Roberto Devereux is not one of Donizetti’s more popular operas
but the score contains some very beautiful passages. The mood,
however, is tragic, sombre and intensely dramatic, possibly reflecting
the composer’s grief over the death of his wife, who had passed
away one month prior to the completion of the opera. The libretto
is by Salvatore Cammarano (1801-1852), after the play “Elisabeth
d’Angleterre” by François Ancelot (1794-1854). The work has great
power and Donizetti created one of the most striking roles for
soprano in the character of Elizabeth I. The vocal line for the
Queen effectively illustrates her tortured soul, her rage and
her internal conflict; she is deeply in love with a man who is
accused of treason, Roberto (of the title), the Earl of Essex.
Elizabeth’s characterization is so powerful that it overshadows
everything else in the opera, even the part of Roberto and the
tender, more lyrical line of the love between him and Sara. It
is a star role for a soprano; the singing is demanding and technically
difficult, with extreme coloratura requirements, physically
exhausting both in musical and dramatic terms. The whole opera
rests on the shoulders of the soprano for it is Elizabeth who
carries the plot and who ultimately is the real tragic figure.
The execution of Roberto and Sara’s grief over his death are sad,
cruel moments of intense suffering but it is the tortured mind
of the Queen, her lovelorn heart and her final desperation that
best illustrate the fragility of human life and the overwhelming
pain of losing somebody that one deeply loved. Personally, I think
that this was Donizetti’s attempt of coming to terms with his
own grief and perhaps, for this reason, the opera is dramatically
convincing throughout even though the plot takes many liberties
with history.
This 2-CD offer
from Naxos was recorded live in 2006, in Bergamo, Donizetti’s
home town. The sound is excellent; the emotive, dramatic power
of the opera comes across effectively and the performances are
genuinely intense and expressive. The work would definitely
have benefited, however, if a decision had been made to reduce
the amount of applause captured on the discs. I actually enjoy
hearing enthusiastic applause in a live recording; it makes
the listening experience all the more authentic, but to have
it nearly all the time, after an aria, a duet or one of the
superb ensembles, is superfluous and slightly distracting. I
believe that limiting it to perhaps a couple of the more spectacular
arias and the end of each act would have enhanced the listening
experience and the impact of the work.
The cast of this
production is a distinguished one, formed of singers who are
not world famous but nevertheless, very effective and dramatically
eloquent. Naxos has also issued this recording on DVD and I
would like to watch it, just to admire some of the performances
live, as on the CD they appear rather powerful. Dimitra Theodossiou,
who plays the Queen, is a Greek soprano, best known in Italy
where she has performed in all the major theatres, including
La Scala in Milan. Outside Italy, she is a little less known
but she has performed various leading roles to critical acclaim
in Lisbon, Zurich and Vienna. Her interpretation of Elizabeth
I, in this Naxos recording, is effective and powerful, particularly
in the final parts of Act III when the Queen becomes emotionally
unhinged. Her voice is beautifully dark and expressively tortured
throughout the opera and her rendition is particularly excellent
in the trio with Roberto and the Duke of Nottingham in Act II,
and in the scene that follows where she signs Roberto’s death
warrant. Theodossiou has here one of her finest moments and
when she dismisses Essex, the storm raging inside her is so
vividly depicted in her singing that one is left numb, as if
one’s blood has congealed in one’s veins. Regrettably, while
her voice is flawless in its lowest and middle ranges, in its
highest it does not always live up to expectation. She possesses
an assured coloratura; however a slight strident tone
in the most demanding passages is clearly audible. Here, she
compares unfavourably with Edita Gruberova who recorded the
role (I believe in 1994) and also sang it on stage (as recently
as June 2008), creating a bench mark, with her gorgeous, effortless
singing, which makes it a tough act to follow for any other
soprano. Massimiliano Pisapia as Roberto is very good, audibly
making a believable Earl of Essex for whom Elizabeth could fall.
I would like to see him on stage, as from the CD it is impossible
to say if he would have the same effect when seen and not just
heard. His warm, flexible and expressive tenor voice is at its
best in the tender moments with Sara, the Duchess of Nottingham
who he is in love with. However, Pisapia’s rendition of the
aria Come uno spirto angelico, in Act III, sung when
Roberto is alone in the tower, awaiting his death and dreaming
of defending Sara’s chastity to her husband, is not only beautifully
poignant but also moving. The other members of the cast all
give very effective, solid performances, notably Federica Bragaglia,
as Sara, who sounds suitably sweet and innocent, in particular
during the tender moments with Roberto; and especially American
baritone, Andrew Schroeder, who is excellent as the vindictive
Duke of Nottingham. His voice is colourful and clear, with threatening
nuances when the music and the plot so demand but also capable
of warmth, making his performance, alongside those by Theodossiou
and Pisapia, very convincing.
Marcello Rota is
a distinguished, talented conductor, with an illustrious career
that features some of the best orchestras in the world and the
most renowned opera houses. He is a very good conductor of opera
with a strong dramatic sense. This comes across in his powerful
interpretation of Donizetti’s score, assuredly leashing the
singers in an emotionally intense rendition but never losing
sight of the impact of Donizetti’s music. Rota leads the orchestra
and chorus of the Bergamo Musica Festival in an excellent performance.
He conducts with clarity, conscious of the sound, making it
luminous at times or wonderfully subtle to cushion the soloists’
voices to best effect.
All that is left
for me to say is that while this recording of Donizetti’s Roberto
Devereux is perhaps not memorable, it is nevertheless an
achievement that contains brilliance as well as powerful, dramatic
expression. Donizetti’s score lacks the graceful charm of his
comic operas, like La fille du régiment or L’elisir
d’amore, but it is rich in beautiful, at times, unusual
melodies and interesting orchestrations, which always make for
enjoyable listening. This live recording from Naxos does it
absolute justice and, at only £8.99, it is very good value for
money.
Margarida
Mota-Bull