Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936)
La bella dormente nel bosco (Sleeping Beauty), musical fairy tale in three acts to a libretto by Gian Bistolfi after the fairytale by Charles Perrault (1922, rev 1934)
The Queen/The Old Lady/The Frog – Vita Pilipenko (mezzo-soprano)
The Princess – Angela Nisi (soprano)
The Prince April – Antonio Gandia (tenor)
The King/The Ambassador – Vincenzo Taormina (baritone)
The Blue Fairy – Shoushik Barsoumian (soprano)
The Green Fairy/The Cat/The Duchess/The Cuckoo – Lara Rotili (mezzo-soprano)
The Spindle/The Nightingale - Claudia Urru (soprano)
Mr Dollar/The Jester – Enrico Zara (speaker)
A Lumberjack – Nicola Ebau (baritone)
Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari
Gaetano Mastroiaco (chorus master) Donato Renzetti (conductor)
Leo Muscato (Stage Director) Tiziano Mancini (Video Director)
rec February 2017 at the Teatro Lirico, Cagliari, Italy
NTSC 16:9; PCM stereo 2.0 and DTS 5.1 surround
Sung in Italian; subtitles in Italian, English, German, Japanese, Korean
NAXOS DVD 2.110655 [88 mins]
Having finally found the time to review this release from last year my plan was scuppered when the disc wouldn’t play in my machine – it took me some time to notice a hairline fracture. As an admirer of Respighi’s orchestral music I really wanted to see and hear his operatic treatment of Sleeping Beauty and eventually managed to source a replacement. I’m so glad I did.
In prepping this review I was surprised to notice that I had missed a previous Naxos DVD/Blu-Ray release of the same composer’s four act opera La Campana Sommersa (The Sunken Bell) in a production by this same Sardinian company (albeit with a virtually completely different roll of principals); my colleague Robert Cummings filed an enthusiastic review of the Blu-Ray in which he pointed out that it appeared to be the first of Respighi’s ten operas to have been filmed for commercial release. Their account of La bella dormente nel bosco therefore seems be the second. It proves to be an utter enchantment from first note to last; watching it during another Christmas period which was compromised for many by the impacts of the pandemic rendered this spirited production even more poignant. This lovely opera is unquestionably an unjustly neglected treasure. The Sleeping Beauty tale has after all yielded a pantomime, a Disney movie, various ballet scores and productions and whilst it’s not strictly seasonal (the month of April is central to its plot) it certainly amounts to the best kind of family entertainment – quite apart from Respighi’s gloriously rich and clever music this brilliantly inventive show exudes colour and joie de vivre throughout its ninety minute duration. It’s a keeper.
Ivan Moody’s useful booklet note details the opera’s somewhat complex history. Respighi originally responded to a request from the puppeteer Vittorio Podrecca for a work for marionettes during the early 1920s; Charles Perrault’s famous fairytale was subsequently adapted into a libretto by Gian Bistolfi and this initial version premiered in Rome in April 1922 as a ‘fairytale in three acts’, a designation which Moody contends actually renders the piece closer to the world of the composer’s Rossini-based ballet La Boutique fantastique than that of his weightier operas of the period such as Marie Victoire (1914) or Belfagor (1922). In any case Respighi revised it a decade or so later, producing a version for more conventional forces although his tinkerings were subtle - the chamber orchestral accompaniment required for the puppets was fattened up and the new manifestation (which features on this DVD) premiered in Turin in April 1934.
Anyone familiar with the breadth of Respighi’s formidable orchestral output will be well aware of his unparallelled skills as an orchestrator and of his expert grasp of all manner of musical styles and fashions from the previous 500 years, influences which inform so many of his works. I have become increasingly irritated by encountering critiques which foster the familiar (in my view rather lazy) trope that Respighi’s renowned Roman Trilogy is somehow rather vulgar – I find all three pieces to be extraordinarily vivid frescoes where any (perceived) excess is carefully counterbalanced by music of delicacy, tact and gentleness. Respighi’s colours are beyond ravishing! To my mind those three thrilling works are marvels and showcase just what a really adventurous melodist such as Respighi could actually do with an orchestra. Many sought to imitate him – the fact that so few succeeded in matching his aural imagination underlines his pioneering cinemascopic originality. The forces required for this version of La bella dormente nel bosco are not nearly as grandiose, yet Respighi still takes enormous care in his deployment of them. Moments of excitement, drama, malign darkness and pomp are balanced by episodes of rapt silence, sylvan mystery and profound quetude. The vocal writing, characterised as Moody describes by “…‘closed’ numbers [and] strophic songs and dances…” epitomises a work which in my view gains from occupying the opposite end of the operatic spectrum to the likes of Puccini and Giordano. It is no surprise whatsoever to find references to the worlds of the baroque, impressionism, post-romanticism, angular neo-classicism and even jazz in this glorious, eclectic collage. For a 90 minute three acter, this melting-pot of influences in no way impedes the flow or momentum of the whole.
Whilst the Cagliari company might not approach La Scala or The Met in stature or scale, their players and singers convey the charm and sophistication of Respighi’s score with massive enthusiasm and considerable flair. The recorded sound is excellent; its veracity might be expected to reveal flaws in tuning on the part of instrumentalists and singers. As it happens any incidental glitches are minor and have little if any impact whatever upon one’s wholehearted appreciation of this delightful music in general and the Cagliari production in particular. Of the principals, Angela Nisi gradually warms to the role of the Princess, any initial tentativeness swiftly dissipating and ultimately revealing a confident actress with an attractive tone, although she is outshone in my view by Shoushik Barsoumian’s charmingly characterised and thrillingly sung Blue Witch, a role which affords plenty of opportunity fto showcase her impressive coloratura. If the female characters carry the main musical and emotional burden in the score, the humorous cameos provided for the men more than compensate.for their more modest roles; these are projected by all the performers. The principal male role is that of the Prince (April); Antonio Gandia applies his virile tenor to wonderful effect in the final act, notably in his ravishing love-duet with Nisi. The orchestra are alert and well-prepared whilst the engineers have realised a sound picture which projects an ideal balance between instruments and orchestra. The opera is directed with style and unflagging energy by Donato Renzetti.
Whilst the music is delightful, the visuals are even more of a treat. Leo Muscato’s imaginative stage direction has been translated into a spectacular living-room screen experience by video director Tiziano Manzini. The unforgettable nocturnal opening scene, featuring a Nightingale, a Cuckoo and a frogs’ chorus evolves into an atmospheric tableau illuminated by distinct yet subtle hues which seem to palpably increase in vividness and contrast as the opera proceeds. It is a feast for the eyes; what’s more I can genuinely foresee this work, replete with its obstinately memorable tunes and consistently appealing imagery, drawing in viewers of a much younger age profile than is typical for an opera DVD; adventurous parents please take note. For the price of a couple of cinema tickets and a big bag of popcorn, this gorgeous production of Respighi’s La bella dormente nel bosco will melt the coldest of hearts.
Richard Hanlon
