Maria José Siri - Manon Lescaut em São Paulo

The Theatro Municipal São Paulo has invited one of the most acclaimed Puccini sopranos of our days to star in its new production of MANON LESCAUT, premiering on the 29th of August, 2015: the Uruguayan singer María José Siri.

(photo Tato Baeza)

Puccini occupies a special, very important place in the soprano’s heart, as well as in her career.  She has already performed numerous leading roles written by the composer – Mimì, Suor Angelica, Anna in “Le villi”, and Tosca – and made her role debut as Manon Lescaut at the Teatro Solis in Montevideo, Uruguay, in August 2014 to later revive it in a prestigious run at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Valencia in December 2014 under the musical direction of Plácido Domingo.

Puccini's Manon is one of María José Siri’s most beloved roles, and the soprano notes the character’s many-sidedness, as well as the versatility it requires of a singer.  The vocal challenges, according to the Uruguayan soprano, are very diverse: “after the very lyrical aria, ‘In quelle trine morbide’, and the brilliant ‘L’ora o Tirsi’, the vocal presence of the role changes in the third and fourth acts and becomes more dramatic, especially in the mesmerizing but heartrending aria ‘Sola, perduta, abbandonata’.

(photo Tato Baeza)

Ms Siri is “delighted to return to the Theatro Municipal after having sung Aida there in August 2013.” The soprano remarked during rehearsals that “It is a pleasure to sing with this orchestra and Maestro Neschling, who conducts this opera with great mastery”. The production, directed by Cesare Lievi, with sets by Juan Guillermo Nova, will offer costumes in the style of the 18th century, with the textiles and colours corresponding to Manon's different emotions in each act.  “I’m proud that such kind of productions are being done in South America!” exclaimed the soprano, continuing to say that “the audience will witness great beauty, excellent taste, be entertained, and above all be deeply moved.”

 (foto David Puig)

After her engagement as Manon Lescaut in São Paulo the star soprano will make her role debut as Elisabeth de Valois in the Paris version of “Don Carlos” at the ABAO Bilbao, debut at the New National Theatre Tokyo as Tosca (returning later in the season as Maddalena in “Andrea Chénier”), make her role debut as Odabella in “Attila”, and portray two more of her beloved Puccini heroines: Tosca at the Teatro Regio, Turin, and Suor Angelica at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.

PAGLIACI, Oper Leipzig, Maio de 2015 / May 2015

 

 (review in english below)

Pagliaci com música e libretto de Ruggero Leoncavallo, é uma obra do verismo italiano, em que a ficção se confunde com a realidade. Numa troupe de commedia dell’arte, Nedda, a jovem mulher de Canio, o palhaço, está apaixonada por Sílvio, um jovem camponês. Tonio, membro da troupe, é rejeitado por Nedda e denuncia-a ao marido Canio. No final e em plena representação da comédia, mata-os, terminando o espectáculo e a ópera e com a expressão “La commedia è finita”.

A encenação de Anthony Pilvachi é estática e desinteressante e os cenários são fracos.

O maestro Matthias Foremny ofereceu-nos uma boa direcção da obra.

O soprano sueco Marika Schönberg foi a melhor em palco, excelente como Nedda. A voz é potente e expressiva. A actuação cénica também foi de grande nível.

 O tenor norte americano  Raymond Very esteve também muito bem, tem uma voz poderosa, expressive ede timbre agradável. Cenicamente não foi um Canio tão dilacerado pela desconfiança e ciúme como seria desejável.

O Tonio do baritone norte americano Anooshah Golesorkhi esteve bem, sem deslumbrar.

O baritono alemão Jonathan Michie foi um Sílvio cenicamente desinteressante mas de voz ponderosa e expressiva.

Um espectáculo sofrível.

**

PAGLIACI, Leipzig Opera, May 2015

Pagliaci with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo, is a masterpiece of Italian verismo, where fiction is indistinguishable from reality. In a group of commedia dell'arte, Nedda, the young wife of Canio, the clown, is in love with Silvio, a young peasant. Tonio, a member of the group, is rejected by Nedda and denounces her to her husband Canio. At the end and during the performance of the comedy, he kills them, ending the show and the opera with the expression "La commedia è finita."

The staging of Anthony Pilvachi is static and uninteresting and the scenarios are poor.

Conductor Matthias Foremny offered us a good direction of the opera.

Swedish soprano Marika Schönberg was the best on stage, excellent as Nedda. The voice is powerful and expressive. The stage performance was also of great quality.

North American tenor Raymond Very was also very good, he has a powerful voice, expressive and with pleasant timbre. Scenically he was not a Canio so torn by distrust and jealousy as would be desirable.

The Tonio of the North American baritone Anooshah Golesorkhi was good, without dazzle.

German baritone Jonathan Michie was a scenically uninteresting Silvio but with powerful and expressive voice.

**

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST – Oper Leipzig, Maio / May 2015

(review in English below)

Na opera de Leipzig assisti à opera The Canterville Ghost, de Gordon Getty, baseado na obra homónima de Oscar Wilde.

A família Americana Otis quer comprar uma casa em Inglaterra mas é avisada de que está assombrada por um fantasma (Sir Simon) há 300 anos. Ao habitarem a casa, encontram várias vezes o fantasma que, humilhado com a ausência de medo dos habitants, recolhe ao seu quarto. Encontra-se com Virginia Otis, queixa-se do seu infortúnio e pede-lhe ajuda. Ela vai com ele para o cemitério e reaparece posteriormente. O fantasma sossega. Anos mais tarde Virginia e o marido recordam Sir Simon e ele pergunta-lhe o que se passou entre ela e o fantasma. Virginia responde que esse segredo ficará entre eles.

É uma peça musical desinteressante, que não pretend rever. A encenação, engraçada, foi do cipriota Anthony Pilavichi. No palco apareceu o cemitério no início e no fim e, durante o espectáculo (de um só acto, felizmente), vêem-se várias divisões da mansão em simultâneo e a escadaria central que dá acesso a todas elas.

O maestro foi  Matthias Foremny e os solistas eram todos norte-americanos: Virginia foi o soprano Jennifer Porto, Mrs. Otis o mezzo Jean Broekhuizen, Cecil Cheshire o tenor Timothy Oliver e o fantasma (Sir Simon) o baixo Matthew Treviño. Tiveram interpretações boas, destacando-se Jennifer Porto e, sobretudo, Matthew Treviño.

Uma opera apresentada na mesma récita de “Os Palhaços”. Infelizmente não foi a combinação habitual com a “Cavalleria Rusticana”.

*

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST - Oper Leipzig, May 2015

 At Leipzig Opera I attended the opera The Canterville Ghost, by Gordon Getty, based on the homonymous work of Oscar Wilde.

The American Otis family wants to buy a house in England but is told that the house is haunted by a ghost (Sir Simon) for 300 years. The family inhabits the house, is several times the hounted by the ghost that is humiliated by the absence of fear of the habitants. He retires to his room. The ghost meets Virginia Otis, complains of his misfortune and asks her for help. She goes with him to the cemetery and reappears later. The ghost is redeemed. Years later Virginia and her husband remember Sir Simon and he asks what happened between her and the ghost. Virginia responds that this secret will be kept to herself.

It is an uninteresting musical piece, which I do not pretend to see again. The staging by Anthony Pilavichi is nice. On the stage appeared the cemetery at the beginning and the end  of the opera and during the performance (of a single act, thankfully), we see several rooms of the mansion simultaneously, and the central staircase giving access to all of them.

The maestro was Matthias Foremny and the soloists were all Americans: Virginia was soprano Jennifer Port, Mrs. Otis mezzo Jean Broekhuizen, Cecil Cheshire tenor Timothy Oliver and the ghost (Sir Simon) bass Matthew Treviño. They had good performances, in particular Jennifer Port and, especially, Matthew Treviño.

An opera presented together with "Pagliaci". Unfortunately it was not the usual combination with "Cavalleria Rusticana".

*

L’ELISIR D’AMORE, Staatsoper Hamburg, Março /March de 2015

(review in English below) 

Assisti na opera de Hamburgo a uma récita de L’Elisir d’Amore de G Donizetti.

A encenação de Jean-Pierre Ponnelle é clássica e muito datada. O cenário é bonito mas não sofre qualquer alteração durante toda a récita. Apenas os cantores e a carruagem do Dr. Dulcamara se movimentam. Nada mais digno de nota.

A Orquestra Filarmónica e o Coro da Ópera de Hamburgo foram dirigidos pelo maestro Alessandro De Marchi e tiveram uma prestação muito agradável.

Os solistas eram todos cantores jovens e desconhecidos para mim. A Adina foi interpretada pela soprano norte americano Robin Johannsen. A voz é agradável, fresca mas relativamente pequena. Contudo, esteve bem na coloratura e cantou as notas mais agudas com qualidade, que manteve ao longo de toda a récita. Teve uma boa presença cénica.

O Nemorino do tenor sul coreano Jun-Sang Han foi de grande qualidade. Detentor de uma voz bonita e ágil, cantou com desenvoltura e esteve sempre bem. A figura ajudou muito a criação da personagem em palco.

Outra interpretação muito interessante foi a do barítono alemão Vicenzo Neri como Belcore. Outro cantor com voz agradável, bem audível e excelente presença cénica.

O baixo arménio Tigran Martirossian deu voz e corpo ao Dr. Dulcamara. Teve também um desempenho muito aceitável, apesar de ter uma voz pouco potente algo rígida.

Também muito agradável foi a presença de Anat Edri no pequeno papel de Giannetta.

Um Elixir agradável na ópera de Hamburgo

***

L'ELISIR D'AMORE, Staatsoper Hamburg, March 2015

I have seen in Hamburg a performance of L'Elisir d'Amore by G Donizetti.

The staging of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle is classic and very dated. The scenery is beautiful but remains unchanged throughout the performance. Only the singers and Dr. Dulcamara’s coach move. Nothing else was to notice.

The Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hamburg Opera House Chorus were correctly directed by Maestro Alessandro De Marchi.

The soloists were all young singers unknown to me. Adina was interpreted by North American soprano Robin Johannsen. The voice is pleasant, young but relatively small. However, she did well in the coloratura and sang the top notes with quality, which continued throughout the performance. She had a good stage presence.

South Korean tenor Jun-Sang Han was a fine Nemorino. He has a beautiful and agile voice, sang with ease and has always been well. His figure greatly helped the creation of the character on stage.

Another very interesting interpretation was by German baritone Vincenzo Neri as Belcore. He is another singer with a very pleasant voice, well heard throughout the performance, and great stage presence.

Armenian bass Tigran Martirossian was Dr. Dulcamara. He also had an acceptable performance, despite having a somehow rigid and not very powerful voice.

Also very nice was the presence of Anat Edri in the small role of Giannetta.

A nice Elixir in the Hamburg opera.

***