SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Cast: 

Norma: Violeta Urmana.

Adalgisa: Sonia Ganassi.

Pollione: Franceso Hong.

Oroveso: Carlo Colombara.

Clotilde: Sandra Ferrández.

Flavio: Andrés Veramendi.

 

 

 

There was a time when I was very disappointed when an opera belonging to the main repertoire was offered in concert version. With passing years I am now more inclined to accept it, provided that there is enough musical and vocal interest to justify the absence of a stage production. And since, with very few exceptions, it is almost impossible these days to see great opera singers in staged belcanto operas, I now consider the concert as a good substitute, provided that the musical and vocal quality matches the standards that these operas require.

 

The presence in the cast of Violeta Urmana and Sonia Ganassi largely explained Teatro Real’s slightly curious decision to go ahead with a Norma in concert version. If I am not mistaken, it is more than 30 years since has not been performed in Madrid at either the Teatro Real or Teatro de la Zarzuela.

 

The musical direction was entrusted to the always effective Italian conductor Massimo Zanetti. This time things worked much better than on some other occasions and this is probably the best performance I remember from him: in addition to perfectly controlled direction, he supported his singers very well and he drew an excellent performance from the orchestra along with one of the best results I can remember from the Teatro Royal’s chorus. Altogether this was an excellent musical version.

 

Violeta Urmana sang Norma and was clearly the main reason to program this concert. Hers was a remarkable interpretation, if not one that was completely convincing. Without entering in the discussion whether Ms Urmana is a soprano or a mezzo, I have always been convinced that she is always at her best in high mezzo roles. Norma requires a dramatic soprano with agility in the second part of the opera, while the first half requires a lyric soprano with outstanding coloratura and an easy top. In short, a true soprano is needed. Ms Urmana clearly has soprano notes, but this does not make her ideal for many sopranos roles or even some of those that she sings regularly. There was an announcement of her indisposition before the concert started and regardless of other possible health problems, I wondered if she might be suffering from “Norma virus”, as so many of her colleagues have suffered in the past. Ms Urmana is an important Norma however, despite needing better coloratura and a brighter top register. Too metallic this time and almost shouting occasionally, she was at her best in the opera’s second.

 

In a sense, we had two Adalgisas on stage, one more dramatic than the other but Sonia Ganassi was an ideal interpreter of the young priestess. When this Reggio Emilia born mezzo soprano is in the cast, the opera could almostbe called Adalgisa, even though she stops singing after the second duet with Norma. Sonia Ganassi was superb, as she always is in this role. She is an irreproachable singer with a beautiful voice, and she is in full control of all registers and modulations, giving great meaning to every phrase, even every word. She was magnificent in her duets with Norma and Pollione, as she was in the recitative “Sgombra è la sacra selva”. Fantastic, Ms Ganassi!

 

The Korean tenor Francesco Hong offered a valiant Pollione with a tendency to sing forte and without too much in the way of nuances. One cannot be too severe with any tenor who tackles this role which many of the great names do not want to sing and Mr Hong certainly sang better than in Bilbao a few months ago. Carlo Colombara made a convincing Oroveso. This good singer continues to offer a very pleasant voice in the middle range, with an elegant line and this time his usual problems in the high notes were much less noticeable: altogether much better than I expected.

 

In the supporting roles, Sandra Fernandez was good as Clotilde, with a pleasant and well projected voice and the young Peruvian tenor Andres Veramendi made a promising Flavio.

 

The Teatro Real was sold out, despite the fact that the warm weather in Madrid was not ideal for the theatre. There were applause and cheers during the concert, and at the final bows the reception was nothing less than triumphant. Sonia Ganassi and Violeta Urmana were loudly acclaimed while Maestro Zanetti, the orchestra and chorus shared in the general success.

 

José M Irurzun

Picture © Javier del Real