Goodness Triumphant - La Cenerentola Met HD Broadcast 10th May 2014

May 10th was a busy day for me operatically speaking; first I had a matinee performance of Nozze di Figaro at the Royal Opera, swiftly followed by the final Met HD broadcast of the season with the enticing Joyce di Donato and superlative Juan Diego Florez.  That I've decided to concentrate this blog on La Cenerentola is no reflection on the standard of performance of Le Nozze di Figaro.  With a cast containing Gerald Finlay, Rebecca Evans and Camila Tilling it was certainly one of the finest performances I've attended recently. However, this was my very first Cenerentola...and apparently Joyce di Donato's last and it just felt right to dedicate this post to Cinderella herself.

I must admit to not being entirely comfortable with Rossini - especially comic Rossini - the endless coloratura and interminable crescendi don't really do it for me.  I suppose when it boils down to it I like my opera laced with a bit of tragedy and if there isn't at least one dead body by the end of the evening I feel slightly disappointed.  However, I do love Joyce's voice and this was her last outing in one of her signature roles so I was prepared to put doubts to one side and dive in.

This was only my second experience of a Met HD broadcast and once again I was not disappointed.  The cinema was packed - not a single seat was empty and the audience seemed keen and enthusiastic.  There was a lot of laughter and applause during the evening.  And not without cause.  The opera fairly fizzed along with barely a moment to pause for breath.

The plot is slight but very familiar so it was all about the singing and characterisation for me.  I'm not really a bel canto expert but I was really overawed by the vocal skills on display - by all of the cast.  There was not a single weak link amongst the performers.  This production has been gaining rave reviews in New York, mainly concentrating on the virtuoso tenor skills on display; firstly a 'star is born moment' for Javier Camerena in the role of the Prince and then Juan Diego Florez returning to the role in a case of 'anything you can do I can do better.'  Mr Florez was simply stunning, with not a single note out of place and giving a touching performance as the Prince who falls head over heels.  In previous performances there have been encores of 'Si, lo ritrovarla.'  Tonight, Juan Diego restricted himself to a solo bow to acknowledge the wild applause, perhaps as an acknowledgement that this was Joyce's night after all.

Ms DiDonatao was not outshone in any way and her long partnership with Juan Diego made this special night was all the more special.  I'm not sure exactly why she is retiring the role, but surely not for want of technical ability on her part.  She was immediately believable and sympathetic as the downtrodden Angelina and the audience were behind her all the way.

The rest of the cast were no slouch in the vocal or dramatic stakes either.  Rachelle Dirkin and Patricia Risley as Clorinda and Tisbe were an absolute hoot, even if some of the stage 'business' sometimes descended into farce.  Surely it must be far more difficult to perform comic opera as opposed to dramatic?    Of the male trio of bassi appearing, Pietro Spagnoli as Dandini was the most impressive for me, with expert comic timing and exhibiting a believable relationship with the Prince he was impersonating.  Alessandro Corbelli made light of some taxing patter songs and was believably 'wicked' as Angelina's step-father.  I enjoyed Luca Pisaroni as Alidoro but didn't really know what to make of the role.  What he did was good but alas all too brief I thought.

The production by Cesare Lievi came across well on the big screen, although I found it a bit sparse and in parts without any recognisable logic to it - although perhaps as a fairly tale it doesn't really need it?

And then at then end of the evening, when the girl has married her prince and all hurts have been forgiven, the real emotion set in.  I will admit to a tear in the eye when Joyce acknowledged the applause - all the more so as she looked slightly overcome herself. It must be a difficult decision to give up a much loved role - especially when going on on such a high note.  But then perhaps that is the best way...always leave them wanting more!

From the frustrating to the sublime - a tale of two opera

La Donna del Lago 17th May and Don Carlo 18th May, Royal Opera House

I wasn't originally due to see Rossini's Donna del Lago until 7th June but a last minute ticket appeared and I grabbed the chance for an early visit.  With a cast featuring Joyce Di Donato and Juan Diego Florez my expectations were high to say the least.  This was staged in a new production by John Fulljames, the ROH Associate Director of Opera and I think its fair to say that interest was high, especially after his boss's less than successful Eugene Onegin earlier in the season.

This is one of Rossini's neglected opera and hasn't been seen at Covent Garden since 1985 and I can understand why.  Only the best Rossini singers will do and you simply have to wait until they appear before you even think about staging this.  You need not only one but two world class mezzo-sopranos and two world beating Rossini tenors, one for a role that on paper should be un-singable.  Luckily ROH have assembled a cast that pretty much hits the target musically.

This is my first time (there's that phrase again) of hearing Joyce di Donato and Juan Diego Florez live in the theatre and I wasn't disappointed in either of them.  Both displayed the virtuosity required by Rossini while still managing to convincingly portray their characters in somewhat trying circumstances -  more on that later.  But this is not Verdi or verismo - the voice is the thing here and if there is any reason to go and see this opera then its for the voice - not for the drama.

One of my pet hates on opera is the convention of a woman playing a male role - or 'trouser role'.  I find it so ridiculous most of the time that it totally takes me out of the story being told in front of me.  However Daniela Barcellona as Malcolm, almost succeeded in convincing me she was indeed a hairy Highland warrior - kudos to wardrobe and make-up.  But of course the voice is still recognisable feminine and the illusion is destroyed.  Impressive singing by the kilted Ms Barcellona though.

Kasper Holten announced that Colin Lee was unwell and unable to sing the fearsome role of Rodrigo - the second virtuostic tenor role in this opera, and Michael Spyres had stepped into the breach. I have to say that I think he has a freakish voice - but that is what the role calls for.  His voice is baritonal - but not in the Kaufmann sense of the word.  He is most definitely a tenor but when the low notes are called for he can throw them out with abandon - sometimes sounding more like a bass than a tenor.  But then the high notes come forth and it leaves you wondering just what sort of singer this was written for - a very impressive one obviously.

That was the good - now onto the production.

The basic concept looked to be an operatic "Night at the Museum", with Elena (the Lady of the Lake) in a glass cabinet, along with other cabinets containing various mementos and gentlemen in 19th centenary evening dress wandering around getting very excited by their exhibition.  Elena is then released from her cabinet and the story proper begins but not without the annoying presence of one or more actors observing the action as it unfolds.  Also present were singers costumed as Rossini and Sir Walter Scott - to what end I really don't know.  Combine that with unwarranted rape scenes and you get a production that really doesn't know what it wants to be - apart from controversial maybe?  It seems that I was not in the minority as the production team received plenty of boos at the curtain call while the singers were cheered to the rafters.

And on top of that a lot of the action took place on the left of the stage - coincidentally the bit of the stage I couldn't really see from my restricted view seat.  Now I don't expect all the action to take place centre stage but when you have a theatre with a traditional horse-shoe shape, to stage 70% of the action to one side of the stage seems bizarre.

In conclusion this was a very frustrating night - the singing top rate but the staging not only annoying but detracting from the performance.  Go see it for the singing if you can and if you really want to see the production find a seat centre or on the right of the auditorium.

Luckily for me, I had a second visit to see Don Carlo planned for the following night.  And what a contrast it was.  I won't go into all the detail here (see previous post) but the singing here was just as sublime and in its own way as virtuostic as the Rossini, but here the production (although not ideal) didn't interfere with the drama - no dead composers on stage and no silent observers of the drama.  Just a straightforward telling of the story which didn't need any concept pasted on.  The singing and acting were even better than when I saw this the first time, each singer now completely within the character they were portraying.  The final act duet for Carlos and Elisabetta once again almost had me in tears - quite frankly I don't expect to hear it sung so beautifully again for quite a long time - if ever.

In contrast to the previous evening the audience cheered to the rafters, almost unwilling to let the cast go as they took bow after bow. There was a special feeling in the house and I felt privileged to have been there.  Simply magical.

And that's the beauty of opera - one night so frustrating you want to scream, and the next so sublime you want to weep.  And that's also why I keep going back for more.