March 26, 2006: Stiffelio in Zurich

2006-03-26 Stiffelio (Verdi), Opernhaus Zurich

Lina = Adriana Damato
Stiffelio = José Cura
Stankar = Renato Bruson
Raffaele = Reinaldo Macias
Jorg = Federico Sacchi
Federico = Martin Zysset
Dorotea = Margaret Chalker

Stefano Ranzani, conductor

Stiffelio - Verdi (Wiederaufnahme)
In italienischer Sprache
Dirigent Stefano Ranzani
Inszenierung Cesare Lievi
Bühnenbild Csaba Antal
Kostüme Marina Luxardo
Lichtgestaltung Jürgen Hoffmann
Choreinstudierung Ernst Raffelsberger




Werkbeschreibung In «Stiffelio» gibt es hinreissende Musik. Überraschende musikalische Einfälle, zielsichere Effekte, weit ausschwingende Melodiebögen und harmonisch betörende Ensembles, das ist Verdi vom Besten. Hinzu kommt das exotische Ambiente einer protestantischen Sekte – Anlass zu mancherlei romantischen Gebets- und schauerlichen Friedhofsszenen und zum grossen Theatercoup am Schluss, als Stiffelio von der Kanzel herab eine gesungene Predigt hält.

This was expected to be the perfect performance of Stiffelio. On March 24th there were many missteps but now those fault would not be repeated. And yes, no mistakes. Jose Cura is wonderful as Stiffelio, Adriana Damato is a wonderful Lina. Renato Bruson is a rather coarse Stankar. Reinaldo Macias is perfect as Raffaele. Federico Sacchi is too young to be Stankar (vocally). Martin Zysset is invisible as Federico. Margaret Chalker is beautiful as Dorotea.

Revelations: Stiffelio is Christ-like with "stigmata" in his hands after handling the sword, except the forgiveness. No "forgiveness them, Father, for they do not know what they are doing", rather "la perfida, sia dannata" (Perdon! Giammai! La perfida . . .Sia maledetta!)

OD Travel + Photos

March 24, 2006: Stiffelio in Zurich

2006-03-24 Stiffelio (Verdi), Opernhaus Zurich

Lina = Adriana Damato
Stiffelio = José Cura
Stankar = Renato Bruson
Raffaele = Reinaldo Macias
Jorg = Federico Sacchi
Federico = Martin Zysset
Dorotea = Margaret Chalker

Stefano Ranzani, conductor



Stiffelio - Verdi (Wiederaufnahme)
In italienischer Sprache
Dirigent Stefano Ranzani
Inszenierung Cesare Lievi
Bühnenbild Csaba Antal
Kostüme Marina Luxardo
Lichtgestaltung Jürgen Hoffmann
Choreinstudierung Ernst Raffelsberger


My favorite opera is Stiffelio. My favorite tenor is Jose Cura. The Soprano Adriana Damato who I had seen and heard in Parma in the Verdi Concert 2004 she sang then Giovanna d'Arco, I Masnadieri and Il Corsaro and did a very favorable impression. I know that she have sung Mina in Aroldo, Stiffelio's twin opera, so I was very eager to see this Zurich production of Stiffelio with Cura and Adriana Damato. Her voice seem sometimes not big enough but her charisma was very strong. Unescapable when onstage. Very much what I dreamed.

On March 24th it was very much a live performance. Small missteps here and there. Some ensembles did not start right, when one person stumbles it makes any septet difficult to come right. Stefano Ranzani might be a wonderful conductor but the orchestra sometimes drowned the singers and is not the conductor responsible in saving it when the singers go a bit wrong. So it was an almost perfect performance. Though a bit disconnected at times.

Renato Bruson who has sung Stankar many times and was very much applauded in Zurich seem to me a bit too heavy in voice in this Zurich production. I guess Leo Nucci in 2004 made an impression not to be forgotten. He became the ideal Stankar for me.

Jose Cura was wonderful as Stiffelio and together with Damato, it was simply stunning. Federico Sacchi as Jorg seemed to be a too light a bass. Martin Zysset and Margaret Chalker did well, but was both better in 2004.

But in 2004 there was a premiere of Stiffelio and more performances in the season, now there were only 2. Can one expect miracles when rehearsal time is probably more scarce?

Reinaldo Macias was as always wonderful as Raffaele.

OD Travel + Photos

March 20, 2010: La Boheme in Zurich

2010-03-20 La Boheme (Puccini), Opernhaus Zurich

Rodolfo = José Cura
Mimì = Adriana Damato
Marcello = Gabriel Bermudez
Musetta = Christiane Kohl
Schaunard = Cheyne Davidson
Colline = Andreas Hörl
Benoit = Davide Fersini
Alcindoro = Valeriy Murga
Parpignol = Christopher Hux
A customs official = Matthew Leigh
Sergeant = Falvio Matthias

Massimo Zanetti, conductor

Lots of JCx friends there. It did not look as it was many of us in the beginning but then I started to see friends all over the house. I was not sure if I would enjoy this production but I really. It was a modern La Boheme but not in a way that would make the story improbable.

Act 1: Jose Cura as Rodolfo was laying on a sofa. He looked larger than life and when Gabriel Bermudez came in, he too looked larger than life. But I was on row 2 so maybe that why all looked so big. Still Jose Cura and Gabriel Bermudez are both muscle men. Andreas Hörl was Colline. He is a tall man with a sweet bass voice. Cheyne Davidson was a solid Schaunard.

Then came the disappointment. Adriana Damato, who I last saw as a perfect Lina in Verdi's Stiffelio, came in as a too solid Mimi. Not only was her Mimi to solid and healthy looking (or even heavy) but her acting was like wood and not the kind Puccini needs. Her singing was good but she really needs to get her acting skills in order. It also should not be obvious to the viewers the strain singing gives. After the very realistic acting from the boys suddenly old-school opera. Jose Cura created the magic with his singing and reacting to his Mimi and of course Adriana Damato rose to her best with him.
Highlights: The duet Questo mar rosso (Cura/Bermudez), Che gelida manina (Jose Cura) and O soave fanciulla (Cura/Damato). Adriana Damato's singing Mimi's aria was great and not so great at the same time.

Act 2: Now, finally Adriana Damato is Mimi as good as anyone. Christine Kohl is Musetta and sings her aria with flair. I liked the staging of the scene, unconventional but it works. This production really works.

Highlight: Quando me'n vo (Christine Kohl)

Act 3: Again the production worked it magic. Adriana Damato, Gabriel Bermudez, Jose Cura, Christine Kohl makes this a musical highlight. Acting and singing is great.

Highlights: duets and quartet

Act 4: Loved it. I was worried that Adriana Damato would not be acting well, but she was superb. Jose Cura was so immersed in his character that he had a hard time trying to smile at the curtain call, he had really experienced Mimi's death as reality.

Highlight: Adriana Damato's and Jose Cura's duet Sono andati. Normally Colline's aria Vecchio zimarra is a highlight but it was not so for me.

It was a great role debut for both Jose Cura and Gabriel Bermudez as Rodolfo and Marcello. It was worth going to Zurich. Jose Cura was fantastic as Rodolfo. In the end I must say I was not too happy with the conductor, Massimo Zanetti. He had a reading of Che gelida manina that was really slow, I think.

After the performance we all went to the backstage and waited. When Jose Cura came he sat down so that we could take photo, talk to him and get autographs. It took a long time for Cura till he finally could get out and have his dinner.

Massimo Zanetti, conductor

La Bohème - Puccini
In italienischer Sprache mit deutscher Übertitelung


Dirigent
Massimo Zanetti


Inszenierung
Philippe Sireuil


Bühnenbild
Vincent Lemaire


Kostüme
Jorge Jara


Lichtgestaltung
Hans-Rudolf Kunz


Choreinstudierung
Ernst Raffelsberger


Orchester
Orchester der Oper Zürich


Chor
Chor der Oper Zürich

OD Travel + Photos


Blog:Sweet-sour from Zurich: Jose Cura triumphs as Rododolfo

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com

October 10, 2004: Verdi Gala in Parma

2004-10-10 Buon Compleanno Maestro Verdi, Teatro Regio Parma

Sopranos:
Elena Borin, Adriana Damato, Tiziana Fabbricini, Alessandra Rezza,
Mezzo: Alessandra Canettieri
Tenors:
Valter Borin, Luca Casalin, José Cura, Zvetan Michailov
Baritones:
Leo Nucci, Vladimir Stoyanov
Basses:
Franco De Grandis, Federico Sacchi, Riccardo Zanellato

Renato Palumbo, conductor



10 October 2004

Parma - Teatro Regio, 10 October 2004, at 20.30
excerpts from Giovanna d'Arco, Alzira, Attila, Macbeth,
I Masnadieri, Il Corsaro

Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma

Conductor Renato Palumbo
Regie Lorenzo Arruga

Actors Olga Gherardi, Giancarlo Giannini
Chorus Master Martino Faggiani
Audiovideo Dynamic s.r.l. DVD
Supported by Banca Popolare dell'Emilia Romagna



GIOVANNA D’ARCO
Tragic opera with a prologue and three acts on a libretto by Temistocle Solera, from Die Jungfrau von Orléans by Friedrich Schiller.
Première:
Milan, Scala Theatre, February 15th, 1845.

Sinfonia (ca. 7 minutes)

2 minutes: Olga Gherardi, Giancarlo Giannini

Prologo, Scena IV (6,5 minutes)
Oh ben s'addice questo... Sempre all’alba ed alla sera…
Giovanna - Adriana Damato, soprano
Adriana Damato sang this difficult opera aria with great passion. Her dark-hued voice has a very special appeal. She obviously knew this aria, she didn't need to use the notes. This aria is one that is hard to love at first hearing but then it is almost addictive. The passion, the early Verdi sound and this soprano voice was a perfect match.

1 minute: Olga Gherardi

Atto I, Scene III, IV (7,5 minutes)
Ho risolto… Dunque, o cruda, e gloria e trono... È puro l'aere - limpido il cielo
Giovanna - Adriana Damato, soprano
Carlo - Jose Cura, tenor
chorus
A tenor and soprano both with a dark hue in their voices. Passionate duet. Perfect together. The only thing that I missed during the whole concert was more acting and interacting, not just standing there and singing gloriously. Not a fault of Jose Cura. I simply loved È puro l'aere - limpido il cielo.


2,5 minutes: Olga Gherardi, Giancarlo Giannini

ALZIRA
opera with a prologue and two acts on a libretto by Salvatore Cammarano, from Alzire ou les Américains by Voltaire
Première: Naples, San Carlo Theatre, August 12th, 1845.

Atto I, Scena VIII (5 minutes)
Nella polve genuflesso…
Gusmano - Vladimir Stoyanov, baritone
Alvaro - Franco De Grandis, bass
Alzira - Tiziana Fabbricini, soprano
Zamoro - Valter Borin, tenor
Ataliba - Federico Sacchi, bass
Zuma - Alessandra Canettieri, mezzo
chorus
Great voices. Franco de Grandis fabulous, Vladimir Stoyanov glorious, Valter Borin wonderful beautiful tenor voice. And the ALZIRA, Tiziana Fabbricini very special soprano voice; the sound of her voice is edgy but it is warm when you come into center of the voice. She shines though this wonderful scene.

Atto I, Scena VIX (5 minutes)
Qual suon?...Che avvenne?... Trema, trema... a ritorti fra l'armi
Gusmano - Vladimir Stoyanov, baritone
Alvaro - Franco De Grandis, bass
Alzira - Tiziana Fabbricini, soprano
Zamoro - Valter Borin, tenor
Ataliba - Federico Sacchi, bass
Zuma - Alessandra Canettieri, mezzo
Ovando - Luca Casalin, tenor
chorus
The same great voices with Luca Casalin in the comprimario role of Ovando.

Atto II, Scena III (8 minutes)
Per chi? - Per me. S' ei muore, io moro...Il pianto, l’ambascia…
Atto II, Scena IV: Di pira non più, ma d'ara, e talamo
Alzira - Tiziana Fabbricini, soprano
Gusmano - Vladimir Stoyanov, baritone
Ovando - Luca Casalin, tenor
Wonderful duet, I think it is Tiziana making it so divine, wonderful. But of course, the baritone is good too. Her sound is just right for Alzira, especially in this duet

Atto II, Scena VI (7,5 minutes)
Miserandi avanzi… Irne lungi ancor dovrei... Non di codarde lagrime
Zamoro - Zvetan Michailov, tenor
Otumbo - Luca Casalin, tenor
chorus
Another tenor as Zamoro. Zvetan Michailov's tenor is darker than Borin's, more muscular. Irne lungi ancor dovrei... is a wonderful aria. After these excerpts I think that ALZIRA must be a wonderful opera, at least that the music is great.

2,5 minutes: Olga Gherardi, Giancarlo Giannini

ATTILA
Opera with a prologue and three acts on a libretto by Temistocle Solera, taken from Attila re degli Unni by Zacharias Werner.
Première: Venice, La Fenice Theatre, March 17th, 1846

Prologo, scena III (7,5 minutes)
Di vergini straniere…Allor che i forti corrono...Da te questo or m'é concesso
Odabella - Alessandra Rezza, soprano
Attila - Riccardo Zanellato, bass
Aldino - Luca Casalin, tenor
chorus
The great aria of Odabella is wonderfully sung by Alessandra Rezza. Allor che i forti corrono.... Great applause and BRAVA!!!

Prologo, scena III (8,5 minutes)
Uldino, a me dinanzi...
Prologo, scena IV: Attila!-Oh, il nobil messo!
Prologo, scena V
La destra porgimi. . . Tardo per gli anni, e tremulo…
Attila - Riccardo Zanellato, bass
Ezio - Leo Nucci, baritone
One of great joys of ATTILA is these wonderful duets. Riccardo Zanellato is great as Attila but it is Leo Nucci who is the man. Tardo per gli anni, e tremulo… is wonderfully sung. (Avrai tu l'universo, Resti l'Italia a me.)

Prologo, Scena VII (5 minutes)
Quai voci! Oh, tutto... Qui, qui sostiamo!… Ella in poter del Barbaro!
Foresto - Jose Cura, tenor
chorus
One of the highlights of the concert. Jose Cura is just marvelous as Foresto.
Ella in poter del Barbaro is just wonderful, never knew it was such a wonderful aria before I heard Jose Cura sing it!!!! BRAVO!!

Prologo, Scena VII (4 minutes)
Cessato alfine il turbine... Cara patria, già madre e reina
Foresto - Jose Cura, tenor
chorus
Jose Cura sang Cara patria, già madre e reina with his dark passion.

Atto II scena I (5 minutes)
Tregua è con gli Unni…Dagli Immortali vertici
Ezio - Leo Nucci, baritone
The other great man in this concert was Leo Nucci who was simply the greatest as Ezio. I saw Leo Nucci as Ezio in Zurich in 1998. He was wonderful. But in 2004 he is better than in 1998. BRAVO!!!!

Atto II scena II (5,5 minutes)
Chi vien?... Salute ad Ezio
Atto II scena III: Che brami tu?
Atto II scena IV: È gettata la mia sorte
Ezio - Leo Nucci, baritone
Foresto - Valter Borin, tenor
chorus
Another Foresto, good, but no Jose Cura. Leo Nucci È gettata la mia sorte. Grandissimo!!!


PAUSE ( 25 minutes)

2 minutes: Olga Gherardi, Giancarlo Giannini

MACBETH
Opera in four acts on a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, from William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name.
Première: Florence, Pergola Theatre, March 14th, 1847.

Atto I, Scena V (9,5 minutes)
Nel dì della vittoria…
Atto I, Scena VI: Al cader della sera il Re qui giunge
Atto I, Scena VII: Duncano sarà qui?...qui? qui la notte?...Vieni T’affretta!...
Lady Macbeth - Alessandra Rezza, soprano
un servo - Federico Sacchi, bass
Wonderful soprano voice. Passionate rendition of the aria, but I miss the ugly, dangerous sound when she sings "Duncano sarà qui?...qui? qui la notte?". It is too beautiful sung, that is true Lady Macbeth singing.

1 minute: Giancarlo Giannini

Atto I, scena XVI (8 minutes)
Di destarlo per tempo il Re m'impose
Atto I, scena XVII: Oh, qual orrenda notte!
Atto I, scena XVIII: Orrore! orrore! orrore!
Atto I, scena XIX: Schiudi, Inferno, …
Macbeth - Leo Nucci, baritone
Lady - Tiziana Fabbricini, soprano
Banquo - Riccardo Zanellato, bass
McDuff - Valter Borin, tenor
una dama - Elena Borin, soprano
First Macduff, then a short Banquo scene (beautiful singing by Riccardo Zanellato), then Macduff has found the old king dead, killed. Wonderful singing by the ensemble. Beautiful a-capella parts. Tiziana is a wonderful Lady with her Macbeth (Leo Nucci). Leo Nucci and Tiziana Fabbricini really enjoyed being the couple Macbeth.

0,5 minute: Olga Gherardi

Atto IV Scena V (6,5 minutes)
Perfidi…! Pietà rispetto, amore,…
Macbeth - Leo Nucci, baryon
Leo Nucci is fabulous in all scenes and arias. Only one small thing he sings "honore" when it is "amore", Pieta, rispetto, amore. Otherwise it is just stupendous.

Atto IV Scena VI: (8,5 minutes)
E' morta la Regina!
Atto IV Scena VII: Sire! ah, Sire!
Atto IV Scena VIII: Via le fronde, e mano all'armi!
Atto IV Scena IX: Carnefice de' figli miei, t'ho giunto.
Atto IV Scena X: Infausto giorno!
Atto IV Scena XI: Ove s'è fitto l'usurpator?... Salve, o re!
Macbeth - Leo Nucci, baryon
Malcolm - Luca Casalin, tenor
McDuff - Valter Borin, tenor
una dama - Elena Borin, soprano
chorus
Leo Nucci shines, great chorus. Unfortunately the orchestra has trouble in being together in Act IV scene IX, the announcement of Macduff coming is fuzzy, disorderly, embarrassing. But it comes together in the end.

3,5 minutes: Olga Gherardi, Giancarlo Giannini

I MASNADIERI
Opera in four acts on a libretto by Andrea Maffei, from the tragedy Die Räuber by Friedrich Schiller.
Première: London, Her Majesty's Theatre, July 22nd, 1847.

Parte I, scena III (10,5 minutes)
Vecchio! Spiccai da te… La sua lampada vitale…
Parte I, scena IV: Signor, che volete?
Parte I, scena V: Fra poco, Francesco, sarai qui signore!
Franceso - Leo Nucci, baritone
Armino - Luca Casalin, tenor
What can anyone say about Leo Nucci, he is a miracle...

Parte II, scena VI (6 minutes)
Come splendido e grande… Di ladroni attornato…
Parte II, scena VII: Capitano! noi siamo cerchiati. . .
Carlo - Zvetan Michailov, tenor
Rolla - Luca Casalin, tenor
chorus
Zvetan Michailov sings this aria wonderfully.

Parte III, scena II (7 minutes)
Qual mare, qual terra da me t'ha diviso?
Amalia - Adriana Damato, soprano
Carlo - Valter Borin, tenor
Wonderful duet, Valter Borin and Adriana Damato is just perfect together.

1,5 minutes: Olga Gherardi, Giancarlo Giannini

IL CORSARO
Tragic opera in three acts, on a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, taken from The Corsair by George Byron.
Première: Trieste, Teatro Grande, October 25th, 1848.

Atto I scena II (6,5 minutes)
Tutto parea sorridere…
Atto I scena III: Della brezza col favore...
Corrado - Jose Cura, tenor
Giovanni - Federico Sacchi, bass
chorus
I have heard Jose Cura sing the aria "Tutto parea sorridere" before even more beautiful than here in Parma but is was wonderful with the chorus and Federico Sacchi as Giovanni, Corrado's second in command on his pirate ship.

Atto I scena IV (6 minutes)
Egli non riede ancora!...Non so le tetre immagini…
Medora - Adriana Damato, soprano
Adriana Damato sang this aria .... que possa dire... I loved it. Only one regret, how I would have loved to hear the Corrado/Medora duet from act 1 with Cura and Damato, or the Corrado/Gulnara duet from act 2 with Jose Cura and Adriana Damato. That would have been something to die for...

2,5 minutes: Olga Gherardi, Giancarlo Giannini

Atto II, scena X (14 minutes)
Si risparmi quell'uom
Corrado - Jose Cura, tenor
Gulnara - Alessandra Rezza, soprano
Seid - Vladimir Stoyanov, baritone
Giovanni - Federico Sacchi, bass
Selimo - Luca Casalin, tenor
How is it possible to be disappointed with this great wonderfully sung scene from Il Corsaro. It just so happens that I know that there is even more beautiful scenes in this opera that I would rather hear;
like


ATTO PRIMO
SCENA V

Medora e Corrado.

CORRADO
È pur mesto, o Medora, il canto tuo

ATTO TERZO
SCENA ULTIMA

Medora, Corrado e Gulnara con alcuni Corsari.

CORRADO E MEDORA:
Ah quest'amplesso è balsamo


But all is not lost I will see/hear the whole opera in Barcelona, February 2005


Happy Birthday, Maestro Verdi!!!
Most wonderful Verdi concert!!
Magic in Parma!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OD Travel + Photos

July 10, 2015: Norma in Siracusa

2015-07-10 Norma (Bellini), Siracusa Teatro Greco

Norma = Chiara Taigi
Adalgisa = Adriana Damato
Clotilde = Anna Consolaro
Pollione = Piero Giuliacci
Flavio = Giuseppe di Stefano
Oroveso = Jose Antonio Garcia

Jacopo Sipari di Pescasseroli, conductor
Orchestra Sinfonica Bellini Opera Festival
Coro Lirico Siciliano (Francesco Costa)

Regia & Scene = Enrico Castiglione

Costumi = Sonia Cammarata

A wonderful location, a wonderful production. E la grande simplicita!

To compare this Norma to the Norma of Bayerische Staatsoper Munich would be unfair. They are so different. Here we had the Norma of Chiara Taigi who clearly do love her children. That is the biggest difference so we have much more sympathy for this Norma. Chiara Taigi has a different approach in singing and acting this role than Sondra Radvanovsky. Both are great. Adriana Damato is still in my opinion very much a soprano even as her voice has always been dark and she is able to sing the mezzo part of Adalgisa very well. Of course both roles, Norma and Adalgisa, lays in between soprano/mezzo territory, so all is good. As usual Pollione is often sung by a tenor with more strength than belcanto. Here we have the Pollione of Piero Giuliacci and he can belt it out and in the end he still soars especially in the ending of the opera. As Flavio we have a well known name but it is not the Giuseppe Di Stefano, this is a young Italian tenor (http://www.reggiotv.it/notizie/cultura/25699/lirica-giuseppe-stefano-trionfa-al-concorso-spoleto). Anna Consolaro as Clotilde. Finally we have Jose Antonio Garcia as Oroveso. Bravi tutti!

And the evening ended with everybody singing Happy Birthday (in Italian) to Chiara Taigi!!!
Happy Birthday, Chiara Taigi!! Tanti auguri!!

OD Travel & Photos
Original blog post

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com