Verdi's I SNADIERI at the Teatro alla Scala – Review by William Fratti – After over forty years of absence, I masnadieri returns to the Milanese stage –
After over forty years of absence, I masnadieri returns to the stage of the Teatro alla Scala. A work unjustly considered minor, taken from the tragedy of the same name by Friedrich Schiller, it contains some of the most interesting pages of the experimental Verdi and above all brings with it a clear expression of the vocality and accent of the Swan of Busseto.
Michele Mariotti, universally recognized as one of the best conductors of the bel canto repertoire, is unable to fully repeat the magical feats performed in Attila or Il Trovatore, but appears a little mired in romantic and pathetic languor as happened with I due Foscari. The leaden and funereal tones of the first act and the first part of the second are painted in a rather flaccid way, failing to properly support the character of the characters, nor of the entire melodrama. It is only with the second ending, starting from Carlo's aria, the third ending, from Massimiliano's aria, and the fourth ending that demonstrates his true romantic knowledge, the one made up of passions, desperation and heroism, not the depressed and passive. It is in these wonderful pages that we find the excellent conductor who, leading the splendid Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala, gives strong vibrant emotions throughout the room.
The protagonist is Fabio Sartori who, despite starting out a little weak, later proves to be the excellent Verdi tenor ever, gifted with a polished vocality and ringing high notes, with excellent control of the wind instruments and a remarkable ability to balance the colours. The performance of “Di ladroni surroundato” is exemplary.
Lisette Oropesa is a very good Amalia who, in a very intelligent way and certainly thanks to a rather solid technique, solves the pitfalls of the role by bending it and adapting it totally to her own voice. The soprano therefore shows a splendid diamond-like luminosity, corroborated by refined threads, fine trills and precise agility, even with an emission that does not run and which she needs to be in the proscenium to be well projected.
Massimo Cavalletti is a good routine baritone, always correct, well-toned and brilliant, but he doesn't excite in this role. The character of Francesco is rather complex from a dramatic point of view, both in terms of accent and colours, but which Cavalletti only partially resolves. All in all it is a decent performance, but it lacks that Verdian tone that should emerge especially in the fourth act, not only in the dream scene, but also in the subsequent duet with Moser, where the tragic character essential to these pages is lacking. The same shortcomings can therefore be attributed to Alessandro Spina who, despite demonstrating his usual good abilities, here lacks the necessary authority and caliber.
Michele Pertusi is an excellent Massimiliano, especially with regards to the eloquence of phrasing and the use of words, measured and sipped with rather refined chromaticisms.
Good performances by Francesco Pittari's Arminio, Matteo Desole's Rolla and the Teatro alla Scala Chorus led by Bruno Casoni.
The weakest part of the play is David McVicar's rather banal performance, which fails to maintain his usual level of pompous radiance. Nothing to complain about the specific work on the movements and gestures of the characters. What only partially works is the overall performance, blamed on a fixed scenography - by Charles Edwards - which poorly divides up the individual actions and choreographic movements - by Jo Meredith - rather useless and sometimes silly as in the third act. The omnipresence of the author of the tragedy, completely useless to the development of the story, seems to want to fill a void of ideas. In line with the generic grayness are the eighteenth-century costumes by Brigitte Reiffenstuel and the lights by Adam Silverman.
William Fratti
PHOTOS Brescia and Amisano