Adrian Malloch/Delivered
Under the careful guidance of Giordano Bellincampi, the APO were well thought out and sensitive. (File photo)
Il Trovatore by Verdi, libretto by Salvatore Cammarano and Leone Emanuele Bardare. Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, New Zealand Opera Chorus. Director Stuart Maunder, conductor Giordano Bellincampi. Auckland City Hall, July 16. Reviewed by Max Rashbrooke
When people say opera is elitist, my answer is always: have you seen the plots? Il Trovatore, with its strange medley of love rivalries, battles, gypsy curses, and long-lost children—all of which wouldn’t look out of place on Days of Our Lives—is a prime example of this.
The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s (APO) one-off production of Verdi’s famous opera on Saturday night was relatively understated, as it was semi-staged and thus lacked set, costumes and conventional staging. But the singers and choir, making their paths around the orchestra, made good use of the contrast of height between the stage and the steeply reclined rows, their movement suggesting incident, drama and distance.
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However, the focus was on Verdi’s rich, propulsive, dynamic score. Under the careful guidance of Giordano Bellincampi, the APOs were well perfected and sensitive, albeit occasionally lacking in depth of sound. Some harmonies, especially in the celebrated Anvil Chorus, were missing, while other pieces were recorded at an insane tempo. But there were also good moments—the ferocious, cutting brass of the opening, the terrifying woodwinds at the beginning of Act Four. The chorus was even better, exciting in the big moments and accurate in the quieter ones.
Much, inevitably, rested on the four leads. Unfortunately, the weak link was tenor Gustavo Porta as Manrico. Although he made a good fist of the decoraria Di Quella Pira, and possessed power in abundance, this could not disguise his wooden acting and hoarse tone. It’s also hard to be a rambunctious young troubadour when you look older than your character’s apparent mother.
In contrast, soprano Erika Grimaldi was excellent as Leonora. She sang with liquid brilliance and a compelling stage presence, though she was more convincing as a flattered lover than as a desperate victim.
Even better was baritone Simone Piazzola as the menacing Conte di Luna. Technically assured, he brought a brooding intensity to his scenes, but through finely judged tonal and vocal choices, he also conveyed a frustrated desire that was immensely moving, despite his character’s improbability.
Stealing the show, however, was rising star mezzo-soprano Olesya Petrova as Azucena. Her opening scenes contained singing of exciting power and scope, a voice of cursing and defiance (although the strangely abrupt shift in tone across registers was noticeable). Elsewhere her singing was subtle, warm and honeyed, her acting strong but never theatrical. Her performance, and the production as a whole, earned the sustained applause it received.