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Mozart,  Idomeneo : Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus Teatro Real. Conductor. Jesús López Cobos., Teatro Real de Madrid. 17 & 18.7.2008. (JMI)

New Production: Teatro Real in coproduction with Teatro alla Scala Milan and Opera National Paris.

Director: Luc Bondy.
Sets: Erich Wonder.
Costumes: Rudy Sabounghi.
Lighting: Dominique Brugiére.

Cast:

Idomeneo: Kurt Streit /Kobie Van Rensburg.
Idamante: Bernarda Fink/ Joyce DiDonato.
Ilia: Cinzia Forte/ María Bayo.
Elettra: Emma Bell/Iano Tamar
Arbace: Charles Workman
Neptune's Priest: Eduardo Santamaría
Neptune's Voice: René Pape (recorded)


Teatro Real closed its opera season with this Mozart Idomeneo in the production by  Luc Bondy which was premiered  at La Scala for the inauguration of the 2006/2007 season. This production won't bother anyone, but it does not convince either and excites even less. Bondy transfers the action to more or less modern times  judging by the costumes, and to the Middle East. This is also what Nicolas Brieger did - although much more clearly - at Barcelona´s Liceu some two years ago, with  much better results than  Bondy´s.   Brieger´s  Idomeneo  seemed to me a wonderful production, but Bondy´s  provides little interest : there are no more “original” ideas in it than have Arbace commit suicide  after his aria, which means having to bring a Messenger on stage to sing Arbace's remaining music and a somewhat worrisome end, where new storm sounds are hear, suggest that Neptune is not happy  with the the plot's conclusion. The stage  has empty space in the middle and two large side panels towards the front of the stage and a  curtain at the back, showing different views of the ocean. There are almost no props, the costumes are no more than serviceable and lighting is distinctly routine. So it's a  rather crude production, clearly below Brieger's standard and poorer than either Yannis Kokkos' Bordeaux staging last May or the earlier Madrid production by Emilio Sagi which this one replaced.

Musical Direction was in the hands of  Jesús López Cobos, whose reading  was also fairly routine and bland (although always very well controlled) during the first half. It improved later,  although again there was a lack of strength in the opera's finale. His orchestra did not do much beyond playing accurately  and  I  was rather disappointed with the chorus too.

American Kurt Streit has been one of the best  Idomeneos of the last  15 years, for me. His voice never was outstanding for its beauty, but he was a magnificent Mozart tenor. Many in the audience would still remember his performance in this same role at Teatro de la Zarzuela. Both then (1996) and  in Bilbao some years later, Kurt Streit demonstrated that he was the Idomeneo of his generation. Later still, he decided to  expand his repertoire, singing Wagner (Dutchman) Janacek (Jenufa, Kabanova), Weber (Euryanthe), Cherubini (Medea) and Berlioz (Trojans). Today he is not quite what he was before:  his voice suffers in the higher register  but  maintains its agility, although not at the spectacular level of years ago. He is still a good Idomeneo, but not an exceptional one now.

The second Idomeneo was  South African Kobie Van Rensburg, who has made  this role a speciality recently. He is a good interpreter, with outstanding vocal agility, but  the voice does not offer a particularly beautiful timbre nor is its volume very large big. He sang a very good “Fuor del mar” but had problems in the second half, even in recitatives, showing signs of fatigue or perhaps of not feeling well. He recovered very well for the final scene.

For the premiere we had  Bernarda Fink as Idamante, who  was reliable, musical but little more.  The Italian Cinzia Forte was a reasonable Ilia  without any special vocal interest. Neither of them was able applauded for  their arias.

Joyce DiDonato was the second Idamante and she was a real luxury. There will be people who  prefer her in a different  repertoire, but there is no doubt that she is an admirable singer, with a gorgeous instrument, magnificently handled, although occasionally short on volume. I would say that these days, only Susan Graham and Veselina Kasarova are competitors for her in this role.

Maria Bayo was a convincing Ilia for the second performance. During the first half she  insisted on emphasising  vocal volume too much, singing excessively forte the Aria “Padre, germani, addio” and something similar happened with her aria “Il padre  perdei”. She was very much improved in the second part of the opera, singing  “Zeffiretti lusinghieri” wonderfully : here she became a magnificent Ilia.

British soprano Emma Bell made a remarkable Elettra, singing with big intensity and a good power of  transmission, although her high notes are not particularly briglliant.  The Georgian Iano Tama, was once also a good Elettra, singing with a voice that showed abeautiful dark center.  Two excellent interpreters then, particularly Emma Bell.

Arbace was  the American Charles Workman, who showed once again rather poor voca quality , but he sang his third act aria with great taste -   the  of the first aria was cut.

Eduardo Santamaría sang a good  Priest of Neptune and  Neptune's Voice (recorded) was no less than René Pape´s: he recorded it while singing in Tristan last January.

There was a full house for both days. The first day audience gave a cool reception to all the artists, while there was a much warmer  reaction on the second  day. The biggest successes were for Joyce DiDonato,  Maria Bayo and Emma Bell. The creative team  received sonorous booings

José M. Irurzun


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