By Natalia Di Bartolo – Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizettian dream, cross and delight for every soprano, masterpiece from masterpiece by Walter Scott; in short: a relic. And as such the relics must be treated.
At Teatro alla Scala in Milan, on April 14, 2023, the masterpiece of Gaetano Donizetti it went on stage amid everyone's wait, postponed as it had been for the pandemic. Everyone, therefore, with bated breath listening and watching the staging of the first version, that of 1835, chosen by the Maestro Concertatore and Orchestra Conductor Riccardo Chailly.
Master Chailly non ha compiuto una scelta facile, nel senso che molti melomani disinformati si sono visti orbati, nella scena della pazzia, della cosiddetta “flute cadence”, as it is handed down to us, from the brilliant whim of the Australian soprano Nellie Melba who in 1889, at the Palais Garnier, interpreted "his version" of Donizetti's scene, after ten days of rehearsals to perfect it, obtaining a resounding success: la sua versione, già nel 1893, era ormai “canonized”. Con la Melba, Lucia passa dalla crazy for love from the early nineteenth century tohysterical of the end of the century, on the imprint of the writings on hysteria that were proliferating in that period.
But, neglecting to delve into the interesting psychiatric topic, which potentially influences both musical and stage performance, let us go back to the version performed under the direction of M° Chailly, with a’Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala nothing short of amazing, who followed and indulged him with elegance and measure.
The agogic choice of Chailly it was that of the pressing of the times. Not so much by altering its duration, as by enhancing its romantic value and therefore no longer fin de siècle à la Melba, but precisely according to the contemporary canons of writing, capturing the aforementioned psychological fact, but perhaps enhancing its lyricism more than its heroism or tragedy. The conducting, therefore, was impeccable and, obviously, Director Chailly's baton can only be praised: chisel in the dynamics, support for the Coro, which has an important value in the Opera, support for the performers, great cohesion, as mentioned, in the orchestra.
And here, therefore, is the time to land on the scene, with a cast that has made noise while waiting to be listened to: the wait to listen Lisette Oropesa as Lucia and perhaps, above all, Juan Diego Florez in the part of Edgardo, al di fuor del suo cliché rossiniano o comunque generalmente scevro dal “tragic romantic”.
Lisette Oropesa she gave her best, both vocally and scenically, but that didn't mean she proved to be a fully credible Lucia. Musically absolutely correct and attentive to the spasm of winds and pauses, to the modifications of cadenzas and libretto, to the accompaniment with the glassharmonica, the American soprano does not, however, enjoy a particular expressive capacity for identification. The profoundly tragic sense of the character has been lost, despite the efforts also acting by the protagonist, precisely due to the nature of her voice, which has also appeared to become thinner compared to her parameters, and her little character “flammable”. Not even the choice of the director who brought her back from the office helped her’hysteria the crazy for love, nor did they enhance her hairstyle and 1940s costumes (we will come back to the subject).
In contrast, by his side John Diego Florence, Edgar, come sempre, invece, tutto cuore e amore, ha dispiegato una voce corposa, sorretta da un afflato romantico “new” for him, that it suits him and that maybe he showed himself as some kind of “ransom” rispetto all’età che avanza ed alla vocalità che cambia. Ma cambia senza danni, nonostante qualcuno voglia trovare il solito pelo nell’uovo e decretarne qualche defaillance; tanto che, nonostante anch’egli non fosse aiutato dai costumi e men che meno dal regista, ha cercato di esplorare il lato romantico e tragico del personaggio, rendendolo forse il più credibile in scena o, comunque, il più immedesimato e, vocalmente, decisamente il migliore.
Without infamy and without praise, the baritone Boris Pinkhasovich ha sostenuto con professionalità il ruolo del fratello Enrico, dotato di una voce che non ha nulla di particolarmente interessante né gradevole, mantenendo anche una cura spasmodica, forse eccessiva, della copertura del suono a favore della proiezione. Dato a suo favore, comunque, è stata l’interpretazione contenuta, che non tracimava nella crudeltà del fratello carnefice, così come spesso accade.
Our Michele Pertusi, as Raimondo, accustomed to all the bass roles that the now (alas) old generation of great basses (to which he too, after all, belongs) no longer practices as soon as they leave the scene, for vocal quality and experience, obviously, he has received deserved success.
Pleasant and very correct the supporting actors: Leonardo Cortellazzi, Arthur; Valentina Pluzhnikova, Alice and Giorgio Misseri, Norman. Of the Chorus, directed by Alberto Malazzi, it was already said well.
And here we return to florez: it made me want to listen to him with my eyes closed, because, we don't know why, it seems that the costume designers always dress him in the same way for any role: with a dark coat with squeezed shoulders and a martingale; and, at most, change shirt or T-shirt under the main garment. A sort of unpleasant icon, not so much the fault of poor Flórez, but, also in this case, due to the scarce imagination of Yannis Kokkos, to which direction and scenes were also due.
The Kokkos ha istituito una specie di statica postura per tutti gli interpreti e soprattutto per le masse. Ha lasciato Flórez, per primo, a se stesso ed il tenore, che non possiede particolari doti espressive nella recitazione, ha fatto davvero miracoli. La Oropesa, a maggior ragione, per la sua natura, avrebbe avuto bisogno di maggiore guida a favore di credibilità, anch’ella coi vestitini anni ’40, scelti dal regista quale periodo di ambientazione, che vestivano tutti e che si fondevano nella loro foggia fuori luogo ad una scenografia bieca, cimiteriale aliena, altrettanto fuori luogo. Fucili e pistole alla mano, gli interpreti: banditi dalla scena spade e pugnali…But then Edgardo, in a sudden directorial inspiration of adherence to the libretto, is forced to commit suicide not with a dagger, but with a squalid switchblade, which he keeps in the pocket of his coat and which he must first open: found unworthy even of the most blatant direction of Cavalleria Rusticana.
Il tutto partorito dalla mente del regista, che, a suo dire, svecchiando la questione “historic” dell’Opera (che invece è importante, anche ai fini registici: si parla di storia scozzese con molta chiarezza nel libretto!) ha inteso sottolineare l’ormai inflazionata, sia pur motivata, esaltazione della condanna della “violence against women”. Nothing new under the sun, indeed, under the gloss that reflected in the scenes adorned with huge symbolic statues and in the floor, opening up to the’ inevitable stairway in the background, with the lights by Vinicio Cheli, in una atmosfera grigia, cupa ed irreale.
Great success with the public, as expected, with expression, majority and unveiled, of dissent for the director, with good reason.
Natalia Dantas ©
Photos Brescia and Amisano