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Verdi, Aida:  Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma. Coro de Ópera de Bilbao. Conductor: Donato Renzetti, Palacio Euskalduna de Bilbao. 24.11 07 (JMI)

Production from Teatro Regio di Parma.

Director: Joseph Franconi Lee.
Sets and Costumes: Mauro Carosi.
Lighting: Guido Levi.

Cast:
Aida: Angela Brown.
Radamés: Salvatore Licitra.
Amneris: Irina Mishura.
Amonasro: Mark Delavan.
Ramfis: Marco Spotti.
Il Re: Stanislav Shvets.
Sacerdotessa: Marta Ubieta.

This performance of Aida raised great expectations in Bilbao, which were fulfilled only partially. A stellar cast, a true Verdian conductor, a first rate orchestra and a spectacular production were present in Bilbao, but there was very little emotion in the performance which produced a rather cool reception for it.

Joseph Franconi Lee's production was premiered in Parma a couple of years ago and offers an outstanding set by Mauro Carosi, consisting of big columns, panels and allusive elements to old Egypt, all finished  in an attractive blue. The staging is beautiful and spectacular, very much in line with what the public wants to see in an Aida production, but with the serious inconvenience of needing three intermissions, which is almost unacceptable these days. Almost four hours in the theatre for an opera two and half hours long makes it hard for an audience to sustain interest. Carosi is also responsible for the rich and attractive costumes, very much related to the staging and the  lighting in general complements the production nicely. What the performance lacks however is stage direction, particularly for some of the singers, but also with a poor deployment  of extras (probably due to a shortage of rehearsal time, an endemic disease in Bilbao), and  a more than problematic use of the chorus, which makes its sound barely able to  reach the audience  properly.  This is  a very bright production let down by the direction.

Donato Renzetti is a conductor of recognized prestige who shines particularly in Verdi. In addition, he had the Orchestra of Teatro Regio di Parma, which he has conducted so many times and from a purely musical point of view this Aida easily reached the quality that might be expected from this conductor. Mr. Renzetti does not belong to the group of spectacular conductors in constant movement in the pit:  on the contrary, his professionalism depends on spare gesture. He obtained a great result from his orchestra but the chorus was not at its best, particularly the male section, which suffered from very poor placement on stage. This outstanding choir would do well to   be more self- critical, it's not normal for it to get two below par results in a row.

Aida was the American soprano Angela Brown, who came heralded by her success in the role at her Metropolitan debut some three years ago. The enthusiasm she raised is understandable, since her voice isn't what we would expect from a cover. She is an outstanding Aida, with some inequalities between registers as yet, but she has an ample and rich voice, very well suited to the part, and she is able to sing piano. Her biggest problem is that she does not project  emotion and thus the public do not fall at her feet. Both 'Ritorna Vincitor' and 'O, Patria mia' were outstanding, although her high C was rather problematic. All in all though, among today’s panorama of Verdisopranos, she is one the best choices.

Salvatore Licitra made a strange Radamés.  Whilst he has one of the most important spinto tenor voices around just now without  any doubt,   and his  voice has a width and brightness, not often heard in Radamés,  it seems to me that he has lost both squillo and  security in recent years: qualities conveyed both to the audience and to the rest of of the cast. 'Celeste Aida' is one of the most problematic arias that Verdi composed, difficult to sing and occurring at the moment immediately that the tenor comes on stage.  Licitra was very poor at it, particularly in finishing with a full throttle high B and not ppp, as written. This kind of tenor should find his best moment in the Nile Scene too, but again Mr Licitra was not particularly starry, showing some insecurity once again. To everyone's surprise he was much better in the last act, but that was too late in this very long evening. There's no question that Radamés is one of the most difficult roles in the Verdi repertoire - and has been  the cause of much suffering for some the most important tenors in history -  but I think that one is entitled to demand better from such a well known singer as Salvatore Licitra.

Irina Mishura sang Amneris and she left me with a serious doubt about  her suitability for  this repertoire. She has a good low register, whereas there are zones in the middle of her voice where she sounds like a lyric mezzo. She is nonetheless a good actress and her high range was also adequate, if not particularly bright. Her worse moment was the beginning of the second act and her best the Radamés trial scene.

American baritone Mark Delavan, who like Angela Brown came from the Metropolitan Aidas, was a very suitable Amonasro, although he lacks the sparkle of some Latin voices. He seems to me to be a very valid choice for this role  supporting role. Marco Spotti was a good Ramfis, sonorous and musical and  Stanislav Shvets sang nicely as Il Re. Marta Ubieta was an outstanding Sacerdotessa, while Andeka Gorrotxategi had problems as Il Mesaggiero.

There was a full theater  as usual in Bilbao, with a rather cool reaction from the audience. The biggest applause – with a few bravos -  went to both women, while Licitra had a more chilly response, with some more than a few whistles included.

José M. Irurzun

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