Manuel García, Il Califfo di Bagdad: Semi staged version. Les Talens Lyriques, Conductor:  Christophe Rousset. Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid. 26.6.2007. (JMI)

Production:
Director:Olivier Simonnet.
Costumes:José Enrique Oña Selfa
Lighting:Alexis Kavyrchine

Cast
Isauun, Il Califfo:  José Manuel Zapata
Zetulbé:Anna Chierichetti
Lamède:Milena Storti
Kesia:Manuela Custer
Jelmaden:Emiliano González Toro
Il Cadí:Mario Cassi

The Granada Festival of Music 2007 had the happy idea of reviving this opera by the Sevillian Manuel García (1775-1832) who was almost  a Renaissance man, judging by his many artistic occupations -  musician, singer, impresario and father of an exceptional series of singers and musicians (Maria Malibran, Pauline Viardot and Manuel García Jr.)  in addition to some others who were inventors.

Reading the program book, one finds  that Manuel García wrote 50 operas, many of which never even had  premieres and this Califfo di  Bagdad was first performed in 1813 in Naples, some three years before Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. This comment  is relevant because  Manuel García was the first Conte di  Almaviva in the Barber and because both operas belong to the genero buffo tradition. Furthermore,  there are  many  moments when García's music reminds one  of  the genius from Pesaro.

This is a significant  revival, since the work is very well constructed musically, with many unusual passages, especially both of its finales, with the end of Act I offering a concertante of more than 10 minutes duration  -a strange thing for the time of composition - and with the Act II finale presenting   music that evokes Mozart’s Seraglio.  Those who decided to offer this opera and helped to make it possible are to be  congratulated. Their example seems to be spreading too, since Seville has programmed another Manuel García opera  for  next season: the  Mort du Tasse.

The version offered at  the Teatro de la Zarzuela is semi- staged with only some stairs, crowned by a footbridge as scenery. Olivier Simonnet uses very simple direction, not going much further than making sure that the singers realize that this is an opera buffa. Costumes (Jose Enrique Oña Selfa) are a mixture of styles that are difficult to define, although it seems that they are trying to revive the time of the opera's premiere. Lighting (Alexis Kavyrchine) is no more than efficient and it is obvious that the performance's main interest was not  the production.

Musical Direction was entrusted to the French conductor Christophe Rousset and his Talens Lyriques. It is worth noting that in  the last ten days, I have seen  Madrid performances of two  opera buffas  both from the same period (Vicente Martin y Soler's  Il Tutore Burlato (1775) and Il Califfo di Bagdad) but with very different results.  Rousset  understands  what García's work is about and has taken his reading with a lightness that does full justice to the score, although the sound of his baroque orchestra is not particularly  appropriate - or at least it isn't the sound to which we are used in this type of music. In their performances of the  Martin y Soler work however,  both Rousset and Les Talens have certainly proved their quality, though  I do prefer them in the baroque repertoire.  El Coro de la Orquesta Ciudad de Granada was unfortunately a deficient vocal group.

Isauun, Il Califfo di Bagdad, was the Granadino Jose Manuel Zapata, an outstanding Rossinian tenor  perfectly suited to the demands of the role. Zapata's voice has widened remarkably in the past few years and is very different  to the high  Rossinian tenorino  so frequently required nowadays. He sings easily, with a good line and some elegance, although his very highest notes might have lost some of their former quality. I suspect  that he   could be leaving these very light parts soon, even though they are obviously still  one of the best options in the Rossini repertoire with an assured future. He will make his debut this coming season  at the Metropolitan in Barbiere and he will also sing Puritani’s Arturo in Spain. It will be interesting to see the outcome.

The very  first Zetulbé ,the object of  the Caliph's love, was none  other than the celebrated Isabella Colbran whose voice was undoubtedly more important than that of  Ana Chierichetti, who took the role in this performance.  She was a very reliable performer however and alhough it is already more than four years since her success in Alcina in Bilbao, her international career has somehow not taken off as yet.  Her voice has some quality  without being outstanding, and she sings with taste, although her top notes can sometimes lack brightness.

Mezzo Milena Storti passed largely unnoticed through the part of Lamède, the mother of Zetulbé. In the absence of  great singing, a more lively stage animal is needed for the character, which is an important buffo part. Manuela Custer (announced as Kuster), was more than adequate  as  Kesia, Zetulbé’s servant. Comfortable in the  mezzo tessitura, easy on stage and with a sonorous and rich voice,  it is strange  that with almost  20 years experience to career, she  has not become  a bigger name. Sometimes  singers' careers are indeed a mystery.

In the secondary parts,  Emiliano González Toro was a musical and reliable tenorino as Jelmaden and Mario Cassi (Il Cadí) showed off his attractive light baritone voice.  David Rubiera
(Giudice) however, was not an appropriate choice for   this style of music.

Access to this performance  was by strict invitation, resulting in more than a few empty seats. There was a warm welcome however  for the artists, especially for  Zapata, Custer and Chrisophe Rousset.

As a final thought, it seems to me that now that we are entering into the summer season, it would  not be a bad idea for the  Teatro de la Zarzuela to visit  a good aesthetic hospital for a serious face lift.