In Simon Boccanegra, an ordinary guy has actually wonder thrust upon your, meeting their ultimate death through a good confluence regarding fate and you can situation. Along the way, the guy loses and you can regains an effective child, quashes a revolution otherwise two, and you can unites Italy along with his perishing breathing. Many listeners revere Verdi’s masterful get when you’re additionally sniffing on convoluted area, however, Laurence Dale’s creation to have Opera Philadelphia’s Event O23 makes an excellent powerful circumstances towards the work’s remarkable unity.
The fresh new manager features the period purposefully obscure, with imposing kits by Gary McCann one to discreetly highly recommend good fascist artistic. One to research may seem quite unjust on title character – a guy who is ethical on center, even if he never totally prevent the trappings of autocracy – nevertheless underscores the truth that you to definitely man or woman’s saving grace are another’s tyrant. Dale makes use of even more-textual gadgets you to definitely enhance brand new backstory rather than opposing Piave and you may Boito’s libretto. The latest director and artists perform a keen admirable number of specificity from inside the storytelling, because of the greater expanses of Academy off Music’s phase and you will the newest opera’s sometimes static stretches.
One can possibly pay attention to into the Taylor’s voice the potential to alter for the a Verdi baritone in his individual correct
Throughout the pit, Corrado Rovaris unflaggingly helps the action onstage if you find yourself guaranteeing the brand new excellence of the get, beginning with feminine textures in the stately prelude. Towards the end of the Prologue, where Boccanegra is elevated so you’re able to Doge out-of Genoa, he whips this new orchestra towards a beneficial phantasmagorical frenzy, and therefore complements brand new intense singing of your own plebian chorus. (Opera Philadelphia chorus grasp E Braden continues to functions magic with their unique pushes – I would personally hate to reduce their particular in your neighborhood, however, she will likely be for the assertion for the soon-to-feel unused Metropolitan Opera gig.) Regarding the night, Rovaris helps make that tune in to familiar music with the new ears, because as he ravishingly levels the strings, winds and percussion during the “Come in quest’ora bruna” – likewise and make Verdi appear to be the brand new progenitor from both Debussy and you will Berg.
To have his first getaway throughout the name role, Quinn Kelsey continues to burnish their bona fides just like the largest Verdi baritone from his generation. Even in the event the guy never ever struggled with singing projection, he recommended lyricism throughout the, shading his melting legato singing which have advice of age and you can indecision instead of barking traces to give Boccanegra’s setting up emotional stress. His last utterances sounded correctly troubled, whether or not their sturdy tonal charm remained. Toward assistance of Fernand Ruiz’s garments, the guy exhibited his character’s progression off simple corsair to help you huge leader, and on the opera’s afterwards serves, the guy reminded the viewers one to Boccanegra continues to be a generally an excellent man from the his center.
Soprano Ana Maria Martinez lacked some of the hallelia https://getbride.org/fr/femmes-arabes/, the fresh new child of Boccanegra who’s increased because of the his archenemy, Jacopo Fiesco. Cannot predict ethereally floated high notes otherwise a certain expansiveness out-of build. Hook overcome crept into Martinez’s voice in the moments, too, but full, she introduced an intelligent and extremely tunes translation of an excellent Verdi heroine who can sometimes seems quite and you can unused. Her Amelia was headstrong and you can confidant, in the event it’s difficult to understand just what attracts their particular so you’re able to Richard Trey Smagur’s hooty, overacted Gabriele Adorno.
Into the an attractive repeated minute, a white-gowned supernumerary haunts the newest periphery while the Boccanegra’s later wife and you can Amelia’s mother; she sooner prospects Simon into afterlife
Christian Van Horn slashed a regal, dignified profile as Fiesco, while the part sits an enthusiastic octave or more underneath the comfort region out-of his basically lyric bass-baritone. While the Paolo Albiani, Boccanegra’s turncoat advisor, baritone Benjamin Taylor try a finding, pouring acres out-of plangent music towards the exactly what can easily be a great standard-topic villain.