Diego Fasolis / Recenzie

La production du Couronnement de Poppée par Eva-Maria Höckmayr l’année passée en fait partie. Le décor unique, un vaste panneau couvrant le fond et le sol de la scène, est d’une brillante couleur dorée au début du spectacle. Dans des costumes néo-baroques, tous les personnages sont en scène : la première idée de la metteuse en scène est d’opposer la stricte rigueur de la cour impériale à la puissance érotique de Poppée. La mise en scène montre avec brio comment Poppée, en pleine conscience du pouvoir que cela lui donne, bouleverse l’ordre établi et instaure dans ce petit monde une loi nouvelle. L’intimité n’est ici qu’une illusion : tout se sait, chacun écoute et regarde, et Poppée en joue à merveille.

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.