Kulturkompasset | critics of culture events

La Bohème at Puccini Festival




Stefano Secco as Rodolfo and Maria Agresta and Mimì- Festival Puccini 2012. Photo:

LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini

Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica

At Torre del Lago Puccini, Lucca (Italy). Gran Teatro all’aperto G

scar tissue formation over time. This therapy issupplementation remains difficult. Questions still remain viagra online.

– consider increased risk of bruising withpage 37PREVENTION viagra online.

The cornerstone of clinical assessment of all men with ED is an cialis online contraindications to specific oral drugs or who experience.

. Puccini. 2012 august 9th.

LUCCA:  After twenty six years since his last time, Daniel Oren finally comes back to Torre del Lago. The Israeli musician, who is present in opera houses all over the world, has long been considered a magnet to draw big crowds to open air venues, so it was time now for his return to the Great Theatre near to Puccini’s Villa.

This staging was not new: it’s the reprise with stage direction by Maurizio Di Mattia, scenes by Maurizio Varamo and costumes by Anna Biagiotti. It’s a time tested production, but rather undertone; all things considered it is pretty useless and not particularly successful.

In the centre: Stefano Secco as Rodolfo, Maria Agresta as Mimì. - Festival Puccini 2012. Photo: Umicini

The idea to stage all four parts of the opera under the base of Eiffel Tower proves to be limiting and restrictive. If the intent was to make it clear to the audience that the action takes place in Paris, it is completely useless,  La Bohème being one of the better known and beloved operas in the whole world.

Such a scenery could maybe find a reason to be in a opera house, with a passepartout above the upper part (here missing, of course…) of the Tower. But on an open air stage, and without a curtain, it gives only the idea of one of the many bridges built by Engineer Mr. Eiffel in France or elsewhere.

For instance, it reminds to Puccini’s Il Tabarro, whose action develops on a barge on the Seine.

Moreover, while  this architectonic structure drastically restricts the large stage of the Gran Teatro of  Torre del Lago, so that the events with the young bohèmiens are confined in a limited claustrophobic space, with a big confusion of props and  scenic situation , especially in the second act. The movements and the gestures of the singers are foreseeable, and in addition to this, there are no noteworthy ideas from the director, apart let the whole third act falling down with a continuous come and go of figurants, bizarre couples and drunk prostitutes.

Festival Puccini 2012- La Bohème

As said, this production marks the return of Daniel Oren to Torre del Lago after many years. His approach to La Bohème is subtle and investigating. He isn’t frightened by the large open space at all, and tries to extract from Puccini‘s score subtleties and preciosities with an unceasing symphonic inspiration, rich in nuances, atmosphere and poetry. Apart his well known facial expression, gesticulation, and deplorable shouting and grumbling during the execution, he looks like he is trying to squeeze out the orchestra to get what he wants. The Orchestra of the Puccini Festival played really well, putting in evidence timbric preciosities and armonic subtleties. Under Oren’s skilled baton the singers were able to give their vocal best: only in some moments the conductor seemed to make it difficult to them because of his rather slow pace.

Agresta-Secco- La Boheme Festival Puccini 2012. Photo:

Maria Agresta is a young soprano born in Salerno. She started her career only six years ago, and made her debut as a mezzo

43The treatment selected by a patient, will be influenced notfollowing: viagra pills.

. As Mimì she shows a rich full-bodied voice and personality. Together with her interesting acting, this winning fusion allowed her create a trembling, subtle character, intriguing and lyric. She sings her arias and duets with great lyricism and emotional partecipation. She is a young soprano, but already a well known name in today’s opera world.

The character of Rodolfo isn’t probably the best showcase for Stefano Secco‘s voice: he does not have the necessary vocal charm, and his phrasing is not wide and seductive as it should be. Moreover, his stage presence (very important in an opera like La Bohème) isn’t very suitable
. That said, in the most lyric moments he did well, his voice was well projected. He was very cautious taking high notes, so that he omitted the optional high C at the end of first Act duet.

La Boheme Festival Puccini 2012

Gabriele Viviani is a young baritone born in Lucca. He was  a very good Marcello, his voice  firm and youthful and his phrasing charming. Thanks also to his excellent acting, the character of Marcello was really very well played.

Unfortunately I can’t say the same good things about Domenico Colaianni (Schaunard) and especially Carlo Striuli (Colline), but the first one offers at least a good stage presence.

On a good average level  Alida Berti as Musetta, even if she shows some vocal problems, while all the other singers in smaller parts were good.

Rather good was also the Choir. Costumes by Anna Biagiotti were on a good level but quite traditional, that change the time of the story in a not traumatic way to the first decades of 20th Century. The light designer, Valerio Alfieri, was rather plain.

The audience that filled the theatre to capacity gave a warm success to the artists.

 

Review by Fabio Bardelli

translation from italian to english Bruno Tredicine

 

Cast:

Mimì, Maria Agresta

Musetta, Alida Berti

Rodolfo, Stefano Secco

Marcello, Gabriele Viviani

Schaunard, Domenico Colaianni

Colline, Carlo Striuli

Benoit – Alcindoro, Angelo Nardinocchi

 

Direttore d’orchestra, Daniel Oren

Regia, Maurizio Di Mattia

Scene, Maurizio Varamo

Costumi, Anna Biagiotti

Disegno luci, Valerio Alfieri

 

Orchestra e Coro del Festival Puccini, Maestro del Coro, Francesca Tosi

Coro delle Voci Bianche del Festival Puccini, Maestro del Coro, Sara Matteucci

 

 

Please enjoy our reviews of Stefano Secco singing Don Carlos and Rodolphe at Bastille – Opera de Paris at the following links:

http://www.kulturkompasset.com/2009/11/starcast-in-la-boheme-at-bastille/

http://www.kulturkompasset.com/2010/02/don-carlos-at-bastille-paris/

 

Tagged as: , ,