Fun dramas for Joachino Rosini Cinderella The performance is enticed not only by the Italian composer’s mastery of revealing vivid characters and activities in music, but also by the fact that on the stage of the Latvian National Opera (LNO) Cinderella the production was made for the first time. Already watching the publicity video posted on the theatre’s website, in which the live tandem of the live overture music is performed on the stage Beard & Doucet (Andre Barbs and Reno Dusse) in the direction, scenography, costumes and mise – en – scenes of Rosini ‘s opera characters, it becomes clear that you will not be bored. It is, too.
The premiere on November 28 was attended by a cheerful, witty show full of color, movement, humor and optimism, which made forgetting the depressing and tiring reality of a pandemic life and uncertain future, at least for this evening.
Burlesque show
At the request of the composer, the author of the opera’s libretto Jacob Ferrett’s fairy tales of Charles Pero Cinderella the storyline was transformed by casting aside the spells and focusing on the very real characters and their relationships. In place of the evil stepmother in the opera’s plot is a stepfather, the bloated Baron Don Manifiko, and in place of the right aunt’s fairy is the prince’s home teacher and counselor Alidoro. A new character has also been introduced – the prince’s servant Dandini, who has to pretend to be a prince while he gets to know the potential wife’s offer. But Cinderella (Angelina) and the prince (dons Ramiro), as well as Cinderella’s nasty sisters Chlorinda and Tizbe are where they were.
The creators of the production, Andre Barbs and Reno Dusse, tell the characters of the story to work in America in the 1930s, but this does not break the essence of the particular opera. It is not at all disturbing that Don Manifiko is not a dusty baron in this interpretation, but a lucrative burlesque show. The Button Club owner, while the prince has just inherited the once famous, luxuriously revived auditorium of the Great Depression King’s Follies. In order to manage it, he must first get married – not for love’s sake, but to improve the debutability of a theatrical theater. And why not, if the designation given by the author of the opera itself allows it: playful drama – Fun drama. For adults. In it, as in the comic buffa in the opera genre, exaggerations (also in costumes with gigantic buttons), jokes, dressing up, bright characters and unexpected, surprising situations fit.
Pace and movement
At first glance, it seems difficult to trace the moving, rapidly changing mise-en-scenes and the flickering variegation on the stage, but this is in line with the tempo and charming lightness dictated by Rossini’s music. The fastest pace poses the most difficult tasks for the singers, as all vocal parts are complex, with especially virtuoso, sparkling coloratura, intense quick speech stages and a wide range of jumps. In the vocal parts of his opera heroes, Rossini has sprinkled coloratures like a horn of plenty and the best nice singing style traditions. They are composed not only in the arias, but also in many ensembles of this masterpiece – from duets to the seventh and choir.
The success of the production required not only great, role-playing soloists with sophisticated vocal technique, physical endurance and attractive acting, but also a perfect ensemble as an overall quality. And, of course, the composer has not forgotten to torture the orchestra, which under the direction of Andris Veismans played lightly, expressively, musically imaginatively, transparently, but also unusually quiet – so that the voices of the soloists would not be suppressed. It should be reminded here that the musical director of the production, Peter Halass, could no longer take part in the premiere, which had been postponed for the third time due to the pandemic.
An unbeatable benchmark
The victory of kindness and forgiveness. Such is the opera Cinderella final reading morale. But no less important is the message highlighted during the opera that our roles and state in life can change as fast as they do in theater. If Rossini and his librettist were Latvians, they would probably tell us in their opera: don’t do to others what they don’t like. In the beginning, Cinderella must suffer contempt and transgression, and there is nothing left but to sing the sad canon while dreaming in silence. Once there was a king for a king who chooses not outwardly luxurious and beautiful, but virtuous and benevolent, but in the finals she triumphs with a dazzling virtuoso aria No more sad, sung brightly by the guest dedicated to the title – Hungarian mezzo – soprano Dorotea Langa – with great colors in the upper register. Although she has played the role of Angelina only once before (at the Hamburg Opera in 2016), it has naturally resonated in her voice, which does not lose its warmth in the name of a demonstration of vocal technique. The singer fits very precisely into the mise-en-scène and vocal ensembles of the production.
I would add that I would not surpass the modern standard of the interpretation of this aria and the image of Angelina twelve years ago in Elīna Garanča, conducted by Mauricio Benini. Cinderella in the performance at the New York Metropolitan Opera (2009). However, Elīna Garanča did not hide that it was a big challenge for her, the highest degree of adrenaline. Before that, in 2004, she Cinderella also sang in Riga for a concert study with Karel Mark Chichon at the conductor of the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, and here it should be remembered that Krišjānis Norvelis was already a member of the performers at that time – also today Don Manikiko, who, enthusiastically and technically buffa bass crown number Be any of the daughters, experienced its golden hour at its premiere on November 28th. It is also time for Inga Šļubovska-Kancēviča, who will soon be seen on the stage of the National Opera, to refresh the role of Chlorinda, who once sang in a concert study.
Sparkling joy
Prince Ramiro, the main stage partner of Cinderella – the Colombian opera artist Pablo Martiness – will be remembered with a pleasant voice of a lyrical tenor and a truly southern temperament, which was useful both for loving A suave I don’t know what when he first encountered Angelina in the aria of the 2nd act Yes, find it again I swear), and in the final of the show, hot – blooded anger at his beloved nasty sisters and stepfather.
It is so common to single out a couple of lovers, but in terms of artistic contribution and challenging vocal complexity, everyone is really central to this score and story. Finally, the owners of the low voice of our opera troupe can finally perform buffa dexterity and acting, and they do. Both vocally and theatrically, artistic bass Kalvis Kalniņš is seduced by the cunning fake prince Dandīni (especially brilliantly in the rapidly changing nature of music).
His experienced colleague Rihards Mačanovskis is not lagging behind in virtuosity, who with obvious joy and excitement joins the game and is able to join the quintet ensemble even from the farthest corner of the stage. Don Manifiko’s daughters Chlorinda and Tizbe in the portrayal of Julia Vasilyeva and Laura Grecca are truly comical, and they are also overwhelmingly different in their conceit and vanity. In addition, they also have to keep up with the bass in their quick speeches and virtuoso strokes. Perhaps everything is so sparkling, easy and safe precisely because the postponement of the premiere scheduled for May gave time and time again to incorporate the complex material into voice and memory?
Returning to the lovers, it will be interesting to compare when it will be time for Prince Ramiro to sing to the tenor Mikhail Chulpayev. In turn, in the title role, only guest performers will have to be compared for some time, because the LNO troupe unfortunately does not have high mezzo-sopranoes corresponding to this vocal party yet.
Cinderella
LNO 3., 10.XII, 26., 28.I, 2., 18.II plkst. 19
Tickets Ticket paradises EUR 7-40 in the network
–
