Personnel success of Carlo Colombara in the Eymeus in Modena
Review by Natalia Dantas © dibartolocritic
Attila by Giuseppe Verdi it is an work often considered "minor", not very represented and a bit’ neglected. The Peppinian Melomaniacs wonder why, critics and historians provide the most varied answers. Obviously I asked myself it too, which I am a Peppinian melomaniac in all respects.
Listening to the work a Modena, staged at Pavarotti Municipal Theater the 2 on 5 and 7 February 2017, I gave myself a personal answer: because there have been really great Attila and there are few.
The part of Attila contains moments of virtuosity for a protagonist who has the vocality of the bass; Moments that demand the absolute mastery of the stage, not only of their own voice.
A Modena Attila was Carlo Colombara. I had already heard, reviewed and interviewed him in Catania for the same work, in December 2014, and I found it absolutely great also in the Emilian city. The brownish voice, the precision of the execution, the admirable phrasing, the clarity of the diction, the power and the correctness of the issue make, in my opinion and beyond, to Carlo Colombara the best Attila on today's scenes.
Furthermore, physicality counts, in this work and at Colombara, Thirty years of career to celebrate this year, there is no lack of scenic presence and the royal bearing, which applies to its characters, who, by force of things, are often found to be kings or emperors, such as his beloved Filippo II by Don Carlo and his Zar Boris Godunov, lately debut in Varna with great success.
Returning to the staging Modenese, it is a must to review the other voices and therefore we come to a specific point in which the Peppinian melomaniac imposed by listening to the Attila: The baritone Ezio and his detached; He awaits them at the gate even more than those of Attila himself. And if Ezio does not perform them, the melomaniac comes out very badly: it is a question of principle (and also to have the historical execution of the Ramey-Zancanaro-Muti alla Scala in the ears, 1991, which as a term of comparison would make anyone tremble with the knees to anyone ).
The baritone on stage must be a giant too, like Attila. Apart from the air and cabaletta that Verdi seized him, Ezio has to do with a barbarian king, to whom the author has entrusted a vocally very incisive and powerful part and the baritone is almost forced to compete with the bass or risks being covered and annihilated.
Coming on a great Attila a worthy baritone voice is an obligation. And in Modena The baritone Vladimir Stoyanov He gave the best. Aside from the issue and projection of both, as regards their own detached and in the above duet, the Stoyanov had the correctness of performing them all. So praise also to him too. Not easy, then, to keep up with Carlo Colombara, who, in turn, does not perform their detached ones, the chisel!
So the Melomane Peppiniana in Modena was very satisfied: The Attila-Ezio duet It worked like a clock. The detached were all there, the power and amalgam of the two voices equally.
The Odabella by Svetlana KasyanInstead, it was still unripe, in this part, it needed greater precision in agility, of a more accurate phrasing, of greater care in the passages, of a overall vocal development of the character, despite the beautiful scenic presence.
Foresto, Sergio Escobar, in turn, a potentially very valid voice, suffered from some support problems and beyond, despite the imposing physicality.
Correct the other interpreters and the coro, directed by Stefano Colò.
All under the wand of the M° Aldo Sisillo, driving the Italian Opera orchestra, who, sincerely, should have added a little’ proposed to one's own Verdian enthusiasm and above all to instill greater energy to the orchestrals. Times left a bit’ To themselves, with some deceleration, dynamics to deepen, but overall a good support for the big calibers on the stage, which faced, among other things, the full edition of the work, without cuts.
Pleasant Scene by Enrico Stinchelli, who perhaps took care of the "Roman" side than the "barbaric" one, but who obtained moments also enjoyable from a visual point of view, with his own lights and with the Pier Paolo Bisleri's scenes and costumes Dell’Preparation of the foundation of the "Giuseppe Verdi" Lyric Theater in Trieste, as well as using some suggestive projections.
From this production of the foundation of the Municipal Theater of Modena will be drawn a CD And the Peppinian melomaniac waits to listen to the work in registration…The famous detached, of course, first of all.
Natalia Dantas © dibartolocritic
Photos © Teatro Comunale di Modena, AA.VV.