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Verdi,  Un Ballo in Maschera: Soloists, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine. Chorus of Opéra National Bordeaux, Conductor Paolo Olmi. Grand-Théâtre de Bordeaux. 25.1.2008 (JMI)

New Production

Director: Carlos Wagner.
Sets: Rifail Ajdarpasic.
Costumes: Hervé Poeydomenge.
Lighting: Christophe Pitoiset.

Cast:
Riccardo: Julian Gavin.
Amelia: Hui He
Renato: James Westman.
Ulrica: Elena Manistina.
Oscar: Daphné Touchais.


Verdi is back in Bordeaux after last year's Rigoletto. This time he returns with another popular work, although not one quite so regularly performed in most places. In fact Un Ballo in Maschera appears fairly seldom  in the bigger opera houses, probably because it's difficult to cast.

Opéra National de Bordeaux has commissioned a new production by Venezuelan Director Carlos Wagner, who changes the action to modern times in a Central American Republic. Such transpositions are always risky, but they are more and more frequent in the opera world, since no modern Director is solely interested in following up the indications of the librettist. Sometimes transposition of Un Ballo does work, as happened with Claus Guth in Frankfurt, presenting Riccardo as a candidate looking for re-election. In the Bordeaux case however, things do not work so well, although I must acknowledge the highly detailed stage work that Mr. Wagner carries out. The opera starts with some interest with the Chorus mourning the corpse of the murdered Riccardo, which usually only happens at the opera's end. The situation changes with Oscar's  words “S’avanza il Conte” beginning the real plot. In this production there's little call  for any kind of luxury, as the chosen setting  is really poor, so that the sets consist for the most part of a section of a prefabricated hut.

There was very careful direction of Ulrica’s scene -  she appears as a kind of sorcerer related to Santeria here -   and “L’Orrido Campo” is presented as a thick jungle, where the execution of the prisoners takes place, showing them naked with black hoods on their heads. The act set in Renato’s home offered little novelty, except for changing  the urn to a cigar box and I wondered how Mr. Wagner would solve the Masked Ball which is in Oscar's words “Splendidissimo”. The whole thing turned out to be a real disappointment and only lively color on stage was Oscar’s curly red wig, imitating the Marx Brother. In short, once pasy the first half, the production lost interest, despite the best efforts of those responsible for it.

Paolo Olmi's musical direction of was rather bland too without much interest, tension or, most importantly, passion. The Orchestra played well for him however, if rather too loudly for too much of the time.

Riccardo was Australian tenor Julian Gavin, who has appeared in Bordeaux several times before. His voice is bright and has enough weight but his biggest problem is lack of musicality and elegance of singing, qualities so much required in this role. He also had frequent pitch problems, particularly in the acts opening and closing the opera.  The Chinese soprano Hui He was Amelia whose voice is perfectly suited to the needs of the character. Sadly, as seems usual with her, her lack of expressiveness produced rather a flat interpretation however. She passes as  Amelia quite nicely, but never really lives her character's tragedy.

American baritone James Westman was a too light a Renato.  He is a good singer, reminiscent of Sherrill Milnes, although much lighter and is simply not enough strong enough for  the role which needs a true Verdi baritone. The Russian mezzosoprano Elena Manistina was a good Ulrica, sonorous and rich, although her low notes feel artificial somehow, probably because she is more a mezzo than the contralto that Verdi asked for.

The most accomplished interpretation of the evening came from young Daphné Touchais as Oscar, much helped by the stage director, who makes Oscar almost the main character in the work, sometimes as a simple lively lad, but at other moments singing while playing at being Groucho or Harpo Marx. Touchais produced a light and attractive soprano and was a wonderful actress.

There was a full house and the greatest applause went to  Daphné Touchais and Elena Manistina.

José M. Irurzun


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