Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Prima Verdi
Francesco Meli (tenor)
Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino/Marco Armiliato
rec. 2020, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Italy
WARNER CLASSICS 5419711545 [57]
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Francesco Meli’s stage debut and eighteen years of his singing twenty roles at La Scala, Milan. He began his career mostly singing bel canto opera by such as Rossini and Donizetti but progressed to more dramatic roles and has for some time now been much associated with Verdi. From his childhood in Genoa, he has been conscious of the city’s strong links with the composer, as this was where he and Giuseppina Strepponi would spend their winters; he also feels a strong connection to Verdi ‘the man, the father of the Nation and deep down inside, a revolutionary.’ His work with Riccardo Muti, through conductors Antonino Votto and Arturo Toscanini, means that he has a direct line back to Verdi himself and many of the fifty roles in his repertoire are in Verdi operas.
The DVD/Blu-ray of Alvis Hermanis’ 2016 staging of
I due Foscari on the C Major label features Meli in the role of Jacopo, with some bonus material including interviewer Ioan Holender, former director of the Vienna State Opera, putting it to Alexander Pereira, then intendant of La Scala, that Meli is ‘the tenor of our time’. I’m not sure Meli quite merits that lofty status, but he is certainly much sought-after, with a dizzying schedule of roles.
Prima Verdi his first solo recital album, is devoted to that single composer in a thoughtfully devised programme of a selection of arias taken from eleven operas spanning Verdi’s long career. The arias are presented in chronological order and it is refreshing to enjoy some generally unfamiliar early works together with much-admired jewels. Meli pays homage to Verdi with opera arias from his early ‘galley years’ - I Lombardi, La battaglia di Legnano and I due Foscari - to his middle period successes Il trovatore and Un ballo in Maschera, through to his late-period masterpieces Aida and Otello. Meli explains how Verdi was such a splendid composer for the tenor voice, emphasising the importance of ‘dynamic and agogic markings on the score’ and the necessity for ‘expressive detail’. He is also aware of the need for a diligent tenor continually to connect the text to the music, in order to provide a fuller understanding of the character’s personality.
A highlight is from I due Foscari where Meli sings Jacopo’s act two scene and aria Notte! Perpetua notte che qui regni!... Non Maledirmi, o prode. Meli gives a credible portrayal of the hapless Jacopo, who is accused of murder and imprisoned by the magistrates. Horrified at being surrounded by ghosts from his past, Jacopo begs for mercy then faints as they close on him. Especially effective is Meli’s performance of Manrico’s Act Three aria, Ah! si, ben mio, coll'essere from Il trovatore. Leonora is engaged to marry Manrico whose army is on the verge of fighting Di Luna who has much larger forces. Here the assured Meli is believable as Manrico, vowing his eternal love to Leonora until death. Standing out from Aida is Radamès’ big tenor aria Se quel guerrier io fossi... Celeste Aida that comes early in the opera. Meli gives a convincing portrayal of the heroic tenor role of Egyptian warrior Radamès who is dreaming of being victorious on the battleground while musing over his secret love for Aida, a slave who is really the daughter of the Ethiopian King. This is a highly competent portrayal from Meli whose voice displays a vigour sufficient to cope with the higher tessitura of this much loved romanza.
Performing in his first language, Meli gives reliable and consistent performances with a level of expression that is pleasing yet mainly on the modest side. He clearly appreciates the meaning of the text, and I can understand why he is sought after in opera houses today, especially in Italian works. There is a satisfying clarity to his voice which he projects adeptly and his sincerity shines through. It was a valuable exercise to compare Meli’s singing of several of these arias with those recorded by some of the great tenors of past generations, notably Jussi Björling, Mario Del Monaco, Franco Corelli and Luciano Pavarotti; the gulf between Meli and the distinctive character of those famous four voices is very evident, especially in the intensity of passion they generate in their sublime outpourings of sound.
The Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino knows Verdi well and under conductor Marco Armiliato its playing demonstrates a gratifying awareness of Verdi’s distinctive orchestral sound, which is pleasingly clear and well balanced. The booklet contains an introductory note from Meli, a short biography, an essay - rather basic in content – and sung Italian texts but no English translations, which is unsatisfactory for an album aimed at both the Italian and English-speaking markets. By today’s standards, the meagre playing time of under an hour is disappointing. In addition to the eleven operas represented here, Meli has also sung iErnani, Rigoletto, La traviata and Don Carlo amongst others, so providing extra Verdi arias should not have been a problem.
As an enthusiastic admirer of opera aria collections, I am familiar with a number of outstanding examples such as those sung by tenors Björling, Del Monaco, Corelli, Pavarotti and others. Prima Verdi is not in their elevated league but Francesco Meli is both committed and sincere and his album remains enjoyable.
Michael Cookson
Contents
1. I Lombardi alla prima Crociata (Act II): La mia letizia infondere
2. I due Foscari (Act II): Notte! Perpetua notte che qui regni!... Non Maledirmi, o prode
3. Macbeth (Act IV): O figli, O figli miei... Ah la paterna mano
4. La battaglia di Legnano (Act I): O magnanima e prima... La pia materna mano
5. Luisa Miller (Act II): Oh! fede negar potessi agl'occhi miei!... Quando le sere al placido
6. Il trovatore (Act III): Ah si!, ben mio, coll'essere
7. Simon Boccanegra (Act II): O inferno! Amelia qui!... Sento avvampar nell'anima
8. Un ballo in maschera (Act III): Forse la soglia attinse... Ma se m'è forza perderti
9. La forza del destino (Act III): La vita è un inferno all'infelice... O tu che in seno agli angeli
10. Aida (Act I): Se quel guerrier io fossi... Celeste Aida
11. Otello (Act III): Dio! Mi potevi scagliar tutti i mali*
*William Hernández (baritone)
