SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Concert Version with vides projections.

Cast:

Maddalena: Geraldine McGreevy.

Marta: Ina Kancheva.

Celestial Love: Carlos Mena.

Earthly Love: Catherine Wyn-Rogers.

Christ: David Alegret.

Pharisee: Miguel Sola.

 

Antonio Caldara is lived between the 17th and 18th centuries and produced no less than about 80 operas, as well as oratorios, masses and other compositions. Today however, he is almost unknown to opera audiences and most of his work has fallen in oblivion. Overshadowed by the likes of Monteverdi, Bach and Vivaldi, it is almost inevitable that other (and less gifted) composers of their time, receive only small amounts of attention. This Caldara oratorio is an example of a perfectly good work which simply lacks the inspiration and spark of more eminent colleagues.

 

Instead of Maestro Ottavio Dantone directing the Accademia Bizantina, because he was conducting L’Arbore di Diana at Madrid’s Teatro Real, we had Stefano Montanari, the orchestra’s concertmaster. Watching him conducting with his violin, one was reminded of Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante, but the quality was sadly the same. Montanari and Accademia Bizantina were good enough performers, but not quite at the level of some of their colleagues in this repertoire.

 

The vocal casting was never less than correct and was often good. Maddalena was performed by Geraldine McGreevy, who offered a pleasant voice, singing with good style but with some tightness in high notes. Her sister Marta was the Bulgarian soprano Ina Kancheva, who produced a pleasant soubrette-like voice. The countertenor Carlos Mena sang Celestial Love quite nicely, his character struggling constantly with Earthly Love for Maddalena’s loyalty. Mezzo soprano Catherine Wyn-Rogers gave a good performance as the loser in Maddalena final decision.

The Spanish tenor David Alegret was a well suited interpreter of Christ while bass-baritone Miguel Sola was rather miscast as the Pharisee.

 

The concert was illustrated by screened projections of abstract paintings by Frederic Amat. The Teatro Arriaga was occupied by no more than 50% of its capacity, even less after the intermission. The remaining audience applauded all the artists politely.

 

José M Irurzun