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Death in Venice Washington
Washington National Opera
11/01/2008 - and November 5, 7, 9m, 11, 15, 17
Gaetano Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia
Grigory Soloviov (Apostolo Gazella), Oleksandr Pushniak (Ascanio Petrucci), Kate Aldrich (Maffio Orsini), Jesus Hernandez (Jeppo Liverotto), Jose Ortega (Oloferno Vitellozo), Robert Cantrell (Gubetta), Vittorio Grigolo (Gennaro), Renée Fleming (Lucrezia Borgia), Ruggero Raimondi (Don Alfonzo Duke of Ferrara), Yingxi Zhang (Rustighello), David B. Morris (Astolfo)
Washington National Opera Chorus and Dancers, Washington National Opera Orchestra, Vladimir Angelov (Choreographer), Ken Weiss (Chorus Master and Diction), Placido Domingo (Conductor)
John Pascoe (Director, Set and Costume Design), Jeff Bruckerhoff (Lighting Design)
Kate Aldrich, Vittorio Grigolo, Renée Fleming (© Karin Cooper)
Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia is one of the great masterpieces of the Italian Bel Canto. It is extremely well crafted dramatically to a superb libretto by the great Felice Romani (Norma, La sonnambula, L’elisir d’amore, Anna Bolena, I puritani, IlTurco in Italia, etc., etcetera) after the novel by Victor Hugo. It also has an unfailing inspiration of unforgettable, lilting melodies. Donizetti is at his absolute best in this work, filling each act with superb arias, duets, ensembles, and choruses, and he brings each act to a stirring conclusion. If you only know Lucia, Don Pasquale, or The Elixir of Love, you don’t really know Donizetti. Lucrezia Borgia has the really great music and there is so much more beyond this opera to found in the pages of Maria di Rohan, Marin Faliero, Poliuto, La favorita, and at least 60 more. I commend and congratulate the Washington National Opera on the revival of this worthy and neglected work, and the cheering and bravos from the opening night audience only echoed my sentiments. It was a most satisfying and enjoyable night at the opera.
One obvious reason for the neglect of this work is the need for four principal singers with a virtuoso and bravura technique, and each of the four leads have their own dazzling showpieces. The opera does not stand alone on the role of Lucrezia Borgia. However, it must be said that having the wonderful Renée Fleming in the title role is the best reason one could have, if indeed you need one, for mounting this opera. She completely embodied the glamour and poison of the role, and sliced her way through the gauntlet of vocal technical hurdles like a true prima donna. She colored her voice beautifully, alternating between floated pianissimos, gorgeously spun lines, and haunting descents into a smoky chest voice. Did she take chances? Yes! But the “pay back” was thrilling, and she never gave the feeling that she was ever out of control. It is a long and demanding role and concludes with one of the most viciously demanding coloratura scenes in the literature,”Era desso il figlio mio” (there lies my son). She sounded as fresh at the end of Act III as she did on the superb delivery of her entrance aria “Com’e bello” (How beautiful he is).
The opera is indeed a sordid tale of murder, torture, incest, homosexuality, drunkenness, and orgies. The first lines of the opera after the curtain goes up on Carnevale at the Grand Canal are: “Bella Venezia! Amabile! D’ogni piacer, soggiorno!” (Beautiful Venice! How charming! Anything you like, you can get it here!)
Designer Director John Pascoe’s sets and costumes were at once stunning and gorgeous, capturing the right mood and feel for each scene. He did not shy away from any of the taboo elements of the story. He delineated them most clearly and brought the story line, subtexts and all, to the front. His costumes were colorful, striking, and dramatic. The Act I costumes in particular caught the magic, mystery, and gaiety of the Venetian Carnival. His gowns for Miss Fleming were arrestingly beautiful. Her warrior garb for the final scene was breathtaking. It was also refreshing to encounter a director who did not flinch at the homosexual relationship between Gennaro, Lucrezia’s illegitimate son, and his young lover Maffio Orsini (a contralto trouser role). They have one of the most passionate and soaring love duets in the Donizetti canon, it is right up there with Lucia and Edgardo, Nemorino and Adina. They pledge eternal love, hold hands, and have long sustained kisses. The woman sitting next to me was apparently very confused by seeing a woman onstage playing a man’s role. As if to reassure herself she turned to her husband, after one of these kisses, and said: “She’s supposed to be his girlfriend…right?” Oh, well! I thought the surtitles had made if perfectly clear.
Singing the role of Gennaro is the outrageously talented tenor Vittorio Grigolo. At this point in his career he must have everything a modern director is looking for. He has a powerful and lyrically sonorous voice of excellent timbre and quality, with great high notes. He is blond, handsome, and has “six-pack” abs of which he has no trepidation in displaying to the audience. And if that were not enough, he is an athletic, energetic, and convincing actor. At one point he lept off the stage, up and onto a large statue (in a single bound) and defaced it by kicking off the B in Borgia, so that it read…Orgia! (Orgy) This guy is going places. The WNO audience gave him a standing ovation and it was well deserved. His scenes with Ms. Fleming were intensely dramatic, and his scenes with Maffio Orsini (Kate Aldrich) were titillating and romantic. The program says he is also a rock star in his native Italy. Why doesn’t that surprise me? He looked like Billy Idol’s twin brother.
Not to be undone by the Diva and the tenor, mezzo Kate Aldrich easily held her own in acting and singing. She has a sound bel canto technique and a leggiero mezzo-soprano that recalled Frederike von Stade in her prime. She caught the audience’s attention immediately with her aria “Nella fatal di Rimini,” the first big aria in Act I. As mentioned she was simply outstanding in her duets with tenor Grigolo, but her biggest moment came in the final act where she sings one of Donizetti’s most famous and demanding arias:The brindisi (drinking song) “Il segreto per esser felice” (the secret for being happy). This is a real “champagne” aria, which has many famous recordings including historic renditions by Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Dame Clara Butt, and Marilyn Horne. Ms. Aldrich tossed it off with great aplomb and completely brought down the house.
Unfortunately she (he) has been poisoned by Lucrezia Borgia with a Sicilian wine from Siracusa, which abruptly puts an end to her (his) singing. It does get confusing!
If all of this great singing was not enough to intoxicate everyone, WNO really gilded the lily by casting the incomparable basso Ruggero Raimondi as Don Alfonso, Lucrezia’s husband and the Duke of Ferrara. It is not a long role but he has a very tuneful aria and rousing cabaletta in Act II, which he sang with great style and panache and piena di voce (fullness of voice). It was like a big warm mug of dark cappuccino caffe. His presence elevated the entire cast and demonstrated WNO’s commitment to producing an absolutely first class production of Lucrezia Borgia.
Maestro Placido Domingo outdid himself at the podium for this presentation. He has exactly the right style and knows with complete certainty how to add the lilt to a Donizetti melody. He accompanied the singers flawlessly, each aria fitting their voices like a well-crafted glove. The singers must have felt very secure under his loving baton. If the orchestra plays somewhat loosely on occasion under his hand, it can be easily overlooked. So much charm and style from the pit is not routine in any opera house.
There is a lot of festive and gay chorus music in this opera, especially in Act I. The always well trained and enthusiastic chorus of the WNO added enormously to the success of the evening and were quite thrilling in those splendid concertatos of Donizetti that get everyone in the theatre singing along. You will too! Don’t miss this one if you can possibly attend a performance. You will find it exhilarating!
Micaele Sparacino
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