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02/04/2012
Giuseppe Verdi: La forza del destino
Nina Stemme (Leonora), Salvatore Licitra (Don Alvaro), Don Carlo di Vargas (Carlos Álvarez), Alastair Miles (Marquis of Calatrava/Father Superior), Nadia Krasteva (Preziosilla), Tiziano Bracci (Fra Melitone), Elisabeta Marin (Curra), Dan Paul Dumitrescu (Alcalde), Michael Roider (Trabuco), Clemens Unterreiner (Surgeon), Wiener Staatsopernchor, Thomas Lang (Choir Director), Wiener Staatsopernorchester, Zubin Mehta (Conductor), David Pountney (Director), Richard Hudson (Set and Costume Designer), Fabrice Kebour (Lighting Designer), Beate Vollack (Choreographer), Karina Fibich (Video Director)
Recorded live at the Vienna State Opera (March 1, 2008) – 161’
C Major Entertainment #708108 – Booklet in English, German and French. Subtitles available in Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese and Korean







Fate has a way of creeping into opera exponentially, but one of the best examples is found in Giuseppe Verdi’s La forza del destino. Although this David Pountney production engulfs in striking, abstract form, there are elements which make one take pause.



What this La forza del destino has is a core of powerful, established singers. So solid, in fact, one could black out Richard Hudson’s set design and still get the point across. Nina Stemme convinces us of her torment and anguish, pouring heart and soul into her Leonora. On equal caliber is Carlos Álvarez’s Don Carlo who seethes with such visceral anger that it’s credibly frightening while the late Salvatore Licitra delivers a grounded and respectable rendition as Leonora’s lover Don Alvaro. Wearing two hats is Alastair Miles. His broadened bass voice spots him in perfect queue as the Marquis and Father Superior even though Hudson’s conservative business suit boringly and confusingly duplicates as a “one size fits all.” By dressing Nadia Krasteva in a gun slinging cowboy spread only adds to her uneventful, buffoonish Preziosilla.



The Vienna State Opera Orchestra provides a stellar interpretation under the direction of Zubin Mehta. Accentuation is impeccable, especially in the “Overture” with Fibich’s camera focusing on the dizzying bass strings’ fretwork in the final measures. Setting-wise, La forza del destino has its challenges, and Hudson unobtrusively allows each scene to gracefully transform by using a circular raked stage.



But bringing the 1861 original score into an amalgam of 20th century dress is a bit of a stretch and rather disparaging. Preziosilla leads an entourage of ridiculously clad cowboys and cowgirls in the opening “Al suon del tamburo” that makes it look like we’re in a production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Simultaneously on stage are pilgrims donning saturated red pageboy-like outfits, stoically flailing bibles around their bodies. The black cross motif is well engraved, from bibles to Western boots. Topping off the clutter we find a scrim projecting black and white footage of World War I airplanes doing battle and the flying bullet that hit and killed the Marquis of Calatrava. The chorus’ choreography (or lack thereof) comes across unrehearsed and absurd. Act IV opens with a mélange of disheveled beggars that’s seemingly ad hoc. There’s a time and a place for Texas, but in this case, it foments chaos along with an already patchy Verdi score. Confusing on the surface, but other people might get it.



The memorable moments in this ORF/Unitel Classica DVD are in the quality singing that’s well supported by the recording’s excellent sound and film. But “go modern” can only go so far: in this release it exceeds the limits of good taste.


Christie Grimstad

 

 

 

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