Spain Puccini, Tosca: Chorus and Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu / Henrik Nánási and Giacomo Sagripanti (conductors). Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 18, 19 and 20.1.2023. (JMI)
Production:
Director – Rafael R. Villalobos
Sets – Emmanuele Sinisi
Costumes – Rafael R. Villalobos
Lighting – Felipe Ramos
Pictures – Santiago Ydáñez
Casts:
Tosca – Emily Magee / Maria Agresta / Sondra Radvanovsky
Cavaradossi – Antonio Corianò / Michael Fabiano / Vittorio Grigolo
Scarpia – George Gagnidze / Željko Lučić
Angelotti – Felipe Bou
Sacristan – Jonathan Lemalu
Spoletta – Moisés Marín
Sciarrone – Manel Esteve
Jailer – Milan Perišic
Shepherd – Hugo Bolívar
Tosca is again on the Liceu stage the place it was final seen in 2019. On this event, the performances have been accompanied by a sure scandal, centered on the staging particularly but in addition on the cancellations and corresponding substitutions, all of which has precipitated rivers of ink to move. The cancellations started with the defection of Roberto Alagna and his spouse, Aleksandra Kurzak, who weren’t receptive to the Rafael R. Villalobos manufacturing.
Liceu’s Tosca is a co-production with Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Teatro de la Maestranza, Salas del Arenal and Opéra Orchester National de Montpellier. The premiere passed off in June 2021 in Brussels, and it was subsequently seen on the Montpellier Festival final 12 months. Curiously, on neither event did the controversial manufacturing increase the slightest scandal, no matter whether or not it may need been kind of favored.
The motion has been introduced as much as trendy occasions and is characterised by the parallel that the manufacturing establishes between Cavaradossi and Pier Paolo Pasolini, the well-known Italian filmmaker who was assassinated in Rome. As the theater program mentions, this Tosca manufacturing incorporates references to the movie Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma by Pasolini.
Rafael Villalobos rightly says in an interview that any new manufacturing has to supply some new concept to justify it. But it’s a completely different factor when the director needs Pasolini to turn out to be the hero with additions or cuts to the unique opera. I’m saying this as a result of it doesn’t appear acceptable to me {that a} spoken dialogue between the actors who play Pasolini and his assassin is given at first of Act II. If one thinks this provides one thing to the opera, I’ve nothing towards it being performed outdoors of the particular efficiency.
For the remainder, the manufacturing shouldn’t be actually scandalous, though there are some pointless excesses, such because the nude pictures and extras showing throughout a lot of Act II. There is a single, rotating stage to which some parts are added for every act such because the determine of the Madonna in Act I or Scarpia’s desk within the second.
A couple of issues caught my consideration. For the Te Deum, solely the determine of the Bishop seems on stage and, eradicating the mitre, it seems to be Floria Tosca. Scarpia washes Tosca’s toes, the which means of which eludes me. Cavaradossi’s loss of life shouldn’t be by firing squad however with a pistol shot by his executioner. Tosca doesn’t disappear right into a void however goes to an illuminated background.
The musical route was programmed with conductor Henrik Nánási in thoughts, however he appears to have had some issues and sometimes was changed by conductor Giacomo Sagripanti. He led two of the three performances I attended, and his studying was fairly routine, with extreme sound on multiple event. There was effectivity nevertheless it lacked emotion. Nor was the Liceu Orchestra good – clearly under what it supplied just a few months in the past in Puccini’s Il trittico. The Chorus sang out effectively.
When Nánási was within the pit his more-nuanced studying labored higher for me than Sagripanti’s the day earlier than.
Among the quite a few performances of the opera programmed by the Liceu, there have been solely two with Sondra Radvanovsky as Tosca. She excelled within the half, and the viewers was delighted. Sagripanti supplied a extra convincing studying together with her than he had performed on my first day when Emily Magee was Tosca. Her voice is lower than the extent required to sing this character, and it left loads to be desired. There are indicators of maturity in her center voice, however she is strident and even out of tune within the excessive register, the place there may be additionally a large and annoying vibrato. Her Tosca shouldn’t be one to recollect.
The second Tosca was soprano Maria Agresta, who left me with the identical doubts I had had on earlier hearings. Ten years have handed since I noticed her for the primary time in Munich as Violetta, a efficiency that was adopted by others in numerous theaters together with the Liceu. However, my impression has modified lately, since she has determined to sing a repertoire for which her voice, a lyric soprano, doesn’t appear enough. She didn’t persuade me as Elisabetta in Don Carlo nor as Norma, and the identical factor occurred together with her Tosca. Her voice has unquestionable high quality, however I don’t suppose she has the fitting instrument for this character – she lacks weight and quantity. I’m afraid that her chosen path shouldn’t be essentially the most applicable one.
Sondra Radvanovsky as Tosca certainly triumphed. For me, she is among the most vital sopranos of current years, and particularly within the verismo repertoire. I’ll all the time keep in mind once I first heard her: it was in May 2000 on the Metropolitan Opera as Freia in Das Rheingold. Since then, I’ve loved her singing some thirty occasions, and I hope to proceed. Her Tosca was that of a terrific star in each means, and her distinctive ‘Vissi d’arte’ drew a two-minute ovation that pressured her to encore the aria. Radvanovsky warmed the ambiance of the theater in such a means that she additionally triumphed together with her Cavaradossi.
On my first night, Cavaradossi was sang by tenor Antonio Corianò, whom I had not had the prospect to see till now. His voice is that of a lyrical tenor, with a sexy and homogeneous timbre all through the vary, however his singing shouldn’t be very refined, and the excessive notes are invariably pushed which leads to some monotony.
Tenor Michael Fabiano was Cavaradossi on the following day. I’ve seen him on various events and have by no means been passionate about him: his voice could be very engaging, however it isn’t the identical on the high. Things labored effectively right here, and I’d say that he gave among the best performances I can keep in mind from him, making a Cavaradossi worthy of being highlighted.
Joseph Calleja was to have sung Cavaradossi on my third day, however he canceled and was changed by tenor Vittorio Grigolo, who as soon as once more supplied his stunning voice, projected in a really pure means. He additionally needed to encore an aria, ‘E lucevan le stelle’, though I feel that was because of the prior bis by Sondra Radvanovsky. Grigolo was good although a bit extreme, as is common for him, in an aria that could be very introverted.
Scarpia was performed by baritone George Gagnidze, who was fantastic however with none particular brilliance. His voice is broad and he has projection issues so shouldn’t be a Scarpia who stays in a single’s reminiscence. Scarpia on my second and third days was Željko Lučić, who did effectively. For my style, he was higher than Gagnidze the day earlier than, though he can’t be thought of a terrific Scarpia both.
In the secondary characters, Felipe Bou was a considerably modest Angelotti, and one thing related might be mentioned of Jonathan Lemalu’s Sacristan. impression was made by Moisés Marín as Spoletta, and Manel Esteve’s Sciarrone was right.
José M. Irurzun