I have this Verdi opera on both video and CD, with the recordings dating from 1975. There will be a new production at Covent Garden, and inshallah, I will be there.
The story is really quite marvellous, but there is a slight difficulty, which, in order to enjoy it fully, you have to kind of overlook. Because of censorship, in 19th century pre-unification Italy, Verdi was not permitted to stage an opera about a Swedish - Bourbon - king, who was plotted against, committed adultery, and was assassinated. So, instead, it was set in Boston, Massachusetts, which appears to be a trifle silly. But if you overlook that, in the context of 19th century politics, it makes perfect sense.
It is less well known than La Traviata or Il Trovatore, which came before it, but in my view is vastly better. For example, Trav Act 1 is just wonderful, but Ballo has great music all the way through. One ace tune is followed by another ace tune, unrelentingly. A wonderful foretaste of what is to come in Otello, although without the emotional and psychological intensity of Shakespeare. But the orchestration is equal to anything by Wagner, especially the use of the orchestra to convey mood.
The video is of very poor quality, particularly the poor balance of mikes which gives too much orchestra, IMO. The CD is wonderful, and highly recommended. I shall deal first with the video. It is a static dated production - an awful lot of standing around from the chorus, who seem more like oratorio choristers. Also, the overall effect is of unintentional drabness. I could do better myself, and I've never even directed a nativity play in my life...On the whole, it's not visibly pleasing.
It's slightly confusing, because there is an attempt in the production to return to the original Swedish setting, but it doesn't actually work that way. I think it's best just to swallow the Sweden/Boston confusion, and move on.
On the video, the subtitles are very sparing - they only act as a guide to the plot, not to aid enjoyment of the Italian libretto, which in places is very beautiful. For me, having poor Italian, it helps to have a good English translation. fortunately, that kind be found in the CD liner.
I think I shall first list the bad things - all of them exclusive to the production, rather then the CD, or the actual opera.
With two exceptions, the acting is appalling. It is partly, I think due to stage directions being, in the most part, "Stand around..." However, the two exceptions transcend this, so perhaps, on the whole, the stage directions had to be static due to poor acting skills. Who knows! Particularly bad are the comprimario parts, and, especially, the bass Piero Cappuccilli (Renato), who manages to convey no emotion whatsoever throughout the entire performance. In addition, he doesn't look good - I can see why Amelia played away with the ravishing Riccardo/King Gustavo, whatever his name is... Perhaps he was deliberately playing it with cold dignity, but when the music is saying angry, as are the words, he is absolutely inscrutable. Perhaps beautiful singing was all they required before the 70s, but I think nowadays, we demand more.
Katia Ricciarelli is fairly dreadful as Amelia. Only the word dreadful will suffice. She is frustrating because there are some hints of beautiful notes there, but too few, and sandwiched by far too much with strain and squawk. Her dodgy mid-Seventies perm doesn't help, and her acting is entirely unconvincing. Her performance is as the screamy sort of soprano that made me dislike sopranos for very many years. I'm surprised she got so many gigs and recording deals. If she were still active now, I wouldn't rush to see her. I am much more looking forward to hearing/seeing Karita Mattila in this role next year.
Ricciarelli's mediocrity is especially evident in the great Act 2 love duet. I really can't see why Riccardo is so besotted. The music says, and the libretto implies, at least in private that they're lovers, yet nothing in her body language suggests this. There is an obvious lack of personal chemistry between them and her acting can't compensate for this, so she won't look at him when he's being tender and loving. I suppose it might be deliberate but I doubt it. Her strenuous efforts to avoid him are almost comical.
In act 3, there is a showdown between Renato and Amelia as she denies infidelity He demands that she dies, and she pleas to embrace her son one more time. There is beautiful music - strings, viola? cello? - in the background and it ought to be heart-rending, but her anguish just looks like a particularly acute attack of PMT. Which turns pathos to farce. And she ruins the scene where she appears to deliberately remove her veil, where any logic - and the stage directions with the CD- must say that it falls away in the confusion of scuffle. Only, the scuffle, is more stand than deliver.
I have particular problem with the lighting in Act 2. Yes, it's night, out beyond the city walls, and, of course, we expect it to be dark, and maybe it worked on stage, but in video. No.
Okay, so I've dissed the bad bits. Now the good bits.
The music, the music, the music.! Did I mention that I liked the music!
There are some fine ensemble pieces, where three or four characters are singing at the same time, but different words, and different tunes. This could be chaotic, but really works.
Piero Cappuccilli 's singing is sublime. That comes over quite well on the video; on the video, it is gorgeous. Lyrical, and musical, his Act 3 soliloquy deserved the enthusiastic applause from the audience, despite the ropy acting.
Reri Grist as Oscar, one of my favourite trouser roles, is great. a gorgeous coloratura soprano, and an excellent portrayal of a somewhat boisterous, enthusiastic boy. In the trouser roles with which I am most familiar, the main interaction is between the woman playing a young man, and another, more mature woman, so you have the delightful ambiguity of the characters flirting, while the singers are...ambiguous. Whereas here, although you have the...ambiguity... of two male roles - Riccardo and Oscar - interacting, the frisson is created by the male and female singer.
Ulrica, the gypsy, is one of the great contralto roles, a great part, with some great arias. Fiorenza Cossotto has this role, and is okay, without being outstanding. And I love the words she has to invoke Satan for her prophecies. Light, or rather, darkness, is used well in this scene.
The CD version has Martina Arroyo, rather than Katia Ricciarelli, playing Amelia. Arroyo is not highly rated, often accused of sleep walking through a role. But here, the contrast with Ricciarelli is marked. A better top, with no discernible scream or squawk, and a rich bottom, which I like.
The final scene of Act 3 is really rather well staged. Could be better, but I do feel most of the production resources went into this. the costumes are good. Not great, but good. Not as good as in Andrea Chenier, which I recently reviewed, nor in Traviata, which I will review in the coming months. And the ball is convincingly a ball, although, again, I have seen better (Traviata, Hoffman, for example...). Oscar is again wonderful, and even Renato seems to come alive for their exchanges.
But this video happens to contain one of the very best death scenes in my entire collection, and, when listening on the CD, my imagination cannot better the evidence of my eyes.
It's melodramatic and OTT, the way I love 'em. Riccardo continues singing whilst staggering and bleeding from a stab wound, probably the most beautiful singing in the whole opera. After a whole two minutes of this, he falls melodramatically to the ground, and pardons everybody in exquisite lyrical singing. There is a wonderful chorus - Verdi at his best - then Riccardo rallies briefly to be propped up to say farewell to his country before managing another spectacular, final fatal collapse. Beautifully.
Ah, yes, Riccardo aka King Gustavo. The main part, the tenor part. A great character: he's portrayed as being benign, a dictator, absolute ruler, yes, but beloved by his people. Except the plotters, who seek revenge - La vendetta! And don't the best operas always have La vendetta? Apparently he stole the castle of one (this is where the Massachusetts setting is problematic) and murdered the brother of another. But, nevertheless, I see him as a sympathetic character, made more so by his love for the wife of his best friend. Admittedly, it is important that we view him sympathetically, otherwise his death wouldn't be a tragedy.
I love the second scene of Act 1, where he goes, disguised as a fisherman to the lair of Ulrica. From here comes my favourite aria/chorus/aria from the entire opera, and, potentially, one of my favourites from the whole of Verdi - Di' tu se fedele. He's very dashing and geezerish, really rather gorgeous to look at, and his voice comes through sweet and light, yet dark and velvety. By far the best actor on the stage, his natural style making the rest (except Oscar) look like village am-drams. He was only 34 when this was made, and already well established as an operatic star, although not, at that point, a global superstar. Seductive in voice and appearance. The tenor, if you haven't guessed already, is Plácido Domingo.
I suppose one of the things I love, apart from the music, is this all powerful King/Governor, whatever. All powerful, but vulnerable because of love. Definitely in the category of Stupid Men.
And, of course, despite what they profess to Renato, it is hinted by their private words, and heavily suggested by themusic, that, of course they shagged.
The CD is basically the same as the video. Same, as in, same opera, same vintage, and almost identical cast, but studio-recorded with Martina Arroyo replacing Katia Ricciarelli as Amelia, and the Medici String Quartet and New Philharmonia Orchestra replacing the Orchestra of Covent Garden.
I'm not sure I would recommend getting the video version; I'm certainly not rushing to get it on DVD, but the only other version available from Amazon.uk is a Met production with, I presume, all the technical limitations of NTSC, plus, I assume, the appalling acting of Luciano Pavarotti. I think this one is due in the Del Prado partworks at some stage, at half the Amazon (and elsewhere) retail price.
Opera Nights recommends the CD, and you can gather I wouldn't argue with that...
I have decided also to keep a bodycount, in much the way Anna did when she was dramaturging in Glasgow.
So far, I have reviewed Aida (I know, I know, I haven't reviewed the DVD yet): two, basically - buried alive in a tomb. cool or what. There were others off stage, but they are incidental.
Andrea Chenier also had two main ones - guillotining - although, there was also mention of Mother being killed by the revolutionaries, and various other people sentenced to death in the Terror. But we'll say 2.
Ballo has just the one, but it is a gloriously melodramatically OTT death, by stabbing, at a Masked Ball.
The next opera I review is happy...
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