Review – “La Gioconda” in Salzburg: Netrepko's Salzburg comeback | News and Review | PR Classic

Crude plot and somewhat incoherent direction. But the Salzburg Easter Festival has singing stars and festival glamor in Poncelli's “La Gioconda,” with role debuts from Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Netrepko.

This opera requires an exceptionally powerful voice for each major role, conductor Antonio Pappano said of “La Gioconda,” first performed at La Scala in Milan in 1876. The work came to the stage of the grand festival hall for the first time at the Salzburg Easter Festival, and Saturday's premiere featured six notable character introductions.

Anna Netrepko and Jonas Kaufman were introduced to the role

Best of all, Anna Netrebko stars as La Gioconda and Jonas Kaufmann as Enzo Grimaldo, who falls in love in vain. And their adversaries are Luca Salsi as an evil informant named Barnabas and Tarek Nazmi as a sinister interrogator. Laura, Enzo's lover, sung by mezzo-soprano Eve-Maude Houbeux and Polish contralto Agnieszka Rehlis as Giogonda's mother complete the array of strong voices that Poncelli calls upon, especially in the powerful arias, but also in the emotional duets.

Venice and the Ballet

Venice is the setting for this story of love, betrayal and death, and director Oliver Mears, the director of opera at the Royal Opera House in London, created La Serenissima with his set designer Philipp Fuhrhofer as we know it today: besieged by tourists. and massive cruise ships. Myers recounts the history of dancing to instrumental interludes and the more well-known ballet “Dance of the Hours”:

Netrepko's voice fits perfectly

La Gioconda was the happy child of an artist couple and was a talented dancer when her father died. Out of necessity, the mother sells the young woman to men, including Barnabas, who wants to keep her to this day. The young dancer has come a long way; His elderly mother now wears fur and evening dress. Anna Netrebko knows how to move with confidence in a glittering dress, and her voice perfectly fits her role: rich depth, soft highs and beautiful piano. A little wobble here and there, but she wasn't alone on this opening night. Netrebko continues to improve and put a triumphant exclamation point on her Salzburg comeback with her powerful final aria “Suicidio.” Unfortunately, Jonas Kaufmann's voice develops widespread fatigue over the course of a long operatic evening, although he confidently masters his big aria, “Sielo e Mar,” and the ensembles with intensity.

Doesn't help much against a crude plot

Luca Salsi is effortlessly believable as Barnaba, stabbed in the stomach, as is Tarek Nazmi as the inquisitor in Myers' version of Gioconda. The announced suicide of the titular heroine does not take place here. However, it's a completely outdated image of women and doesn't help against the many outdated references in the libretto. Gioconda's pantomime dream scene with the psychiatrist, in which she reunites with Barnabas and is tortured with electric shocks, as well as Laura's bizarre fake beheading at the inquisitor's party, which is not actually poisoned, make the crude plot less digestible. .

Music is more tangible than movement

Mears shows a pleasure-seeking, superficial contemporary society, but on the other hand does not offer an updated portrayal of informants or the role of inquiry. In particular, the design of large crowd scenes would have required more realism or abstraction to appear original in the updated setting. The Choir of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Salzburg Bach Choir and the Children's Choir often dance the Polonaise or the Ramp Macarena midway through the festival in summer costumes, and gracefully appear or disappear as needed in larger folk scenes. Their distinctive sound captivates both on stage and back.

Schwelgend: Directed by Pappanos

Antonio Pappano conducting the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia has a great devotion to Ponzielli's broad bows and sweeping cantilenas. The often successful balance with the sound of low strings and solos is wonderful. It invites you to engage, but occasionally loses its tension. Musically, this Gioconda is an absolutely rich listening pleasure, and the whimsical attempt at a modern-day take on the plot requires a lot of tolerance from the audience.

Broadcast: “Allegro” on March 25 From 6:05 am on BR-KLASSIK