by William Fratti – The Jewess by Fromental Halévy wins the Turin challenge. Four abundant hours of music.
September 26, 2023. Monumental work, absolutely perfect for the opening of the season, a title that is little represented and almost absent from the great repertoire, The Jewess by Fromental Halévy wins the Turin challenge. Four abundant hours of intense music with a very attentive, very silent and riveted audience.
The spectacle of the extraordinary Stefano Poda, still in its style and decidedly similar to the recent one Eduardo and Cristina, is of a precision that leaves you speechless, with every comma in its place, scrupulously adhering to the text, the music and the emotion that shines through.
Equally commendable is the direction of Daniel Oren, heartfelt and exciting, not only for the accent in which he usually dominates, but above all for the taste and style, without neglecting the beautiful dialogue with the stage. The talented Orchestra of the Teatro Regio follows him with precise and refined sounds.
Protagonist is Mariangela Sicily as Rachel, who is certainly not a soprano Falcon, but he knows how to bend the role to his own vocality, obtaining an excellent result. The singing and phrasing are accurate, the character well delineated.
The Éléazar by is exciting Gregory Kunde, who was able to make his own a truly complex part, especially in character. He confidently dominates the great scenes of the second and fourth acts - the roar that erupted from the audience at the end of "Rachel, quand du Seigneur" was well deserved - but it is in the recitatives in which he knows how to bring out all the facets of a complicated man who is perhaps inconsistent with himself same.
Very, very good Daniela Cappiello in the role of Eudoxie, luminous in her vocality and delicate in her interpretation.
Leopold's is excellent John Hotea, brilliant and elegant, light at the right point in perfect union with the other vocals on stage, he knows how to elevate the role to the level of a true protagonist.
He is always refined Riccardo Zanellato, who here knows how to be particularly engaging and divide himself into a Cardinal Brogni who is at times authoritarian, at times defenseless due to his own feelings.
Very good also for the tyrannical Ruggiero di Gordon Bintner, with a beautiful dark voice.
The Chorus of the Teatro Regio of Turin was excellent, prepared by Ulysses Trabacchin, as well as the rest of the soloists, starting with Albert di Daniele Terenzi.
Great evening, great show that we hope to see again soon on other stages.
William Fratti
THE JEW
Opera in five acts
Booklet of Eugene Scribe
Music by Fromental Halévy
Rachel Mariangela Sicily
Eleazar Gregory Kunde
Eudoxie Martina Russomanno (21), Daniela Cappiello (26)
Leopold John Hotea
Cardinal Brogni Riccardo Zanellato
Ruggiero Gordon Bintner
Albert Daniele Terenzi
The Emperor's Herald and An Executioner Rocco Lia*
An officer of the emperor Leopoldo Lo Sciuto
A man of the people Lorenzo Battagion
Another man of the people Roberto Calamo
*Artist of the Regio Ensemble
Orchestra and Choir Teatro Regio Torino
Director Daniel Oren
Maestro del coro Ulysses Trabacchin
Direction, choreography, sets, costumes and lights Stefano Poda
Collaborating director Paolo Giani Cei
Exhibition director Antonio Stallone
New staging of Teatro Regio Torino
Photo in Andrea Macchia courtesy of the Teatro Regio