Spain Donizetti, Maria Stuarda: Generalitat Valenciana Refrain and Comunitat Valenciana Orchestra / Maurizio Benini (conductor). Palau de Les Arts, Valencia, 19.12.2023. (JMI)
Manufacturing:
Director – Jetske Mijnssen
Units – Ben Baur
Costumes – Klaus Bruns
Lighting – Cor van den Brink
Choreography – Lillian Stillwell
Forged:
Maria Stuarda – Eleonora Buratto
Elisabetta – Silvia Tro Santafé
Leicester – Ismael Jordi
Talbot – Manuel Fuentes
Cecil – Carles Pachon
Anna Kennedy – Laura Orueta
The Palau de Les Arts continues its interesting season with this opera by Gaetano Donizetti, a part of the so-called Tudor Trilogy. It isn’t an opera that’s carried out a lot until there’s a soprano (or mezzo-soprano) with sufficient power to deal with the calls for of the position. This has occurred lately with Sondra Radvanovsky or Joyce DiDonato within the title position.
I’ve all the time felt that the opera wants a spinto soprano, or a minimum of a full lyric soprano, since a lightweight one can not deal with the rating, and particularly with the insults that Maria Stuarda hurls at Elisabetta, once they meet in Fotheringay. It was Maria Malibran who premiered the opera, and he or she was not precisely a lightweight soprano. It’s true that for years Edita Gruberová performed these characters, however it’s also true that she did no matter she wished with the rating, and he or she performed Maria Gruberová greater than Maria Stuarda.
The efficiency I attended in Valencia had two very totally different components: the primary half, which was right however with out particular brilliance, and the second, which might actually be loved in each vocal and musical phrases.
The manufacturing (in cooperation with Dutch Nationwide Opera and Teatro San Carlo) by Jetske Mijnssen is a standard one, not disruptive like so many different fashionable variations. The units are primarily the identical all through: a big area with naked facet partitions that shut in direction of the again of the stage. Props are added, reminiscent of the big tapestry within the heart of the stage for the Fotheringay scene, and the costumes are engaging.
The stage course is ok and focuses on the personalities of the 2 queens, who’re positioned on stage collectively on many events past the scene of their assembly. The ultimate scene stands out: the refrain is positioned on the darkened sides of the stage with small lamps.
Italian maestro Maurizio Benini performed Anna Bolena right here final 12 months, and I’ve all the time thought of him to be a real specialist in bel canto operas. His studying additionally had two components: within the first, there was much less brightness and feeling than one expects, however the second half was fantastic, energetic and emotion. The orchestra was outstanding, and the refrain was good.
Eleonora Buratto as María Stuarda was terrific – a full lyric soprano, and a very good singer who is aware of the right way to use her voice. She fell somewhat brief in her imprecations to the Queen, ‘Figlia impura di Bolena’, however the remaining was superb, particularly within the jail scene, her duet with Talbot and, in fact, within the closing scene. She had already triumphed final 12 months in Anna Bolena and has finished it once more.
Elisabetta was Valencia mezzo-soprano Silvia Tro Santafé who did effectively, however she performs in a special league than the protagonist. Her voice will not be of the best high quality, however she is a powerful singer and performer. I did miss different mezzo-sopranos whom I’ve heard because the character.
Leicester was performed by tenor Ismael Jordi. I had seen him within the half 9 years in the past at Covent Backyard and, on this event, his efficiency was outstanding. His voice will not be extraordinary, but it surely runs easily, and he sang with gusto.
Manuel Fuentes did effectively as Talbot, and Carles Pachon as Cecil had a sonorous voice. Laura Orueta was right within the a part of Anna Kennedy.
José M. Irurzun
