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An extravagant farce Pesaro
Teatro Rossini
08/08/2024 - & August 12, 16*, 21, 2024
Gioachino Rossini: L’equivoco stravagante
Maria Barakova (Ernestina), Nicola Alaimo (Gamberotto), Carles Pachon (Buralicchio), Pietro Adaíni (Ermanno), Patricia Calvache (Rosalia), Matteo Macchioni (Frontino)
Coro del Teatro della Fortuna, Mirca Rosciani (chorus master), Filarmonica Gioachino Rossini, Michele Spotti (conductor)
Mosche Leiser & Patrice Caurier (stage directors), Christian Fenouillat (sets), Agostino Cavalca (costumes), Christophe Forey (lighting)
(© Amati Bacciardi)
Composed in 1811 by the nineteen-year-old Rossini (1792‑1868), L’equivoco stravagante is a most amusing comedy. Its musical style is more reminiscent of Domenico Cimarosa (1749‑1801) and Giovanni Paisiello (1740‑1816) than the Rossini of renown. What’s remarkable is young Rossini’s choice of such an erudite and caustic libretto as the one by Gaetano Gasbarri (1775‑1829). The opera is firstly a sharp critique of the nouveaux riches, and secondly a parody of the excessively literate who live more in books rather than in real life. And finally, it’s a sexually-charged work, with audacious allusions.
Heavily censored by the authorities for what was then deemed lewd and vulgar, it nonetheless remained so due thanks to the libretto’s subversive subtlety, which had escaped the censor, being replete with double entendres. After three performances, the censor banned it altogether, and this early work was forgotten, only to be revived in the twentieth century. A performance in 1825 of an eponymous work (in name only) was not this opera, but rather an unrelated pastiche. Rossini didn’t let it go to waste, however, as it subsequently found itself in various forms in such operas as La pietra del paragone (1812), La scala di seta (1812), Tancredi (1813), and Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra (1815).
The outlandish story is about Ernestina, daughter of Gamberotto, a poor peasant who became a rich merchant. Ermanno, a penniless young man enamored with Ernestina, is hired as the young woman’s tutor, thanks to the household’s servants Frontino and Rosalia. Buralicchio, a rich, vain man, is Ernestina’s suitor and future husband. To eliminate the latter, Frontino informs him that Gamberotto has a son called Ernesto that he had castrated – in his desperate days of extreme poverty – in the hope he would be a source of wealth as a castrato opera singer. When this didn’t work out, he disguised him as Ernestina to avoid having him conscripted into the army. The gullible Buralicchio believes the tale and then sees masculine traits in his fiancée. Outraged at being “tricked” by Gamberotto, he denounces Ernestina as a deserter. She is arrested and imprisoned. The enterprising Ermanno gets her a military uniform and arranges her escape from prison. When Gamberotto and his servants beat Buralicchio for his perfidy, the vain bridegroom explains his reasons and reveals Frontino’s machinations. The latter justifies himself, all is forgiven, and Gamberotto blesses Ernestina and Ermanno’s union.
Moshe Leiser & Patrice Caurier’s staging is ingenious. It affirms the farcical spirit of the opera by making all the characters resemble a Punch & Judy puppet show. All characters, save Ernestina, are given long noses to emphasize their mendacity, for fawning sycophancy towards the nouveau riche Gamberotto or their deceptions, or Ermanno playing the tutor to get close to Ernestina, or Frontino’s castrato invention to dissuade Buralicchio.
Christian Fenouillat’s simple sets feature a huge room with doors at three sides for easy entrances and exits, enabling constant traffic, heightening the comedy’s frantic mood. At the centre of the room is a painting of cows at pasture, alluding to the humble origins of Gamberotto. Agostino Cavalca’s costumes accentuate the Punch & Judy nature of the characters, more puppets than actors. Most hilarious was Buralicchio’s red costume with padded posterior looking immense in proportion to his body. Ermanno’s drab green costume accentuated his timidity. Ernestina’s pink dress evoked a doll rather than a young woman, an allusion to her sentimental immaturity.
Michele Spotti led the Filarmonica Gioacchino Rossini with panache, bringing to life a relatively weak score. In the vocal ensembles, rather than in the solo arias and the duet, the music gained a dynamism typical of Rossini.
Russian mezzo Maria Barakova, as Ernestina, was a first-rate actress, sacrificing her femininity to make the young woman more bookish and naïve, and rendering Frontino’s tale (about being Ernesto) plausible. Endowed with a warm voice, she sang tastefully and stylishly, though her arias do not demand huge vocal prowess.
Veteran baritone Nicola Alaimo was perfectly cast as the nouveau riche Gamberotto. An immense actor with a natural comic verve, he was the funniest in a cast of amusing actors. Without resorting to buffoonery, he elicited laughter throughout the opera. His Act I aria “Parla, favella, e poi” and especially his Act II aria “Il mio germe, che di Pallade” were the public’s favourites garnering the most applause. His excellent diction and caustic humour were essential for the many double entendres to work.
Spanish baritone Carles Pachon was the right choice for the role of the pompous suitor Buralicchio. Exuding charisma, self‑confidence and even arrogance, he was especially credible as a foolish buffoon who takes himself very seriously. Recently seen as Dandini in Barcelona, this young rising star specializing in Mozart and Rossini has immense stage presence and true comic flair. Blessed with a beautiful, youthful baritone, one wished he’d had a few arias to sing.
Tenor Pietro Adaíni was convincing as the forlornly bashful lover Ermanno. His role has the most virtuosic vocal passages, and he certainly delivered. Initially hesitant, he soon relaxed and sang with gusto. Many of his brilliant lines foreshadow the technically demanding tenor passages of Rossini’s later operas.
Spanish soprano Patricia Calvache and Italian tenor Matteo Macchioni were excellent in smaller roles, perfectly portraying servants Rosalia and Frontino, without whose help Ermanno would not have succeeded.
For an early comedy by Rossini, L’equivoco stravagante is no trifle. The directors introduced some brilliantly provocative ideas, such as a huge cow walking through the painting as Ermanno and Ernestina (disguised as a soldier) escape. This is most likely an allusion to how far the Gamberotto family has come since its humble rustic origins. Once safely at home, dressed as a soldier, Ernestina hears a regiment on their way to war. Rather than hide, the just‑escaped young “woman” cheers on the soldiers and sings about love and war. Still sartorially a soldier, she overpowers the timid Ermanno, ravishing him on her bed as the regiment watches, cheering them on. This is quite provocative, and may be the directors’ insinuation that Ernestina is actually Ernesto!
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