It is axiomatic that
hindsight is the most accurate of observations.
With its benefit many commentators have
ascribed to Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux
an intensity of musical power and compositional
complexity not found in Donizetti’s
earlier works. These qualities, it is
suggested, owe much to the personal
tragedies afflicting the composer’s
life during its composition. These involved
the stillbirth of a son, the third consecutive
post partum death his wife had suffered,
and her own demise a few weeks later.
Medically, it is conceivable that the
children’s deaths were related to the
syphilis that Donizetti carried, and
doubtless transmitted to his wife. The
tertiary stage of this infection was
the cause of Donizetti’s mental deterioration
and institutionalisation less than ten
years later and contributed to his early
death aged 51.
As is usual with Opera
Rara, some of these matters and contemporary
performances are examined in a scholarly
essay in the detailed booklet (pp. 11-63).
However, more cynical commentators have
said that Roberto Devereux is ‘Lucia’
(1835) without the tunes. Whilst not
denying Lucia’s popularity, it
lacks the musical cohesiveness found
in Devereux that in many ways links
with the earlier ‘Anna Bolena’ (1830).
By the mid-1830s, and in full command
of his dramatic gifts, Donizetti had
begun to subordinate mere vocal display
to the needs of the drama. Cohesiveness
rather than intensity is, in my view,
the better description of the qualities
of Roberto Devereux.
The libretto was by
Salvatore Cammarano who provided the
words for ‘Lucia’ and five other operatic
works composed by Donizetti between
1836 and 1838. The libretto is clear
in action and characterisation. Though
pandering to the 19th century
Italian romantic taste for tales of
Tudor England, which allowed for period
costumes, kings, queens, dungeons and
great romantic passions, the plot was
taken from a French tragedy by Jacques
Ancelot. Mercadante had earlier set
Ancelot’s text to music to a libretto
by Felice Romani (1833). The premiere
took place on 28th October
1837 at the San Carlo Theatre, Naples.
It was a resounding success and was
performed all around Italy as well as
in Paris (1838), London, Brussels, Amsterdam
(all in 1840), and New York (1863).
In simple form the
plot concerns variations on a normal
operatic love triangle. The Queen loves
Roberto who in turn loves Sara. The
Queen forced Sara to marry Nottingham
whilst Roberto was away fighting in
Ireland. On his return Roberto is accused
of treachery and threatened with death
by Parliament. The Queen assures him
that if ever his life is in danger he
has only to return a ring she had given
him so as to ensure his safety. Roberto
subsequently gives the ring to Sara
in an exchange of tokens. Sara is prevented
from delivering it to the Queen by her
husband who believes her guilty of infidelity
with his erstwhile friend. Meanwhile
in a powerful prison scene Roberto awaits
his release on delivery of the ring
(CD2 trs. 10-12). By the time the Queen
discovers the reason for the ring’s
non-arrival Roberto has been executed.
Knowing the plot, I
simply glanced at the cast list before
loading CD 1. It was only then that
I got the first of two, not wholly pleasant
surprises. The first was evident in
the first few minutes of the overture
(CD 1 tr.1). The sound was not of the
usual Opera Rara standard being much
more closed and lacking in ‘airiness’.
The second surprise came at the end
of the sinfonia in the form of applause.
I had wrongly assumed it was a standard
Opera Rara studio recording. In fact
it is a recording made live at a concert
performance given at The Royal Opera
House, Covent Garden, London in July
2002. Covent Garden is a notoriously
difficult recording venue, which probably
accounts for my observations regarding
the sound. Whether Opera Rara, with
their well known predilection for rarely
performed Donizetti were simply opportunistic
in making the recording, or if economics
determined a joint venture, I do not
know. However, the constant intrusion
of applause at the conclusion of arias
etc. is a considerable drawback to appreciation
of the dramatic cohesion and flow of
the whole. As to the singers, my feelings
are distinctly mixed. Nelly Miricioiu,
who sings Elisabetta, is a great favourite
in London and with Opera Rara for whom
she has recorded a number of bel canto
roles. Her strong characterisations
are achieved by mastery of vocal style
and technique matched by a voice capable
of many colours across its wide range.
She conveys Elisabetta’s moods of affection,
frustration and anguish with her usual
consummate skill. The bad news is that
time is taking its toll. Legato, never
Miricioiu’s strongest suit, is variable
and there are times when the tone is
distinctly thin. At the start of the
cabaletta ‘Un lampo’ (CD1 tr. 9) the
tone is too thin and not ideally steady
and would doubtless have been corrected
in a studio recording. As Roberto, José
Bros has a rather thin tight tone (CD1
tr.7), although his voice opens up and
his rendering of his aria in the prison
scene (CD2 tr. 11) is rapturously and
noisily received! However, his is not
a bel-canto voice. It lacks the capacity
to start a phrase with elegance and
carry it forward with evenness. These
skills should be in the compass of the
well covered, full, if slightly throaty
tone of Roberto Frontali as the Duke
of Nottingham. He persists in using
his vocal strengths too loudly and the
effect becomes wearing. Variation of
weight and tone of voice are heard to
benefit in Sonia Ganassi’s Sara. Hers
is bel-canto singing of quality, with
subtle variations of tone, modulation
and phrasing used to convey character
and situation. She launches her scene
with Roberto (CD1 trs 13-15) with the
ideal support of the voice, smooth legato
and the elegance of phrasing that is
lacking in both her lover and husband’s
portrayals. Her clear even enunciation
also serves to accentuate José
Bros’s nasality when he joins in. However,
he, unlike Frontali, can and does sing
softly from time to time. The conductor
Maurizio Benini shapes the music well
and supports, even over-indulges, his
singers. It is difficult however, to
comment on his grasp of the total dramatic
structure of the work given so many
interruptions for applause.
I have noted the scholarly
booklet essay by Jeremy Commons (pp.11-63).
There is also a good synopsis and performance
history. The libretto is given in full
with English translation. I have to
write however, that I did not find it
easy following the libretto particularly
when singers duet or there are reprises.
Opera Rara needs to indicate these situations.
Nor am I greatly enamoured of the many
colour plates of the participants in
costume, formal concert dress or rehearsal
casual. I would have preferred some
up-to-date artist profiles replacing
at least some of these. The performance
listing shows that Beverly Sills sang
the role of Elisabetta at the New York
City Opera in 1966 and Edita Gruberova
at Barcelona in 1990. Both singers recorded
the role. Sills’ 1967 recording, with
a good supporting cast was reissued
by DG a couple of years ago. I failed
to find a copy. I also had difficulty
with Gruberova’s 1995 interpretation
on the Nightingale label. My copy included
that rare CD occurrence, a defective,
unplayable, disc; the replacement never
arrived! Both singers offer different
interpretations to Nelly Miricioiu.
Sills is very secure in the coloratura
but lacks much tonal colour or dramatic
expression. Gruberova, also secure above
the stave, gives a more balanced and
involving interpretation but lacks the
variety of vocal colour that Miricioiu
has in abundance. The rest of the Nightingale
cast are variable although the Roberto
is superior. All in all, given its ready
availability and particularly Nelly
Miricioiu’s more dramatic interpretation,
this is the version to go for despite
the drawback of the frequent interruptions
of applause.
Robert J Farr
Chorus and Orchestra of The Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden, London/Maurizio Benini 