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SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW
Donizetti, L’Elisir d’Amore: Soloists, Orquesta Oviedo Filarmonía, Coro de la Ópera de Oviedo. Conductor: José Miguel Pérez Sierra. Teatro Campoamor. 12.12.2010 (JMI)
Production: Opera North
Direction: Daniel Slater (Original), Tim Claydon (Revival)
Sets and Costumes: Robert Innes Hopkins
Lighting: Simon Mills
Cast
Nemorino: Ismael Jordi
Adina: Patrizia Ciofi
Dulcamara: Giorgio Surjan
Belcore: Rodion Pogosov
Giannetta: Marta Ubieta
Production Picture © carlospictures
Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore is always appealing; people go to the theatre convinced that they will have a cheery and good time, and Donizetti tends to fulfil these expectations. The production of the Oviedo opera was not an exception to that rule.
The stage production comes from Leeds’ Opera North, where it premiered in 2000. The production has toured since, more recently to the Welsh National Opera. This means that Daniel Slater work is well known in Great Britain and it is been reviewed on several occasions in Seen and Heard,
Under the hands of the young Spanish conductor José Miguel Pérez Sierra, one of the most promising talents in this country, the score was as lively animated as it should be. Unfortunately, that wasn’t all there was to it. A remarkable lack of coordination between stage and pit in the first act was improved upon later, but even then the orchestra sounded shoddy and the choir better than the singers.
Ismael Jordi was a light Nemorino, too light for my taste. But even if his voice is not ideally suited to the middle-range centred role, his standout aria "Una furtiva lagrima" was sung with exquisite taste. Patrizia Ciofi was a fine Adina but not at her usual level of excellence. Her voice is not particularly beautiful and she failed to raise the temperature in the theatre in her final aria "Prendi, per me sei libero"
Giorgio Surjan was an accomplished interpreter of Dulcamara, once past "Udite or rustici", where he was rather short of vocal weight. Rodion Pogosov was a finely acted Belcore of attractive voice and rather small volume and Marta Ubieta offered all a Giannetta should and needs to.
José Mª Irurzun