Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Simon Boccanegra - Melodrama in a Prologue and Three Acts.
(Revised 1881 Edition)
Simon Boccanegra, a sometime corsair and Doge of Genoa – Placido Domingo (tenor);
Maria Boccanegra, Simon’s daughter known as Amelia Grimaldi - Marina Poplavskaya
(soprano); Jacapo Fiesco, a Genoese nobleman - Ferruccio Furlanetto (bass);
Gabrielle Adorno, a Genoese gentleman in love with Maria – Joseph Calleja
(tenor); Paolo Albiani, a courtier – Jonathan Summers (baritone); Pietro,
another courtier – Lukas Jokobski (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of The Royal Opera House/Antonio Pappano
Directed by Elijah Moshinsky. Set Design by Michael Yeargan. Costumes by Peter
J Hall
rec. live, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 2, 5, 13 July 2010
Region free NTSC Colour. Filmed in HD 50i 16:9 widescreen. For playback on
all NTSC and PAL systems worldwide.
Sound formats, LPCM Stereo. Dts 5.1 surround
Booklet essay and synopsis in English, French, German and Spanish
Subtitles for introduction and bonuses in Italian (sung language), English,
German, French and Spanish
EMI CLASSICS DVD 9 178259 5 [2 DVDs: 171:00 including
bonuses]
It was during Verdi’s presence in Paris in 1855 for the production of Les
Vêpres Siciliennes that he accepted a commission from the Teatro la Fenice
in Venice for the 1856-57 season. He decided on the subject of Simon Boccanegra,
based like Il Trovatore on a play by Guttiérrez. It was ideal for Verdi,
involving a parent-child relationship and revolutionary politics in which
he had always involved himself in occupied Italy. Given the political background
of the subject, and despite the action being set in 14th century
Genoa, the censors gave Verdi and his librettist, Piave, a hard time. The
composer held out and the opera was premiered on 12 March 1857. It was, in
Verdi’s own words “a greater fiasco than La Traviata”, whose failure
could be attributed to casting and was quickly reversed. The critics of the
time wrote about the gloomy subject-matter and the lack of easily remembered
arias and melodies. A production at Naples went better, but that at La Scala
in 1859 was a bigger disaster than Venice. The composer had moved his musical
idiom much too far for his audiences and he wrote, “The music of
Boccanegra is of a kind that does not make its effect immediately. It is very
elaborate, written with the most exquisite craftsmanship and needs to be studied
in all its details.” Verdi’s regard for his composition, and he was his
own sternest critic, meant that although the work fell into neglect, the possibility
of revision and revival was never far from his mind. In 1880 he had written
nothing substantial since his Requiem in 1874 and no opera since Aida
ten years earlier. His publisher, Ricordi, raised the subject of a re-write
of Boccanegra. Although in private he was seriously considering Boito’s
proposals for an Otello opera, in public he gave the impression that
he had hung up his pen. When Ricordi told Verdi that Boito, who was providing
him with synopses and suggestions for Otello, would himself revise
the libretto, the composer agreed to undertake the task. The secret project,
code-named ‘Chocolate’, in fact the future Otello, was put on hold.
The revised Simon Boccanegra was a triumph at La Scala on 24 March
1881 and it is in this later form that we know the opera today and which is
featured on this recording.
Those who are conversant with Verdi’s opera, but not up to date with the goings-on
in the opera world, might look askance at the casting. A tenor singing this
title role? Well yes, although not many other so-called tenors would think
about it. But, having more or less met every other tenorial challenge in the
repertoire, around one hundred and forty roles at the last count, and recorded
most of them, he, pushing seventy, has been looking around for new challenges
rather than resting his vocal chords. Domingo, like Bergonzi and others, started
off as a baritone and in the early nineteen-nineties recorded Figaro in Rossini’s
Il Barbiere for DG. However, there is a massive difference between
the demands of that lyrical baritone role and the title role in Boccanegra,
one of Verdi’s most dramatic. Although he could always lighten his tone for
the likes of Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore whilst contemporaneously
singing Verdi’s ultimate tenor challenge, Otello, in the heavier roles
he undertook Domingo’s voice always had a baritonal hue and strength at the
bottom of its range. That said, and whatever its baritonal strengths, Domingo’s
voice simply cannot bring the necessary vocal heft to the big dramatic outburst
in the Council Chamber scene when Boccanegra seeks to dominate the assembled
crowd as he sings Plebe! Patrizi! Popolo (Disc 1 CH.19). Likewise when
Boccanegra then circles and causes Paolo to curse Amelia’s abductor, in fact
himself (CH.20). This latter, in particular, should send a tingle of fear
down ones spine and, at least vocally, it does not although with Domingo’s
acting it has its own similar effect. But here is also the paradox in his
performance. As an acted portrayal Domingo’s Boccanegra is among the finest
on record despite his not have the sheer vocal heft and baritonal depth that
Verdi envisaged. Doubtless this owes much to his singing of the role in Berlin,
Milan and New York before arriving to sing in London. Add his normal meticulous
preparation for any role, and particularly a new one, and the outcome is reflected
in his assumption. Domingo conveys the totality of the character in his demeanour
and acting and also vocally in the many more lyric pages of the score. Overall,
and putting aside the issue of baritone or tenor, Domingo gives a penetrating
and convincing interpretation of one of the great Verdi roles.
Among the most lyric parts of the role of Boccanegra are in the two recognition
duets: that between the Doge and his daughter, and no composer does father
– daughter duets better than Verdi (Disc 1 CH.13), and that with Fiesco in
the final act (Disc 2 CH.14). Verdi used to spend every winter in Genoa and
in this production would hardly recognise the venue that is so beautifully
characterised in the music of the prelude to Act One and Amelia’s aria that
follows (Disc 1 CHs.8-9). The rather large spaces militate against the poignant
intimacy of the first of those duets and where the two realise their relationship.
In the second duet with his daughter in act two, when Amelia pleads for clemency
for Adorno, a sworn enemy of Boccanegra, Domingo is a drawback although, as
he melts before her pleas, the lyricism becomes dominant. As Amelia, Marina
Poplavskaya, Elisabetta in the recently issued DVD of the 2008 performances
of Don Carlo (see review),
is an appealing stage presence, good actress and secure vocalist. If she doesn’t
match Kiri Te Kanawa, who I saw in an earlier production in the early 1970s
and where the sea was more appropriately present in the prelude to Act One,
few others have done so since. In those performances I was lucky enough to
see the non-pareil Boris Christoff as Fiesco, the only Verdi role apart from
Philip in Visconti’s Don Carlo in which the great Bulgarian was cast
at Covent Garden (see review),
and also Ruggero Raimondi. On this occasion Ferruccio Furlanetto matches neither
of them, nor is he secure vocally in the prologue aria Il lacerato spirito
(Disc 1 CH.4) as he was as Philip in the 2008 Don Carlo recording. He does
improve in sonority and steadiness and is more impressive in Act Two as he
faces the evil Paolo (Disc 2 CH.3) and in the confrontation and reconciliation
with the dying Boccanegra in the final act (Disc 2 CHs. 11-18). As Amelia’s
lover, Gabriele Adorno, Joseph Calleja sings with virile expressive lyric
tenor tone. His rather chunky appearance militates against the portrayal of
the ideal ardent lover. Jonathan Summers as the scheming and lusting Paolo,
who poisons Simon, rather over-eggs the cake with an excess of eye-bulging
to go with his rather dry tone.
The Royal Opera Chorus and Orchestra under Antonio Pappano deservedly share
the limelight with Domingo, the conductor seeming to have a natural flair
for Verdi’s drama with a fine balance between the lyric and more dramatic
parts.
The accompanying leaflet has an essay by Anthony Alabaster and a synopsis
in English, French and German. The essay titled Citizen Verdi, seeks
to draw a link between the composer’s views and involvement in Italian politics
and the influence on various operas, particularly this one. Although informative,
the space might have been better used for the majority of purchasers by the
inclusion of a Chapter Listing and Timings; their absence is, I suggest,
a disgrace!; ships and tar come to mind. For readers’ information these are
as follows: - Disc 1. Prologue (CHs.2-6); Act One Scene One (Chs.8-15);
Act One Scene 2, The Council Chamber scene (CHs. 17-20). Disc 2.
Act Two (CHs.2-9); Act Three (CHs.11-18). In between the acts and scenes there
are brief behind-curtain views and comments by Pappano. A more extensive bonus
of two titles, Working with Placido Domingo and Rehearsals with
Elijah Moshinsky are contained on Disc 1 (CH.7): nearly four minutes and
six respectively. The advertising blurb says there is an additional audio
function that features introductions to each of the opera's scenes (in English
with subtitles); it escaped my somewhat irritated search unless they mean
the brief interval visits behind the scenes I refer to above.
Robert J Farr
Forget that Verdi wrote the title role for a baritone and enjoy Domingo’s
penetrating acted assumption of the role despite the compromises this involves.