SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Handel, Semele: Soloists,  Orchestra La Scintilla, Chor der Oper Zürich, Conductor: William Christie, Opernhaus Zürich. 15.1.2009 (JMI)

Original coproduction from Vlaamse Opera, English National Opera and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence

Director: Robert Carsen
Sets and Costumes: Patrick Kinmoth
Lighting: Robert Carsen and Peter Van Praet

Cast:

Semele: Cecilia Bartoli
Jupiter: Charles Workman
Juno: Sara Fulgoni
Ino.: Liliana Niketeanu
Cadmus/Somnus: Anton Scharinger
Athamas: Thomas Michael Allen
Iris: Rebeca Olvera


Is Semele an opera or an oratorio? Discussions about this can be lengthy. According to Händel himself it is “Opera after the manner of an Oratorio”. It is clear that Semele has all the ingredients to be a true opera, despite having its premiere in concert form: and it is good to recall that financial crises are not new nor is it difficult to understand the budget worries Handel experienced as both composer and impresario when producing Semele in 1744.  Unlike other Handel oratorios, Semele has a defined plot and belongs to the comic genre, which  may well be inappropriate for an oratorio, and the truth is that Semele presents no problems as a fully staged performance, provided it has an imaginative director.

Semele always has been a work which aims to serve as vehicle for  an exceptional protagonist. This opera, dealing as it does with  Semele’s ambition to become immortal, offers pages of enormous brilliance for a singer able to combine the abilities of an outstanding actress and a true specialism in baroque coloratura. It is more than well-known that Cecilia Bartoli enjoys a special relationship with Zürich. The  Italian diva rarely frequents the opera stage, save in exceptional circumstances, and this usually happens in Zürich. In the last two years Ms Bartoli’s tours have been frequent and extensive, but always in the form of concerts or recitals. Her only opera appearances have taken place in Zürich, where she has sung  Semele, Cenerentola and Halèvy’s Clari, a rarity recovered especially for the  glory of this diva.

I am not too familiar with Semele; it's an opera that I have only seen once before at Covent Garden (February 1996) with Ruth Ann Swenson in the title role. Of course, the tessitura of Ms Swenson and La Bartoli is very different. Bartoli is in her element in this repertoire and in this theatre, where her rather small voice is no great disadvantage. Hers was indeed the performance of a true diva, in the best  sense. She played and  sang with a great sense of humour, she  was always convincing on stage and her rendering of the two great pages that  Handel dedicated to the character was simply amazing. I am referring to the very difficult mirror aria, and to the spectacular “I'll take no less”. Celia Bartoli produced more notes per second than it is possible to believe and the effect was simply spectacular. There is nobody comparable to her in this repertoire, since  in addition to being a great singer she is very intelligent, I am fairly that we will not see her perform this role in any larger house, and it will be necessary to come to Zürich if we want to enjoy her brilliant interpretation.

This Robert Carsen production came to  Zürich two years ago,  and it is  an example of how to offer a good staging with scarce means but a lot of imagination. In other words, this is Robert Carsen at his best once again. The sense of humour is always present, particularly in the figure of Juno, who reminds more  than once of Queen Elizabeth II, and the very amusing interpretation of Iris. The direction of the soloists is excellent, as is usual with Carsen, and he also makes the Chorus really relevant. The sets could not  be simpler: an asymmetric stage, widening from right to left with a dark curtain at the back and a huge door to left. Simple changes of atrezzo mean different scenes: a long red carpet for the initial scene, armchairs for  Juno, a double bed for Semele, an  empty stage with people sleeping on it for Somnus, and a very bright final scene full of life and colour. There were also very attractive costumes and spectacular lighting by the team of Peter Van Praet and Robert Carsen himself.

To accompany the diva, Zürich offers none other than  William Christie and the Orchestra “La Scintilla”. Mr Christie's performance was magnificent in the second part of the opera. The first half was not at the same level, but then the musical quality of Semele is not the same in both parts. This was an excellent musical performance in which the chorus was a little below par, although they acted well on stage.

The American Charles Workman was Jupiter and gave a good performance, singing with great taste despite the voice not being especially wonderful. Sara Fulgoni replaced Birgit Remmert as Juno and did very well in the role, mainly as an actress.  Her voice is not big and is rather lacking in the lower register.

Also very good was the Rumanian Liliana Niketeanu as Ino, Semele’s  sister, while the Mexican Rebeca Olvera gave an excellent interpretation of Iris which will be difficult to forget. She is a light soprano with a pleasant voice and is a most expressive  singer.  Athamas, Semele’s fiancé and the eventual husband of Ino, was played by the very light tenor Thomas Michael Allen, who also sang with good taste, although I do not believe that he would be so  successful in a bigger house. Finally, the Austrian Anton Scharinger doubled well as Cadmus and Somnus.

I had always thought that there were no more than five singers in the world able to fill a theatre simply because of their names, Cecilia Bartoli being one of them, so I was surprised to see that the theatre had empty seats, perhaps amounting to as much as 10 % of the capacity.

Cecilia Bartoli was cheered after her two most difficult arias and at the final bows there was a well deserved triumph for Zürich’s own Queen, There were also sonorous ovations for William Christie and La Scintilla and the young Mexican soprano was also very well received.

José M Irurzun


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