July 14, 2006: Cavalleria Rusticana in Verona

2006-07-14 Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni), Arena di Verona

Santuzza = Giovanna Casolla
Lola = Rossana Rinaldi
Turriddu = José Cura
Alfio = Carlos Almaguer
Lucia = Paola Fornasari

Lü Jia, conductor

Arena
14 July 2006 at 21.15





Principal Conductor Lü Jia
Director Gilbert Deflo
Scenographer William Orlandi
Costume Designer William Orlandi







Finally I was going to see Jose Cura as Turriddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, and he was wonderful. He sang the Siciliana high up on the steps. Unfortunately for me where I was sitting a saw only the column hiding him. He sang and walked very relaxed. He was the perfect Turriddu. Giovanna Casolla who sang Turandot last year with Jose Cura as Calaf was not so right as Santuzza. She really reminded me why I think this role should be sung by a mezzo soprano. But she did her best to be Santuzza but she was obviously only acting. Rossana Rinaldi was an attractive Lola, making it very obvious why Turriddu preferred her to Santuzza. Jose Cura played a man very much in love with Lola. Carlos Almaguer was an efficient Alfio, very dry voice though. PaolaFornasari was perfect as Lucia. Giovanna Casolla's Santuzza was always best in interaction with Turriddu and Lucia.

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May 28, 2012: Nabucco in Bilbao

2012-05-28 Nabucco (Verdi), Palacio Euskalduna (Bilbao)

Nabucco = Roberto Frontali
Ismaele = Alejandro Roy
Zaccaria = Carlo Colombara
Abigaille = Maria Guleghina
Fenena = Rosanna Rinaldi
High Priest of Belo = Silverio De la O
Abdallo = Eduardo Ituarte
Anna = Ana Otxoa

Massimo Zanetti, conductor
  Orquesta del Teatro Regio di Parma
Coro de Ópera de Bilbao

Director de escena - Daniele Abbado
Scenography - Luigi Perego
Light  design - Valerio Alfieri

It was the best Nabucco production with the best singers. Only one thing stood out for me as problematic and that was the golden hair of Zaccaria. Golden hair in the Middle East what was that about? Carlo Colombara has dark hair and could have been more authentic as Zaccaria without fake hair. This production of Nabucco was one that seemed to be about authenticity as history goes. Ismaele is clearly marked by his cloths as a Prince of Judea. Zaccaria is also similarly marked an important person. There is no doubt that Nabucco is an Assyrian King. All clearly marked except that one is never shown the chorus in Assyrian cloths. They are always dressed in Jewish cloths. This can be explained by the fact that Jerusalem is taken by Assyrians pretending to be Jews. But that is just true in the first act.

This is a beautiful production, intelligent and wants to be truthful to the libretto. Roberto Frontali, who I have seen as Stankar in the ROH Stiffelio production, was a truly fine Nabucco. Alejandro Joy was wonderful as Ismaele. Strong singing, wonderful acting. Rosanna Rinaldi was also great as Fenena. But the star was Maria Guleghina as Abigaille.

Abigaille can be boring since she is sometime acted as just a one-dimensional villain. Maria Guleghina shows all the different emotions that is Abigaille. She is weak sometimes. In this production one sees Abigaille hesitate in some crucial moment. How ambitious is she? She vacillate between power and love. Most of all she wants to be accepted as Nabucco's daughter and to be loved by Ismaele. Her feelings for her sister Fenena is also torn. Love and envy. So Nabucco changes into a believer of the God of Judea. As Abigaille loses her life she is also going to her redemption and I personally believe more in Abigaille change. Nabucco is just about his daughter Fenena.

I love Abigaille! And Maria Guleghina as Abigaille is just amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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