Předchozí recenze výroby
8The youthful cast is dominated by Ekaterina Bakanova's secure presence as Magda. The Russian soprano mastered her role perfectly, with an elegant vocal characterization, well built sounds in the middle register and sure in the acuti.
nel cast vocale risalta la prova di Martina Gresia, chiamata in scena a causa di un’improvvisa indisposizione di Ekaterina Bakanova (annunciata come titolare del ruolo). La giovane cantante romana non è stata sfiorata dall’emozione della “prima”, incarnando una Adina praticamente perfetta: timbro chiaro da soprano lirico puro, acuti facili e sicuri nel duetto con Nemorino, filati infiniti e personalità da vendere dall’aria della crudele Isotta fino al duetto con Dulcamara. Le previsioni che la descrivono lanciata verso una carriera di primo livello appaiono tutt’altro che azzardate.
Altro ruolo assegnato tramite Concorso AsLiCo è la Despina della straordinaria Barbara Massaro, di cui una volta scoperta l’età (22) si rimane increduli per la maturità scenica e vocale che dimostra sul palco. Numerose le folli cadenze e variazioni concessele da Capuano nelle due arie “In uomini, in soldati” e “Una donna a quindici anni”, proposte in quantità esagerata ma pur sempre ben risolte dal soprano con sovracuti e picchiettati brillanti, a corredo di un fraseggio incisivo e voce sempre ben proiettata e squillante
[...] dote questa assai rilevante in Barbara Massaro, soprano di cui si segue sin dagli esordi la carriera con speciale interesse. E’ già stata squisita Susanna, appena pochi mesi fa nella recita delle Nozze al Conservatorio milanese, ed ora è Despina scatenatissima, ma quel che più conta ineccepibile per linea di canto e gusto, abile nelle variazioni, felice nelle puntature acute ed, infine, godibilissima nei travestimenti da medico e notaio.
Barbara Massaro (22 anni) è una Despina eccezionale: la voce brillante, la dizione chiarissima e la pungente verve scenica sono i punti di forza del giovanissimo soprano, capace di prodursi in una delle caratterizzazioni più riuscite e divertenti di questo personaggio cui io abbia mai assistito.
This year�s summer Festival in Verona honors star director Franco Zeffirelli by staging five of his productions: season opener Turandot, Aida, Carmen, Madama Butterfly, and Il Trovatore. This last production, which premiered in 2001 and was then revived in 2002 and 2004, featured a star studded cast, with Arena favorite Marcelo Alvarez in the role of Manrico and baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky in his Arena debut and Italian role debut as his rival Count Luna. The two singers did not disappoint: Alvarez, arguably the best Manrico of his generation, was perhaps not at his best and had to force somewhat in the first duet with Azucena; the perilous high note of the cabaletta was perhaps not perfect, but the dynamics of piani and forti were excellent and his performance was compelling throughout. Hvorostovsky�s performance was flawless. His nicely colored baritone voice is not especially large, but it is perfectly projected by means of a reliable technique. His accurate diction and theatrical skills were appreciable even on the large stage of the Arena. The women were also excellent: Maranne Cornetti as Azucena is perfectly cast both for the role, which she masters completely, and for the Arena, given the size of her voice and despite some imperfect diction. Sondra Radvanovsky�s performance as Leonora was somewhat uneven. The soprano started with some problems, which made the sound of her voice unpleasant at the end of her first aria with a missed note on which she also lost intonation. However she recovered afterwards and was especially compelling in the death scene after which she deservedly received the biggest applause of the evening. As usual, Zeffirelli not only directed the stage action but also designed the opulent medieval sets. The large space allows the director to follow his taste and use a large number of extras with knights riding horses during the soldiers� chorus. The ballet music composed by Verdi for Paris was inserted in order to allow the dance company El Camborio to perform (in costumes that could as well be those they also use for Carmen, which is playing on alternate nights). Conductor Marco Armiliato was making his debut at the Arena, which was perhaps the reason he produced a smaller volume of sound than usual from the orchestra. This had the welcome consequence that the singers could be heard unusually well. The evening ended in a triumph for everyone.
Anche la quinta e ultima recita di Turandot si avvia verso il tutto esaurito. La fiaba musicale per eccellenza, con la ricca tavolozza orchestrale di Puccini, rivive all’Arena di Verona con immagini da sogno e un cast di prestigio: a cominciare dalla protagonista Elena Pankratova, soprano russo che debutta in Anfiteatro come principessa di gelo dopo i consensi raccolti in tutto il mondo nel repertorio drammatico, da Wagner a Bayreuth allo Strauss di Vienna, Berlino, Londra.
This is especially true during concert performances when we realise how significant they are vocally and dramatically to an opera. There were three ear-catching vignettes from Giuseppe Esposito as the Innkeeper in Act I,
