Mozart, La clemenza di Tito:
Soloists; Chorus & Orchestra of
English National Opera/Edward Gardner.
London Coliseum, 8.6 2007 (CC)
Paul
Nilon as Tito
ENO's revival of Mozart's Clemenza
constitutes Edward Gardner's second
production as Music Director at the
Coliseum. This performance was a
somewhat mixed affair, with real highs
balanced by long stretches of muted
inspiration.
David McVicar's impressive prodution
is predominantly dark, the shadowy
atmospherre reflecting the nature of
the story line (although somehow the
audience managed to find a few laughs
along the way!). There is little true
light here. Instead, it seemed that
what light there was existed mainly as
a way into darkness rather than a
contrasting force to it. Off-stage
chorus was truly effective, as was the
flickering lights for the flames as
Rome burns in the midst of rebellion.
Clemenza
is a difficult work to bring off,
needing an inspirational conductor and
an orchestra on top form. Neither
prerequisite was filled on this
occasion, however. Despite a
resplendent opening to the Overture,
woodwind tuning soon became obvious as
suspect. The orchestra throughout the
evening seemed unconvinced by the
quality of the music it played.
Perhaps they hankered after
Zauberflöte, the opera's nearest
neighbour in the Mozartian canon?!.
Whatever the case, this was the ENO
orchestra on just-above-autopilot.
Given that this was the first night of
a run, one hopes that routine will
not further dull enthusiasm …
The arrival of a sole figure before
the curtain prior to the performance
led to the inevitable sinking feeling.
The announcement was that Alice Coote
had been suffering from a chest
infection but would soldier on. In the
event, Coote (as Sesto) stole the show
– certainly, she overshadowed Paul
Nilon's lacklustre Tito. Coote's voice
seemed perfectly chosen. First, it
worked splendidly against Emma Bell's
gorgeous Vitellia in the opera's
earlier stages; later, a massively
assured 'Come scoglio', with full
vocal range and supreme velocity
intact, brought the house down, and
rightly so. And even taking into
account the strength of some of her
fellow cast members, her contributions
to Act 2 always felt like a breath of
fresh air.
Emma Bell (who triumphed as a recent
Violetta) is musical in the
extreme. She can melt a phrase
heart-breakingly, yet her voice has a
core strength and her diction is
impeccable. Her portrayal of Vitellia,
if anything, progressed as the evening
wore on, and her scene in which she
wrestles with her conscience towards
the end of the oepra was powerful
indeed. If Sarah-Jane Davies (who
incidentally will represent Wales in
this year's Cardiff Singer of the
World) was a slightly thin of
voice Servilia, Andrew Foster-Williams
(as Publio) impressed with great stage
presence and solid vocal work. Indeed,
it would be good to hear more of
Foster-Williams.
If only Tito had not been miscast,
this Clemenza would have been
something of a vocal triumph. Nilon
was at his best in the Act 2 scene
with Sesto, but in reality he did not
rise to the challenges of this great
part. Dignity and gravitas were the
key elements lacking, and for this
opera that is nigh on fatal.
A recent Harmonia Mundi recording of
this opera conducted by Jacobs and
with a cast including Mark Padmore and
Bernarda Fink (HMC901924-4), by the
way, is the ideal way in to the
elusive work that is Clemenza.
There, at least, every note sounds
newly-minted.
Colin Clarke
Picture ©
Robert Workman /ENO
