by Gaetano Donizetti in Florence, Italy, Teatro Comunale

2013 june 20th, (in forma di concerto)

Review by Fabio Bardelli

Maria Stuart, version concertante in Florence, All interpreters. PHOTO: MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO, FIRENZE

FLORENCE: Once more in Florence we have operas in concert form, so to economize on the stage part of the performance and not to press on the dramatic economic situation of the Theatre

. Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda was performed here for the first and last time in 1967, in a mythic performance with Leyla Gencer and Shirley Verrett, that was luckily recorded and is still avaible for the listeners.

According to last news, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Foundation should be about to go bankrupt and close down, and so this Maria Stuarda could be the last opera to take place in historic Teatro Comunale. We’ll see how it will go but of course we are really very worried.
Gaetano Donizetti wrote this opera in 1834 for the vocal characteristics of soprano Giuseppina Ronzi, but due to various vicissitudes it was performed only the following year and with a different singer, Maria Malibran. The work had also to be changed in many parts because of censure, before to reach its last and definitive version, where the conflict among the two historic characters, Maria and Elisabetta, gets dramatic tones and a great scenic impact.
Maria’s vocal line is really beautiful, and the character is in line with the other great Donizetti’s heroines, both musically considering the Belcanto vocal line, and dramatically, because the composer really goes into the psychology of the unhappy Scotland Queen, put to death by her rival, Elisabetta 1st Queen of England. Maria is lyric, poetic, dreamer but even very determined while the vocal part of her counter-attraction Queen Elisabetta, sung by a mezzo, isn’t always at high levels during the opera, but if mastered by a good singer can be very convincing. Leicester is the tenor with a beautiful part, while bass Talbot is just a rather small role.

Mariella Devia as Maria Stuart. PHOTO MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO, FIRENZE

Mariella Devia is a special case in Italian opera world: it’s never fair to speak about a lady’s age, but we can’t avoid to remember that she had her dèbut in 1972 and is still fully in career after wise choices of repertoire. Even after so many years, her voice hasn’t declined much and she meets with great intelligence her light defects, going in the depths of her character with moving and unforgettable lyric moments. She’s less convincing only when more temperament is required. Vocally she has still enviable long breaths, the upper register is still bright and her legato almost perfect, what is of capital importance in Belcanto repertoire. Mrs. Devia is a quite admirable singer and of great intelligence, what allows her to sing still very well.
Unfortunately the rest of the cast of this Maria Stuarda in Florence wasn’t at the same level.

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Mezzo Laura Polverelli shows a voice too harsh to be a good sung Elisabetta, who is supposed to duet and fight equally with her rival.

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Rather disappointing was tenor Shalva Mukeria as Leicester, with his little vocal volume (also sounding too old and not very agreable) and rather generic accent, not the best to delineate a young and passionate character. That said, we must also recognize that he’s gone somehow better during his performance.

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Gianluca Buratto was Talbot with his torrential and rough voice, rather correct were Vittorio Prato and Diana Mian.
Conductor Alain Guingal seems almost unwilling, as not very interested in this opera
. He has done his work correctely but without special ideas or searching of orchestral colours.

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Theatre was crowdy, even more than one could have expected, considering that the opera was in concert form. Who didn’t come missed a beautiful performance of Mrs. Devia, who was triumphally commended by the audience of Teatro Comunale.

Review by Fabio Bardelli

translation from italian Bruno Tredicine

Direttore, Alain Guingal

Cast:

Maria Stuarda, Mariella Devia

Elisabetta, Laura Polverelli

Leicester, Shalva Mukeria

Talbot, Gianluca Buratto

Cecil, Vittorio Prato

Anna Kennedy, Diana Mian

Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Maestro del Coro, Lorenzo Fratini

Please enjoy Bruno Tredicine´s review with Mariella Devia from opera San Carlo in Napoli 2010:  http://www.kulturkompasset.com/2010/04/maria-stuart-at-san-carlo/

Please enjoy Fabio Bardelli´s review of Anna Bolena in FLorence:  http://kulturkompasset.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/anna-bolena-in-florence/