide for new interventions in the districts at risk of the metropolitan city. As well as the collaborations already undertaken with some of the main musical institutions in the area: the Conservatory of Palermo , the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra , The Brass Group , the Friends of Music Association of Palermo, in addition to the Merz Foundation , ZACentrale , L'Academy of Fine Arts , the University of Palermo . The programming of the tours and with the artistic and technical ensembles of the Theater also resumes , starting with the one in Japan ( Tokyo, Hamamatsu, Otsu, Osaka and Nagoya ) in June 2022, with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Massimo, and two works: La bohème by Giacomo Puccini in the new specially created staging, directed by Mario Pontiggia and Fabrizio Maria Carminati on the podium; and Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi in the historical staging of the Teatro Regio in Turin with direction, sets and costumes by Sylvano Bussotti and on the podium Francesco Ivan Ciampa. Cast of big names in both works: from Angela Gheorghiu and Desirée Rancatore for Bohème to Placido Domingo for Simon Boccanegra .

Verdi – Aida Aida – María José Siri Il Re – Romano Dal Zovo Amneris – Olesya Petrova Radamès – Murat Karahan Amonasro – Sebastian Catana Ramfis – Park Jongmin Un Messaggero – Francesco Pittari Sacerdotessa – Yao Bohui Pianist – Patrizia Quarta Coro dell’Arena di Verona / Diego Matheuz. Video design & digital scenography – D-WOK. Arena di Verona, Verona, Italy. Thursday, July 15th, 2021. Tonight, was something of a very different evening. My first visit to the Arena di Verona to see Aida. The Arena is a legendary venue and the excitement of being able to see opera in a Roman amphitheatre is something that is difficult to put into words. The sheer scale of the venue is breathtaking and the magic of seeing singers at work under the Veronese night something very real. Of course, with the current sanitary restrictions this was never going to be a typical evening at the Arena. FFP2 masks were compulsory and spaces on the famous steps, the Gradinate, at the top of the Arena were numbered, rather than the traditional first come, first served. Still, the atmosphere was electric – with ambulant salespeople going around the crowd before the show and during the intermission selling cushions, drinks, program books and libretti. Unfortunately, the sanitary restrictions were not the only change this evening. Due to a labour dispute, at the performance start time of 21:00 we were informed that the orchestra would not play and that there would be reduced choral forces. The performance was given with piano accompaniment by maestro collaborator Patrizia Quarta, a chorus of 25, and the spectators who chose to stay for the show were offered a full refund. It’s unclear what the exact nature of the labour dispute was, although the harpist in the temple of Phtà and the trumpeters in the triumphal scene did show up for work. Thus, this wasn’t the full Arena experience, and it would be hard to assess the performance fully as a result. I wanted to experience sitting in the Gradinate and the view was indeed spectacular. What was noticeable is how well the voices carried. Hearing an unamplified voice in a space like this is something truly extraordinary and yes, while I regret not being able to have the full Arena experience, it was undoubtedly still memorable. Of course, one doesn’t go to the Arena for insightful Regietheater. As a result of the current sanitary restrictions, the chorus was parked at the side of the stage, dressed in black, while the principals acted out their roles on the stage in front of video projections showing various bits of Egyptian imagery. The most notable was in Act 3 with a crescent moon over the Nile which contrasted nicely with the Veronese night above. The ballet and masked extras provided visual interest, throwing themselves around in formation to offer various images of triumph, warfare and associated emotions. In the temple of Phtà, the extras were ranged around the back holding lights which also offered an impressive sight. Direction of the singers basically involved asking them to emote grandly to reach those in the highest gradinate, lots of outstretched arms, and staring into the extensive distance. Hard to fully evaluate Diego Matheuz’ tempi as, given that a single piano was in no way a substitute for a full orchestra in terms of sustaining power, but they seemed sensible enough. The chorus was enthusiastic in their reduced numbers, although it sounded as if there were no first tenors. Tuning and blend were admirable, and the reduced forces still managed to carry with enough power into the Arena – one could only imagine the impact with four times that number. Quarta more than deserved her post-performance prosecco and she rightly granted a huge standing ovation from the Arena public. María José Siri offered us a passionate Aida. The voice tends to hardness in its highest reaches, although that could be simply be as a result of feeling a need to fill the vast space. She sang her ‘o patria mia’ with generous feeling, no pulling back for the high C which is a bit of a shame because in the final duet, she floated some magical lines and had no issues being heard. Murat Karahan offered a robust and virile Radamès. Again, his ‘celeste Aida’ was sung with a tremendous amount of volume, the closing diminuendo not attempted. The voice is bulky but loses body higher up. He did give us some genuine soft singing in the closing duet, pulling back on the tone nicely (no crooning unlike a certain Bavarian). He could certainly be a very useful artist in these roles. Olesya Petrova was terrific value as Amneris. She made much of the text – the words always clear. She has a magnificently full chest register, which she wasn’t afraid to exploit, and the registers were well integrated. In the judgment scene she also sang with generous force, giving us all she had – the closing high A absolutely massive. Sebastian Catana sang Amonasro in a baritone with a firm column of sound, although the tone was quite grainy and lacking in body at the top. Park Jongmin sang Ramfis in a huge bass of impressive resonance and tonal beauty, while Romano Dal Zovo sang il Re with a velvety bass that also carried well. Some mixed feelings, then, about tonight. While it was a genuine treat to be able to attend this legendary venue and have the experience of sitting high up and experiencing a show in this historic amphitheatre, it is tinged with regret that there was no orchestra. That said, I am full of gratitude for the chorus, ballet and principals, not to mention the pianist, who ensured that we got an evening of high drama despite the circumstances.

The Arena di Verona is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and having opened the season with a somewhat controversial new production of Aida by the Spanish group La Fura dels Baus, it has now reverted to a reconstruction of the original 1913 production for the final seven performances of this opera. Aida was the first opera to be performed at the Arena in 1913 produced by the tenor Giovanni Zenatello, and has been recreated here by Gianfranco de Bosio. It is an attractive, traditional production as you would expect and makes full use of the Arena's large stage, evoking Egypt of the Old Kingdom with its statues, obelisks, sphinxes and lavish costumes. The triumphal scene literally seems to consist of a cast of thousands spread to the very heights of the Arena, including four horses and a colourful ballet choreographed by Susanna Egri. It offers spectacle where required and detailed settings for the more intimate scenes - the Nile scene is particularly evocative. However at the end of the day, irrespective of how much spectacle there is, Aida is a story about love, patriotism and human emotions making it a difficult opera to bring off dramatically with the need to juxtapose its differing elements. Part of the problem lies in the fact that it has four acts and with three intervals and scene changes within the acts it runs for over four hours - with only just over two and a quarter hours of actual music. As a result dramatic tension is lost over the long evening, which is a shame given that the musical standards here are very high. Fiorenza Cedolins both excites and frustrates as Aida. Much of her singing is a joy to listen to and she projects the character effectively, but there is a tentativeness about her performance. She seems to prefer to float the high notes at pianissimo suggesting fragility and vulnerability, rather than attack them, and while this works most of the time, there are many moments when you really just want a bit more. There needs to be an inner strength in Aida which is lost here. Marco Berti has a voice that is ideally suited to the Arena, his strong ringing tenor a perfect match for Radames. If his 'Celeste Aida' is a little tentative and cautious, he soon warms up to deliver an exciting, if somewhat unsubtle, performance. Violeta Urmana is a powerful Amneris. While she has placed an emphasis lately on singing soprano roles this mezzo part is much more suited to her voice which has a dark, lustrous hue to it. She is able to inject anger and passion into her interpretation which reaches its climax thrillingly in the final act confrontation with Radames. The remaining roles are all strongly sung: Ambrogio Maetsri is luxury casting as Amonasro, while Orlin Anastassov's Ramfis and Carlo Cigni's King both impress. Daniel Oren is an energetic conductor clearly enjoying leading the massed forces both in the pit and onstage. The brass section certainly gets their chance to shine in Aida and do so with aplomb. However, ultimately Oren's approach to the score is a little too middle-of-the-road to be dramatically effective. So, a long evening. While there was much to enjoy during the performance with some fine singing, the whole proved to be less than the sum of its parts. Nevertheless there was much to celebrate as the Arena looks back on the last 100 years, and no doubt also to an illustrious future. One wonders if the La Fura dels Baus production of Aida will be revived in 2113?