SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Verdi, Aida:  Soloists, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana. Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana. Conductor: Omer Meir Wellber. Palau de les Arts 19.12.2010 (JMI)

 

New production Palau de Les Arts in coproduction with Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Norske Opera Oslo

Direction: David McVicar (original)

Leah Hausman (revival)

Sets: Jean-Marc Puissant

Costumes: Moritz Junge

Lighting: Jennifer Tipton (original)

Simon Bennison (revival)

Choreography: Lisa Whelman

Cast

Aida: Hui He

Radamés:Jorge de León

Amneris: Daniela Barcellona

Amonasro: Marco Vratogna

Ramfis: Stephen Miling

The King: Marco Spotti

Messenger: Javier Agulló

Priestess: Sandra Ferrández

Omer Meir Wellber  -  Picture © Taeto Baeza

This review of Aida, a production I have written about last month for Seen & Heard here, focuses on Omer Meir Wellber, Valencia’s new music director as of next year, who gave his operatic debut at the Palau de les Arts. He took over from Lorin Maazel who had conducted the earlier run. So much up front, the choice of Mr Wellber seems a very adroit move on the part of Mrs. Helga Schmidt, Valencia’s Intendant.

The young Israeli conductor fulfilled the highest expectations. It is a rare treat to hear and watch a conductor who, at only 29 years, shows the maturity and security Mr. Wellber shows. His direction was a model of power, authority, and Verdian feeling—pretty much the opposite of what Lorin Maazel offered to us last month. It is most interesting that such two very different interpretations can be both be exceptional readings of the score. Maazel’s was one brimming with originality and depth. Wellber’s an example of lustre and energy. If this is just an appetizer of what awaits us in the coming years, I recommend to my Spanish friends frequent trips to Valencia because I fear that he won’t be here for too long. His support for the singers on stage also stood out, an improvement from last month when that wasn’t quite the case with Mr. Maazel. Always on top of the music around him, the way he corrected the small problem at the beginning of the duet of Aida and Amonasro was more effective and delicate than I have seen in a long time. Under his baton the Orchestra showed its outstanding quality, which—on a good night—is truly world class in the pit. The Choir was also excellent, better than in Manon the day before.

Chinese soprano Hui He is a good alternative for the character of Aida these days. On the last few occasions that I have seen her in the role (last time almost 4 years ago) I found her lyric soprano a little short for Aida. She’s evolved nicely since and today she is well suited for the role. Her middle range has quality and enough weight, her top is good—a little tight—and only the bottom notes are not that pleasing. The sad state of Verdi voices these days allows one to generously overlook the fact that Hui He is not an outstanding actress.

Marcelo Alvarez as Radames was the other attraction of the night... but he cancelled due to "personal reasons". Maybe for the better; I don’t think that the voice of Mr. Alvarez is particularly appropriate for Radames. So we had Jorge de León again, who repeated his remarkable performance from last time. Here we have a true spinto tenor, a species that seems in risk of extinction.

Daniela Barcellona repeated her Amneris and proved again that she in excellent shape to tackle this repertoire. Azucena and Eboli are probably just around the corner, for her. None of the rest of the cast stood out.

After the fleet performance (over 20 minutes shorter than Maazel’s), the reception for Omar Wellber and the Orchestra was triumphal.

José Mª Irurzun

 

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