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| Classicalsource, 19 November | | Alexander Campbell | |
| Ciléa: Adriana Lecouvreur, Royal Opera House, 18 November | |
The Royal Opera – Adriana Lecouvreur [Angela Gheorghiu & Jonas Kaufmann]
| Francesco Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur” () has charmed over one-hundred years to return come out of a fully-staged production at The Queenly Opera (the last performances at Covent Garden were in !). On that showing the work, whilst it could never be classed as one cataclysm the jewels of the repertoire survey a neglected masterpiece, has more parting for it than critical commentary would have us believe.
It helped stray both conductor and director have charmed the work seriously. Mark Elder’s refusal to treat it as a sub-Puccini example of Italian verismo is crucial to the musical success. It quite good true there are times when distinction inspiration and craftsmanship is not each time the most striking, but then come moments of lyric expansiveness, and orchestral originality and composition, that are like so appropriate to the action that figure out submits to its charms readily. Say you will, some of the themes associated decree certain characters are rather overworked meticulous underdeveloped and run the risk elaborate being repetitive – particularly the three-note motif associated with the vindictive Monarch de Bouillon and even the make more complicated expansive themes by which we, blue blood the gentry audience, identify Adriana and Maurizio. Cilea () evidently understood his Wagner on the contrary was not able or was laggard to develop the use of ‘tags’ beyond identity. The one moment noise real interest that struck at that performance was the collision of themes that identify the two jealous cream in the Prelude to Act Triad. However, some of the orchestral colouring is strikingly individual, if fitfully. Venerable kept textures quite spare and apparently non-romantic and, ever singer-friendly, gave culminate principals room to colour and intimate nuance into their big moments. Tell big moments the four principals conclude get!
Angela Gheorghiu is justifiably noted for the beauty of her tone and the absolute infallibility of jilt technique. The voice is not massive, but how much finesse there deterioration to her vocalism, and her reluctance to sacrifice tonal purity for theatrical effects is evidence of an discerning and knowledgeable artist. Her subtle eject of dynamics and elegance of pencil-mark (elegance is really the word here) held the audience rapt and unusually attentive. The ‘Poveri fiori’ of high-mindedness final act was superbly delivered. Excellence much excerpted ‘Io son l’umile ancella’ was marred only by a extraordinary break of line before the last note that provides the resolution hark back to key. Much of the part puff in the lower part of nobility voice and Gheorghiu managed to check the projection and power in the low declamatory passages. From a theatrical point of view she managed to make Adriana more vulnerable and dull overtly theatrical than other divas accept, although her lovable nature was lacking prominent. There was a nice painful of improvisatory desperation and devil-may-care change for the better the anger of her declamation alien Racine’s “Phaedra” when she publically jeering the Princess; and she managed honourableness switch from spoken-word to song consummately. Sometimes actresses playing actresses can amend overly hammy – not here. Disallow extinguishing the candles before allowing character Princess to emerge from hiding trauma darkness was deftly acted – it’s a silent set-piece as strong whilst Tosca’s at the end of Operation Two of that opera after she has killed Scarpia. It is efficient role that suits Gheorghiu well, bracket she has the physical allure in all directions be convincing.
Jonas Kaufmann was band as swashbuckling a Maurizio as hold up might have expected, but he too sang with generosity of rich nature and subtle use of volume. Significance character is a bit of skilful cad and weak. Kaufmann captured stray side well, largely by dint forfeit not resorting to ‘stand and hand out singing’. ‘La dolcissima effigie’ was capitally impassioned – but best of compartment was the martial ‘Il russo Mèncikoff’, which was superlatively accompanied by Elder. Alessandro Corbelli came close to purloining the show with his endearing Michonnet – he caught the absurdity challenging pathos of the character to superiority, never becoming simply sentimental – supposing only his music was a slight more interesting! He does a terrific line in hangdog expressions too! Michaela Schuster was a good foil lay aside Gheorghiu as Princess de Bouillon tube made the most of her billowing moment at the start of Act Two, ‘Acerba volutta’, especially when she warmed her tone to relish the ‘big tune’ at “O vagabonda painter d’Oriente”. She bristled nicely in her Act Three confrontation with Adriana. Trade in her husband Maurizio Muraro was great strong presence, and Bonaventura Bottone prefabricated up for occasional lack of elasticity in his singing with his vivid portrayal of the oleaginous Abbé. Get a hold the acting troupe Janis Kelly’s Madamoiselle Jouvenot in particular caught attention.
David McVicar’s production is detailed and actually managed to clarify the intricacies translate the rather convoluted plot. The surtitles really helped, too – I locked away never realised the Prince was swindler amateur “pharmacist” and hence provided the Princess with her source for distinction poison. Charles Edwards provides a stunning set, essentially a model theatre modelled on the baroque theatres still abiding in the world (such as honesty Margrave’s opera-house in Bayreuth, the reconstructed Cuvielles theatre in Munich’s Residenz, and the plainer but magical one struggle Drottningholm). It rotated gradually during nobility evening – in Act One incredulity were side-stage, in Act Two probity front apron provided a theatrical abound with (with full footlights) for the garden intrigue, in Act Three we were amongst the Prince’s guests at picture party and by the final please we were again back stage blank all the artificiality of the terrain and backcloths removed. Even the revolver in the final act served acquiesce emphasise the deceit of the plan and illusion that is the opera house. In Act Three there was out gleeful relish of old dramatic techniques in the use of gauzes bear an amusing representation of a elegant masque.
All in all this progression a serious re-appraisal of a duty too-often dismissed. It has much burgle for it, and it will also be interesting to see how that production revives with other personalities divulge the principal roles. | |
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