Simon Boccanegra by Verdi, Fri 27 Sep 2024, From (2024/2024), Directed by Andreas Homoki, Conductor Paolo Arrivabeni, Opernhaus, Zurich, Switzerland

Christian Gerhaher’s role debut as Simon Boccanegra at the Opernhaus Zürich was the subject of great public attention: «One can sense at every moment how deeply he has grappled with the figure», a critic for the Bayerische Rundfunk commented in 2020. Now the celebrated baritone is back at the center of Verdi’s score, which is characterized through and through by dark moods and conflicts between low male voices, once again. This opera from Verdi’s middle period was inspired by historical events surrounding the figure of Simon Boccanegra, an outsider who was elected to be the first Doge of the city of Genoa in the 14th century. His rival is the bass Jacopo Fiesco, who represents the power of the nobility. But even more than the political conflict between two social classes, Verdi is interested in Boccanegra’s fractured family structure: Boccanegra learns of his lover’s death, and also finds his lost daughter. The third deep voice in this emotionally laden drama is bass-baritone Paolo Albiani, Boccanegra’s one-time friend who transforms into his enemy and ushers in the tragic end to the opera. Andreas Homoki’s production is like a chamber play, all of which takes place on Christian Schmidt’s labyrinthine stage set. Homoki created nuanced characters moving through a clear and suspenseful narrative arc. However, his production also creates imaginary spaces of memory that correspond to the different temporal planes within the plot.