Italy Rossini Opera Pageant 2024 [1] – Rossini, Bianca e Falliero: Soloists, Coro del teatro ventidio basso, Orchestra sinfonica nazionale della RAI, Roberto Abbado (conductor). Auditorium Scavolini, Pesaro, 7.8.2024. (AB)
Manufacturing:
Director – Jean-Luis Grinda
Set designs and Costumes – Rudy Sabounghi
Lighting – Laurent Castaingt
Refrain director – Giovanni Farina
Solid:
Doge Priuli – Nicolò Donini
Contareno – Dmitry Korchak
Capellio – Giorgi Manoshvili
Falliero – Aya Wakizono
Bianca – Jessica Pratt
Constanza – Carmen Buendía
Officer/ Usher – Claudio Zazzaro
Chancellor – Dangelo Díaz
Since its basis in 1976, the Rossini Opera Pageant in Pesaro has carried out wonders in selling and re-evaluating the works of Gioachino Rossini. Over time, it has staged productions of all his 39 operas and initiated new crucial editions by means of the Fondazione Rossini. By way of what a music competition devoted to a single composer can obtain in advancing the understanding and important debate of their oeuvre, the ROF undoubtedly stands alongside the Bayreuth Wagner and Göttingen Handel festivals.
This yr’s opening manufacturing of Bianca e Falliero – o sia Il consiglio dei tre (Bianca and Falliero, or The Council of Three) within the newly renovated Auditorium Scavolini completely illustrates this level. Even amongst Rossini fanatics, it should be one of many least seen or heard of his opere serie. Composed for and first carried out at Milan’s La Scala on 26 December 1819, it was the 27-year-old composer’s fourth opera that yr, following Ermione, Eduardo e Cristina, and – most notably – La donna del lago, from which Bianca borrows the modified finale. Regardless of its authentic run of 39 performances – one of many longest for any Rossini opera – the work shortly fell into obscurity. Just a few numbers turn into in style in live performance performances, and so Bianca remained largely forgotten till it was revived in Pesaro in 1986, with a second manufacturing in 2005.
The plot of Felice Romani’s libretto is a typical opera seria combine of affection, politics, and household drama, set throughout Venice’s seventeenth-century battle with Spain. Contareno, second solely to the Doge in energy, tries to power his daughter Bianca into marrying the nobleman Capellio to finish a household feud and safe his personal social standing. However Bianca’s coronary heart belongs to the victorious and dashing normal Falliero, who’s compelled to flee their secret rendezvous to the neighbouring backyard of the Spanish ambassador. Venetian martial regulation deems this an offence punishable by loss of life, however simply earlier than his execution, Bianca seems earlier than the Council of Three to disclose the true circumstances. In a shifting flip of occasions, it’s Falliero’s rival Capellio who takes a stand in opposition to the unhuman regulation and convinces Contareno to desert his fierce opposition to the lovers’ union.
As director Jean-Louis Grinda emphasises in his manufacturing notes, ‘the historic interval of the story is of marginal significance’ to him. Video projections of authentic black-and-white movie footage exhibiting civilians fleeing war-torn cities, together with the costumes appear to position the motion within the Thirties. Nevertheless, these are the one historic or contextual cues. As an alternative, Grinda focuses on permitting the interior workings of the music to take centre stage, concentrating on the vary of feelings skilled by every character.
Rudy Sabounghi’s set design, supported by Laurent Castaingt’s lighting, aligns with this strategy. The set contains numerous wood-panelled bins of various sizes that, Jenga-like, are commonly moved and rearranged on the open stage to create summary representations of the assorted Venetian interiors the place the motion takes place.
Whereas this creates at instances some placing visible compositions, it additionally limits character interplay, typically leaving the performers static, with some scenes feeling extra like posed tableaux than dynamic drama. Even the refrain (the wonderful Coro del Teatro Ventidio Basso led by Giovanni Farina) appears typically merely ornamental than truly engaged within the motion.
A curious addition is an aged lady strolling with a cane who shadows Bianca in most scenes, casting disapproving glances at her actions. Is she an older model of Bianca? Her mom? An emblem of foreboding that the tip will not be as glad as marketed? The manufacturing affords no clear solutions, leaving the viewers to puzzle over her position. But, no matter ambiguities the staging presents are simply eclipsed by the night’s excellent musical performances.
Jessica Pratt’s Bianca is nothing wanting a triumph. Her coloratura passages are by no means mere shows of virtuosity; they subtly convey the torment of a soul torn between filial responsibility and love for Falliero. She demonstrates her mastery of the excessive and ultra-high register with obvious ease, all the time utilizing it as a way of expression somewhat than an finish in itself, as supremely demonstrated within the last rondo.
In Aya Wakizono’s Falliero, Pratt has discovered a super counterpart. Wakizono fantastically portrays the heroic satisfaction and interior turmoil of this en travesti position. Her mezzo-soprano is brilliant and lyrical, effortlessly navigating the coloratura passages and including a deep sensuality to the Act I duet with Bianca, ‘Sappi che un Dio crudele’, which is a pure pleasure to listen to.
Dmitry Korchak as Contareno likewise delivers with confidence, dealing with the excessive notes with aplomb and being notably compelling within the lyrical sections. His rendition of ‘Pensa che omai resistere’, one of many trickiest coloratura items Rossini ever wrote for tenor, is a testomony to his ability.
Lastly, Giorgi Manoshvili completes this set of excellent vocal performances, bringing a profound humanity to Capellio together with his fantastically resonant bass. Because of this mixture of outstanding singers the Act II quartet ‘Cielo, il mio labro ispira’ emerged because the musical and emotional spotlight of the night, because it rightly needs to be.
The onstage excellence was matched within the pit by Roberto Abbado, main the very good Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI. His tempi and clever studying of Rossini’s intricately elaborate rating had been excellent, as had been the recitatives fantastically rendered with cello (Jacopo Muratori) and double bass (Matteo Magigrana), alongside the fortepiano (Andrea Severi).
In sum, the distinctive high quality of the music making makes a wonderful case for Bianca e Falliero to seek out its approach into the repertoire, although it deserves a extra engaged and vivid path in future.
Andreas Bücker
