SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

SEEN AND INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW

V. Martín i Soler, L’Arbore di Diana: Soloists, Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid. Conductor: Ottavio Dantone. Teatro Real de Madrid. 17 & 18. 3.2010. (JMI)

 

New Production in co-production with Barcelona’s Liceu.

Direction: Francisco Negrín.

Sets: Rifail Ajdarpasic and Ariane Unfried.

Costumes: Louis Desiré.

Lighting: Bruno Poet.

Choreography. Thomas McManus.

 

Casts:

Diana: Lyubov Petrova/Ekaterina Lekhina.

Amore: Marina Comparato/Ketevan Kemoklidze.

Endimione: Dmitri Korchak/John McVeigh.

Silvio: Pavol Breslik/José Luis Sola.

Doristo: Simón Orfila.

Britomarte: Ainhoa Garmendia.

Clizia: Marisa Martins.

Cloe: Jossie Pérez.

Production Picture © Javier del Real

Revival of the work of Vicente Martín y Soler seems to be an objective of the all major opera houses in Spain. Now along comes this opera, the last of Soler’s from his Vienna years at the Teatro Real, after having been already performed in Valencia and Barcelona, although in different productions.

If the performance in Valencia in December 2008 was a major triumph, there was no such reception for it in Barcelona at the beginning of this opera season or now in Madrid. The difference is down to musical direction and some specific aspects relating to the different vocal distributions. I reviewed this opera for the first time in December 2008, when it was offered in Valencia and you can read my comments elsewhere on the site.

The production presented by Teatro Real is the same one offered in Barcelona earlier in the season and you can also read my review here. I should also  add that on the present occasion Amore was sung by a mezzo-soprano – the sort of voice best suited to the music.

I mentioned the difference in quality of the musical direction as the determinant of greater or lesser success. In Valencia the great architect of the work’s triumph was the Argentine conductor, of Polish origin, Rubén Dubrowsky. A few months ago in Barcelona Harry Bicket’s reading was not at the same level. This is not a baroque opera but an opera buffa contemporary with Mozart, a factor not fully recognised in the Barcelona performance. I was convinced that in Madrid things were going to improve dramatically with Ottavio Dantone in the pit. Dantone is after all considered a specialist in Soler. Mr. Dantone’s reading was efficient, very detailed and always careful but it was rather short of live and fun. The buffa element rather lost out. Dantone did an excellent job with the Orchestra, much better than the Liceu under Bicket, but the results fell below my expectations.

The most important character in vocal terms is Diana, the goddess who condemns love but ends up accepting it. Here the score offers extraordinary opportunities for the vocal skills of a great singer. The very first act aria "Sento che dea son io" is a piece of bravura, requiring what is sometimes called a dramatic soprano of agility. I will not go that far, but it clearly calls for a soprano with a good middle register and outstanding high notes. Her second act rondó "Teco porta, o mia speranza" is a beautiful piece for a great singer, in line with the Countess in Nozze di Figaro or even with Fiordiligi. It is therefore not suited to a pure light soprano, as we had in Valencia (Ofelia Sala) or in Barcelona (Laura Aikin) and now in Madrid (Lyubov Petrova). I am aware of the difficulties in trying to convince Diana Damrau (she would be the ideal interpreter) to sing this opera, but we must recognise that the Countess is not Susanna, Konstanze is not Blondine; the Queen of the Night is not Pamina and Fiordiligi is not Despina.

Diana was Russian soprano Lyubov Petrova, whose performance disappointed. Her high notes are not as bright as before and now they have taken on an acid edge. In the three years following her last appearance at Teatro Real her voice development has not been for the better. In the second cast we had another Russian soprano in the role. It was Ekaterina Lekhina, who had already sung the character at Barcelona’s Liceu, also in the second cast. This young soprano is better suited to the demands of the role. The voice has more weight in the middle register. The problem is that her tone lacks beauty, offering a rather sour voice, that improves at the top. She cuts an attractive figure and is a good actress. Better in the aria di bravura her rondo in Act II suffered by comparison where her middle register was much more exposed.

Marine Comparato was a good Amore without too much vocal importance. There are no vocal problems of suitability in this role. The young Georgian Ketevan Kekmolidze was also good in the second cast. She is a good actress with a pleasant and not over-sized voice all enhanced by her capacity for good communication with the audience. Dmitri Korchak was Endimione, as he was in Valencia. His performance was really good, with a voice very appropriate to the character. In the second cast British tenor John McVeigh made for a poor Endimione. The fact that he sang the part in Barcelona turned out to be no guarantee of quality.

The Slovak tenor Pavol Breslik was a very good Silvio, significantly better than the previous ones offered in Valencia (Joel Prieto) and Barcelona (Charles Workman and Andrew Goodwin). In the second cast José Luis Sola offered an excellent performance with a most pleasant voice and good stage abilities. It was a pity that he was not singing Endimione, which is more important than Silvio.

For reasons I do not know,  Marco Vinco cancelled as Doristo and Simon Orfila sang in both casts. He was good, somewhat mechanical on stage and without special vocal brightness.  The three nymphs were the same singers that we saw in Barcelona. Ainhoa Garmendia (Britomarte) was very convincing again. Marisa Martins (Clizia) and Jossie Pérez (Chloe) fulfilled their task.

 

Full house again, as is more than usual at Teatro Real, although some empty seats could be seen after the intermission. At the final bows there was a warm reception, not too enthusiastic, for all artists, including the musical director and the creative team. 

Today it is hard to believe that L' Arbore di Diana was a real success in Vienna, greater than Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, premiered almost at the same time. Obviously, the verdict of the passage of time is irrefutable and I fully agree with it. That said, this opera by Martín y Soler is worthy of discovery and yields much that is enjoyable.

José M Irurzun