Good taste, that old spoilsport did his best to discredit the Italian double note. Cav and Pag. It didn’t work. These operas will never lose their appeal. In fact, they have more power than ever before. Pietro Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana (1889) and Ruggero Leoncavallo Pagliacci (1892), one-hit wonders for their composers, depict crimes of passion in impoverished village communities, with soaring music to match. The novelty of seeing ordinary people on the opera stage caused a popular sensation when the works were new. The perceived vulgarity and vulgarity of the stories only added pungency.
Damiano Michieletto’s 2015 production, set in post-war Italy, returns to the Royal Opera House for a third revival with a stellar cast under the direction of Daniel Oren. Animation director Noa Naamat’s depiction of violence against women, perhaps heightened post-#MeToo, is brutal. A turn is used in every opera in Paolo Fantin’s designs. Inside Cavalleria rusticana (Rustic chivalry) An effigy of the Madonna is carried in front of the village bakery for the Easter parade, while hot adultery is performed behind it. clowns in Pagliacci put on a show in the school hall. Backstage and front spin cleverly like a sadist Noise Off.
An opera company is not an idea or a building. It is a group of highly skilled people who make the magic happen on stage
Inside tinderSlowly moving but once stirred into a whirlwind of emotion, Roberto Alagna showed continued vocal prowess as Turiddu, his mother’s son and village stud; And Aleksandra Kurzak (she and Alagna are married) was hot as the rejected Santuzza. Returning as Mamma Lucia, Elena Zilio once again triumphed as the Italian widow-mother archetype. Cuckold Alfio and Rachael Wilson are flirtatious and convincing as his freewheeling wife Lola, while Dmitri Platanias creates a whirlwind of cold fury.
In both operas, only Platanias takes the stage and turns into Tonio, the creepy weasel in the opera. Pagliacci. Tenor Jorge de León makes his notable ROH debut as the villainous Canio; His high notes were wild and accurate, and Anna Princeva was impressive as his young wife Nedda. The choir work was masterful and well choreographed. The orchestra, conducted by Ören, who always leaves a bad impression but does a respectable job, revealed the bright colors of these two passionate works. This is a stylish show worth seeing.
The rest of this column should have been devoted to two seasonal events: Bach’s Christmas OratorioPerformed over two evenings by the Age of Enlightenment Orchestra and OAE choir, conducted with fervent humility by Bach authority Masaaki Suzuki; and Handel ChristSung by Sixteen, directed by Harry Christophers. In Bach the young soloists stood out from the strong vocal ensemble of 15, led by the clear, expressive, but unstylish Guy Cutting (tenor), a first-rate Evangelist. Her sister, countertenor Hugh Cut, soprano Jessica Cale and bass Florian Störtz were equally distinctive with their lively instrumental solos from OAE.
Expanded to 18 singers, Sixteen had a bigger, warmer, different but equally exciting sound. Handel’s masterpiece is their basic repertoire. You hear it in every note. Christophers allowed the work to breathe and was blessed with particularly brilliant upper voice soloists such as Hilary Cronin (soprano) and Helen Charlston (alto).
Pardon the brevity. News that English National Opera will move to Manchester in 2029 should be included. Greater Manchester has a population of under 3 million. Greater London has close to 10 million people but apparently can’t sustain two major opera companies. An outstanding and focused organisation, Opera North performs regularly in Salford. Everyone – ENO, the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, the Labor council and mayor, the new Factory International, the Lowry, Arts Council England, Opera North and for good measure the government, the National Theater and the Royal Opera House, a few more according to the press release pleased.
We must assume that everyone except ENO’s choir, orchestra and technical staff, whose future is bleak and whose collective voice remains unheard. The opera company is not an idea. It’s not a team of managers either. Or a building, even a building as troublesome but beloved as the Colosseum. They are a group of highly talented musicians and behind-the-scenes magicians who make it all happen with their hard-earned expertise. They give the company its identity, its character, its voice, its sense of community, its quality, its soul, its ethics, its heart. If they are happy and excited, I will be too. I reserve my judgment for now.
Star ratings (out of five)
Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci ★★★★
OAE/Suzuki: Christmas Oratorio ★★★★
Sixteen: Messiah ★★★★