COSÌ FAN TUTTE, Royal Opera House, Julho / July 202

(review in English below)

Foi com grande gosto que revi a produção da Royal Opera House de Londres da ópera Così fan Tutte de Mozart.

A encenação de Jan Philipp Gloger é muito agradável, mistura épocas e recorre ao espectáculo dentro do espectáculo.

Logo durante a abertura aparecem os cantores, vestidos à época, a agradecer os aplausos do público, fazendo os gestos habituais da ocasião. Depois percebemos que estes não são os solistas, os dois casais aparecem na plateia e são espectadores da Royal Opera. Os quadros sucessivos são muito variados, misturando épocas: um bar actual, uma estação de comboios de meados do século passado, o jardim do Éden com maçãs, dinheiro e a serpente, um teatro barroco e o final com um painel gigante onde está iluminado Cosi Fan Tutte(i). É uma encenação vistosa, alegre e muito diversificada. 

O maestro Richard Hetherington (em substituição de Julia Jones) foi óptimo e a orquestra esteve em grande nível.

Os cantores solistas foram todos excelentes. Os dois pares de noivos eram jovens, o que deu grande credibilidade à interpretação cénica. O baixo-barítono alemão Gordon Bintner foi um Guglielmo de voz bonita, firme e potente. Presença sempre muito ágil e insinuante, muito favorecido pela sua figura.

O tenor russo Bogdan Volkov fez um Ferrando muito lírico embora tenha sido o cantor que menos me impressionou, apesar de muito bom.

Jennifer Davis, soprano irlandesa, é um colosso a cantar! Voz enorme, ágil e afinada. Excelente na emotividade da aria Per pietà, ben mio, perdona, foi fabulosa em toda a récita.

A mezzo franco-canadiana Julie Boulianne foi uma Dorabella de voz bonita que esteve sempre bem e afinada ao longo de toda a récita. Em cena, uma interpretação muito boa.

O veterano barítono italiano Lucio Gallo foi um Don Alfonso muito bem adaptado à personagem e cantou sempre ao mais alto nível

A soprano italiana Serena Gamberoni foi talvez a melhor Despina que vi e ouvi. Excelente movimentação em palco, muito enérgica e a interpretação vocal também de uma qualidade elevada. 

Um excelente espectáculo!

*****

COSI FAN TUTTE, Royal Opera House, July 2022

It was with great pleasure that I reviewed the production at the Royal Opera House in London of Mozart's opera Così fan Tutte.

Jan Philipp Gloger's staging is very pleasant, mixing different time periods and picturing the performance in the performance within the show. During the overture, the singers appear, dressed in 18th century clothes, thanking the audience for the applause, making the gestures they usually do on this occasion. Later we realize that these are not the soloists, the two couples appear in the audience and are members of the public of the Royal Opera. The successive parts are very varied, mixing periods: a modern bar, a train station from the middle of the last century, the garden of Eden with apples, money and the snake, a baroque theater, and the end with a giant panel where Cosi Fan Tutte(i) is lit. It's a showy, cheerful and very diverse staging.

Conductor Richard Hetherington (replacing Julia Jones) was great and the orchestra was at a high level.

The soloist singers were all excellent. The two pairs of bride and groom were young, which gave great credibility to the scenic interpretation. German bass baritone Gordon Bintner was a Guglielmo with a beautiful, firm and powerful voice. His presence was always very agile and insinuating, much favored by his figure.

Russian tenor Bogdan Volkov was a very lyrical and beautiful-voiced Ferrando, although he was the singer who least impressed me, despite being very good.

Jennifer Davis, Irish soprano, is a singing colossus! Huge voice, beautiful, agile and in tune. Excellent in the emotionality of the aria Per pietà, ben mio, perdona, she was fabulous throughout the performance.

French-Canadian mezzo Julie Boulianne was a Dorabella with a beautiful voice that was always well and in tune throughout the entire opera. On stage, a very good performance.

Veteran Italian baritone Lucio Gallo was a Don Alfonso very well adapted to the character and always sang at the highest level.

Italian soprano Serena Gamberoni was perhaps the best Despina I have seen and heard. Excellent movement on stage, very energetic and the vocal interpretation was also of a high quality.

An excellent performance!

*****

Resultados de traduçãCOSI FAN TUTTE, Royal Opera House, July / July 2022 It was with great pleasure that I reviewed the production at the Royal Opera House in London of Mozart's opera Così fan Tutte. Jan Philipp Gloger's staging is very pleasant, mixing seasons and using the show within the show. Right during the opening, the singers appear, dressed at the time, thanking the audience for the applause, making the gestures they usually do on this occasion. Later we realize that these are not the soloists, the two couples appear in the audience and are spectators of the Royal Opera. The successive paintings are very varied, mixing periods, a current bar, a train station from the middle of the last century, a modern bar, the garden of Eden with apples, money and the snake, a baroque theater and the end with a giant panel where Cosi Fan Tutte(i) is lit. It's a showy, cheerful and very diverse staging, but a little confusing. Conductor Richard Hetherington (replacing Julia Jones) was great and the orchestra was at a high level. The solo singers were all excellent. The two pairs of bride and groom were young, which gave great credibility to the scenic interpretation. German bass baritone Gordon Bintner was a Guglielmo with a beautiful, firm and powerful voice. His presence was always very agile and insinuating, much favored by his figure. Russian tenor Bogdan Volkov made a very lyrical and beautiful-voiced Ferrando, although he was the singer who least impressed me, despite being very good. Jennifer Davis, Irish soprano, is a singing colossus! Huge voice, beautiful, agile and in tune. Excellent in the emotionality of the aria Per pietà, ben mio, perdona, she was fabulous throughout the performance. The French-Canadian mezzo Julie Boulianne was a Dorabella with a beautiful voice that was always well and in tune throughout the entire performance. On stage, a very good performance. Veteran Italian baritone Lucio Gallo was a Don Alfonso very well adapted to the character and always sang at the highest level. Italian soprano Serena Gamberoni was perhaps the best Despina I have seen and heard. Excellent movement on stage, very energetic and the vocal interpretation is also of a high quality. An excellent show! *****

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE, METropolitan Opera, New York, Maio / May 2018

 (review in English below)

Roméo et Juliette de Charles Gounod é uma ópera (com prólogo e cinco actos) com libretto de Jules Barbier e Michael Carré, baseada na obra homónima de William Shakespeare. A história pode ler-se aqui.

A encenação de Bartlett Sher é sóbria e clássica, mas não traz nada de novo. O cenário mantém-se ao longo de toda a ópera, mas funciona.

Placido Domingo foi banal na direcção da orquestra. Não houve emoção e em várias partes parecia que se limitava a marcar o compasso. Um excelente tenor não é necessariamente um bom maestro.

Roméo foi interpretado pelo tenor Norte Americano Charles Castronovo. Foi muito bom, muito ágil em cena e a voz esteve sempre segura e bem audível. Tem um timbre bonito e no final foi muito credível.

A soprano Norte Americana Ailyn Peréz foi a Juliette. Começou com alguma estridência mas melhorou muito e foi também outra boa cantora. A voz é muito grande, perde ligeiramente a qualidade nas notas mais agudas, mas cumpre neste papel, embora considere que não é o mais adequado para ela.

Dos restantes cantores destacaram-se o baixo Sul Coreano Kwanchoul Youn que fez um Padre Laurent excepcional, a mezzo francesa Karine Deshayes que foi um Stéphano irrepreensível, o barítono francês Laurent Naouri muito bem como Capulet, o baritono canadiano Joshua Hopkins óptimo como Mercutio, a mezzo americana Maria Zifchak como Gertrude e o tenor ucraniano Bogdan Volkov como Tybald não destoaram.

Um espectáculo muito bom, pena a direcção musical não ter acompanhado em qualidade tudo o resto.

****

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE, METropolitan Opera, New York, May 2018

Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod is an opera (with prologue and five acts) with libretto by Jules Barbier and Michael Carré, based on the work of the same name by William Shakespeare. The story can be read here.

The staging of Bartlett Sher is sober and classic, but brings nothing new. The settings remain throughout the opera, but it works.

Placido Domingo was banal in the direction of the orchestra. There was no emotion, and in several places it seemed to be limited to the bars. An excellent tenor is not necessarily a good maestro.

Roméo was played by the North American tenor Charles Castronovo. He was very good, very agile on stage and the voice was always there and well audible. He has a beautiful timbre and in the end he was very credible.

American soprano Ailyn Peréz was Juliette. She started with some stridency but she improved a lot and was also another top singer. The voice is big, slightly loses the quality in the top notes, but is an excellent singer for this role.

Of the remaining singers stood out South Korean bass Kwanchoul Youn who was an exceptional Priest Laurent, French mezzo Karine Deshayes who was an impeccable Stéphano, French baritone Laurent Naouri was well as Capulet, Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins terrific as Mercutio, American mezzo Maria Zifchak as Gertrude and Ukrainian tenor Bogdan Volkov as Tybald were also correct.

A very good performance, despite the musical direction not having accompanied everything else in quality.

****