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Rossini, Il Viaggio a Reims: Soloists,  Bizkaiko Orkestra Sinfonikoa, Conductor: Alberto Zedda, Teatro Arriaga de Bilbao. 17.12.2008 (JMI)

Production from Madrid’s Teatro Real in collaboration with Festival Rossini de Pesaro

Direction: Emilio Sagi
Stage elements: Emilio Sagi
Costumes: Pepa Ojanguren
Lighting: Eduardo Bravo

Cast:
Madame Cortese: Ellie Dehn, soprano
Corinna: Auxiliadora Toledano, soprano
C.Folleville: Rocío Ignacio, soprano
M.Melibea: Lola Casariego, mezzo-soprano
C.Liebenskof: Maxim Mironov, tenor
Ch.Belfiore: Yi Yie Shi,tenor
Lord Sydney: David Menéndez, bass
Don Profondo: Savio Sperandio, bass
B.Trombonok: Valeriano Lanchas, bass
Don Alvaro: Troy Cook, baritone
Don Prudenzio: Carlos García-Ruiz, bass

The recovery of Il Viaggio a Reims was a major cultural event in 1984 with the unforgettable Ronconi production and the sort of all star cast that is unimaginable nowadays.  Over the years, this opera has become a vehicle which offers young people the opportunity to show their talent and Pesaro’s Rossini Festival started this trend by offering the production to Emilio Sagi.  These  days the same thing is happening in France, and takes Il Viaggio a Reims on tour to several different cities in a production by the young Italian Nicola Berlofa and also  featuring a young cast.  In my view, it would be a very good idea to have Sagi’s production touring Spain  too with a cast of promising young singers.

This performance gave us the opportunity to see Emilio Sagi’s creation once more – and this is probably the most profitable production in the history of opera. It is a very simple interpretation, and shows that you do not need to spend masses of money to offer something attractive on stage. Good use of imagination and good work with actors is the key in this case, as it should be always. The production itself consists of a footbridge elevated over the front of the stage, with a simple  painted curtain at the back and a row of sun loungers. The action takes place in a spa, where the different customers take their thermal baths dressed in simple white bathrobes, while the employees wear white uniforms. In the second act, everybody changes the bathrobes for black formal dresses, with the ladies wearing very funny hats.  For all its simplicity,  the production works very well thanks to the excellent work that Sagi does with all the singers, so that the action does  keeps one  interested at all times.

Veteran Alberto Zedda was in charge of the musical direction. I will never forget the first time that I saw him conducting this opera, about eight years ago in Corunna and it was a magical performance. To have Alberto Zedda in the pit of Teatro Arriaga and conducting Rossini is an genuine luxury for local spectators, and it would not be too much to say that he could even be considered Rossini’s ambassador to the world. His work was good, although not at the same level as years ago although It is also true to say that the orchestra was not the same and that makes a big difference. I must add however that the ensemble of young musicians sounded better than on other occasions in the past.

American soprano Ellie Dehn cannot be described as ‘promising’  since she already has a firm reputation as a singer. She was a very good Madame Cortese, showing a pleasant voice and a very good technique. Countess Folleville was Rocío Ignacio, whose performance was a very pleasant surprise. I found her much better than I had expected and I believe she is not been fully appreciated by opera theatres in Spain.

Auxiliadora Toledano was a good Corinna, with vocal characteristics similar to Ms. Ignacio. The role of the poetess is a real gift for a young soprano, although Ms. Toledano had some problems with the last verses in praise of Charles X.  On the other hand, Lola Casariego was once again the Marquise Melibea, and she was rather disappointing. She was vocally rather weak and I do not understand her presence in this cast.

Count Liebenskof was the Russian tenor Maxim Mironov, as in Pésaro in 2006. He is a very good light tenor, singing with very good taste and an exceptional breath control. His main problem is that his voice is quite small which can be a serious handicap in any big house. Chevalier Belfiore was sung by the Chinese Yi Yie Shi.  At 25, this light tenor offers a pleasant voice, also on the small side, but with exceptional abilities as an actor.

The bass clef was not very well served. David Menéndez was again Lord Sydney and he was correct with the notes, although his voice is not to my liking. Brazilian Savio Sperandio was a Don Profondo without the necessary vocal weight. Valeriano Lanchas is a very appropriate singer for secondary roles, but Baron de Trombonok is too much for him.  American Troy Cook, as Don Alvaro, offered a pleasant light baritone, but his voice is not very well projected and can lose  audience interest.

In the secondary roles,  the best came from Carlos García-Ruiz as Don Prudenzio. It is a pity that his high register has not the same quality as the middle range.

It seems that the arrival of Emilio Sagi to Arriaga  had  a positive effect at the box office. There were few empty seats, although at the same time at the big Palacio Euskalduna there was Joyce DiDonato in concert. (Some co-ordination between both theatres would be welcome to prevent these clashes). The biggest ovations went to the three sopranos, both tenors and Maestro Zedda.

Jose M Irurzun

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