During the Simon Boccanegra, a regular guy provides success thrust on your, appointment their eventual demise as a result of an excellent confluence out of fate and you will scenario. In the act, the guy will lose and regains an excellent child, quashes a revolution otherwise several, and unites Italy together with perishing breath. Of numerous listeners revere Verdi’s masterful get if you’re at the same time sniffing from the convoluted spot, however, Laurence Dale’s design to have Opera Philadelphia’s Event O23 tends to make an excellent powerful date corГ©en femelles aux USA case to the work’s remarkable unity.
The latest movie director features that point purposefully vague, having imposing kits by Gary McCann one subtly highly recommend good fascist aesthetic. You to definitely testing may seem a little unfair into the title reputation – one who’s ethical with the key, regardless if he don’t totally prevent the trappings out of autocracy – however it underscores the fact that you to man or woman’s saving grace is another’s tyrant. Dale employs a lot more-textual gizmos one coordinate the fresh backstory rather than opposing Piave and you can Boito’s libretto. The brand new movie director and you will writers and singers manage an enthusiastic admirable number of specificity for the storytelling, due to the large expanses of the Academy off Music’s stage and this new opera’s from time to time static runs.
One can hear in Taylor’s voice the possibility to evolve to the a Verdi baritone inside the own correct
On the pit, Corrado Rovaris unflaggingly supporting the action onstage whenever you are guaranteeing the newest brilliance of the score, beginning with female designs on stately prelude. Towards the end of your own Prologue, where Boccanegra is raised so you’re able to Doge from Genoa, the guy whips the latest orchestra on a phantasmagorical frenzy, and that matches the extreme singing of your plebian chorus. (Opera Philadelphia chorus master Elizabeth Braden continues to works miracle that have their own pushes – I would personally hate to reduce their own in your community, however, she might be from inside the contention with the soon-to-become vacant Urban Opera gig.) Regarding the evening, Rovaris tends to make you to definitely tune in to familiar musical with brand new ears, just like the when he ravishingly levels the fresh strings, wind gusts and you can percussion when you look at the “Come into quest’ora bruna” – while doing so to make Verdi appear to be brand new progenitor of both Debussy and you will Berg.
Having his first trip in the title role, Quinn Kelsey will continue to burnish their bona fides once the biggest Verdi baritone off his generation. Even when he never ever battled with singing projection, he recommended lyricism during, shading their melting legato singing with suggestions old and you can indecision in the place of barking outlines to produce Boccanegra’s setting up psychological worry. Their last utterances sounded appropriately haunted, in the event his sturdy tonal beauty stayed. Toward assistance of Fernand Ruiz’s outfits, the guy shown their character’s evolution away from effortless corsair to help you huge leader, and you will about opera’s afterwards serves, he reminded the audience one Boccanegra remains a generally an effective people at the their core.
Soprano Ana Maria Martinez lacked some of the hallelia, the fresh new daughter out-of Boccanegra who’s increased from the his archenemy, Jacopo Fiesco. Try not to predict ethereally floated higher notes otherwise a particular expansiveness away from tone. A slight overcome crept towards the Martinez’s sound within times, as well, but overall, she lead an intelligent and very musical translation out of a great Verdi heroine who will from time to time seems quite and you can empty. Their particular Amelia is actually headstrong and you can confidant, even if it’s difficult to know what draws their in order to Richard Trey Smagur’s hooty, overacted Gabriele Adorno.
Into the a gorgeous recurring second, a white-gowned supernumerary haunts the new periphery as Boccanegra’s later partner and you may Amelia’s mother; she sooner guides Simon on the afterlife
Religious Van Horn reduce a royal, dignified contour given that Fiesco, whilst part lies a keen octave or more underneath the comfort region from their generally lyric bass-baritone. Since Paolo Albiani, Boccanegra’s turncoat advisor, baritone Benjamin Taylor are a discovery, raining acres out-of plangent tunes on just what could easily be an excellent standard-thing villain.