The Orient! What did we know about it in those far gone days? It was exotic, adventurous and exciting. All the men there were macho, super attractive and potent. And they smoked opium. All the women were beautiful, graceful, mysterious and seductive. It smelled of amber and wild jasmine….
Man In Oriental Costume (“The Noble Slav”), oil on canvas, by Rembrandt, 1632. A significant example of European emulation of Ottoman dress for the purpose of portraying a dignified, elite appearance.
It was so incredibly far away and unknown – no wonder we were enchanted by it. No wonder, too, that our dreams sometimes ran wild. But the dreams turned out to be good for something, because they gave us the most beautiful works of art, including operas. Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia is one of them.
Believe it or not (believe it!), Turco is very similar to Mozart’s Cosi van tutte. Even the music is often reminiscent of it. The story: a Don Alfonso-like poet without inspiration, a kind of evil genius really, devises an intrigue in which he then manipulates all the characters as if they were puppets, so that everyone ends up with (almost) everyone else, but in the end everything does turn out well. Or not. In any case, our Prosdocimo tells a wonderful story.
I wonder what the ideal Fiorilla should sound like. On the recordings known by me, she is sung by all voice types: from a super light coloratura soprano to a dark coloratura mezzo with chest tones. Somehow, none of the ladies really appeal to me, not even Maria Callas, although she comes close to what I would like to hear in this role.
DVD’S
Zurich, 2002
In 2002, Il Turco was staged in Zurich. The lead role was played by an old hand, Ruggiero Raimondi. His Selim is undoubtedly exciting and erotic, and he compensates for the wear and tear of his voice with overwhelming acting and tremendous charisma.
Oliver Widmer is in fine form as the cynical poet Prosdocimo, and Paolo Rumetz plays a delightfully dim-witted Geronio. The problem is Cecilia Bartoli. (Please don’t hit me, it’s just my opinion!) She is undoubtedly a virtuoso, but I find her mannerisms very irritating and her dark timbre completely unsuitable for the role.
The whole thing is cheerful, with bright colours and crazy costumes: the gypsies look like a combination of Volendam people and Peruvians (Arthaus Musik 100 369).
Pesaro 2007
In Pesaro in 2007, a very naturalistic-looking Turco was recorded, with only young, unknown singers in the leading roles. The fact that they, with the possible exception of Marco Vinco (Selim), have remained unknown, does not say everything, but it does say a lot.
Nevertheless, there is much to enjoy. The characters are wonderfully recognisable, the colours are beautiful and the action follows the libretto closely. Definitely enjoyable! (Naxos 2.110259)
Genoa, 2009
One of the newer recordings on DVD is from 2009 at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. Well, new… the production is more than 40 years old and was first seen in 1983.
That’s okay, because it’s still very entertaining, although I must admit that I sometimes feel a little dizzy from everything that’s happening on the stage: acrobats, fire-eaters, ballerinas, Arlecchinos and so on. Commedia dell’Arte at its best.
Myrtò Papatanasiu is a beautiful Fiorilla and Simone Alaimo a delightful Selim, although I think he is performing slightly below his usual high standard. Antonino Siragusa is also a tiny bit disappointing as Narciso (Arthaus Musik 101 39).
CD’s
Milan, 1954
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Maria Callas sang the role of Fiorilla in Rome in 1950 and four years later recorded it in the studio with La Scala in Milan. Gianandrea Gavazzeni conducted an “all-star cast” – most of the names make our mouths water today. But, apart from the fact that they were all truly fantastic, we have to ask ourselves whether it still sounds adequate to our ears.
Yes, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni would still be able to do it today, but the rest, including La Divina? With her, I often get the feeling that I am in the wrong opera and that I’m really listening to Anna Bolena. (Warner 0825646340880)
Milan, 1958
I absolutely cannot ignore Sesto Bruscantini who is a truly irresistible Selim. Scipio Colombo is delightful as the (in his interpretation) comic villain Prosdocino, and as Donna Fiorilla we hear one of the most delightful light sopranos of the time: Graziella Sciutti. A little soubrette-like, but so agile, and with such a wonderful timbre! The rest of the voices are good, but not exceptional, but Nino Sanzogno’s conducting – light and sparkling – does the opera justice. The live recording from 1958 (Milan) is rather dull. Nevertheless, it is a special document of a time that is now truly gone (Myto 00193).
Sesto Bruscantini and Graziella Sciutti in “Credete alle femmine”:
From 1960 on, all operas performed at Glyndebourne were recorded live. The more-than-valuable archive began to be polished off and transferred to CDs in 2008.
It was no coincidence that it was precisely Figaro’s Wedding that inaugurated the new series: after all, that opera gave the go-ahead to the new festival in 1934, which is now among the most prestigious in the whole world.
Gabriel Bacquier does not immediately associate you with Almaviva, and the Contessa is not the role you think of in connection with Leyla Gencer, but they both sing beautifully, with a great sense of nuance. The rest of the cast is also fantastic, headed by Mirella Freni (Susanna), then still at the beginning of her career, and the very young Edith Mathis as the ideal soprano-Cherubino. (GFOCD 001-62))
Elisir d’Amore Glyndebourne 1962
Adina marked Mirella Freni’s international breakthrough. Understandable, when you hear how beautifully she gives shape to the role: charmingly and wittily she lets her beautiful lyrical young girl soprano blossom and her height is radiant.
Luigi Alva’s velvety timbre and perfect coloratura technique made him a Mozart and Rossini tenor who was much in demand at the time, and Donizetti also fits him like a glove. His ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ may sound slightly less sweet-voiced than Tagliavini’s or Schipa’s, but his interpretation of the character of Nemorino is formidable.
Sesto Bruscantini is easily one of the best Dulcamaras in history and Enzo Sordello a very masculine Belcore.
La Bohème
MET 1965
Mirella Freni made her debut as Mimì at the Metropolitan Opera in September 1965. Her Rodolfo was another debutant: the (how unfair!) nowadays almost completely forgotten Italian tenor Gianni Raimondi. For me, he is preferable to Pavarotti. I find his voice more pleasant and elegant. And he could act!
Freni’s and Raimondi’s renditions were captured on a wonderful film, directed by Franco Zeffirelli and conducted by Herbert von Karajan. An absolute must (DG 0476709).
“O Soave Fanciulla” with Freni and Raimondi:
MET 1973
Many opera lovers will probably agree on one thing: one of the best Bohèmes ever is the 1973 version recorded by Decca under von Karajan. With Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti.
Rodolfo has always been Pavarotti’s calling card. For years he was considered the best interpreter of the role – his fantastic legato, the smoothness and naturalness with whih he sang the high notes are truly exemplary. Incidentally, as befitted a typical Italian tenor of the time, he sang the end of “O soave fanciulla” at the same height as the soprano. Not prescribed, but it was tradition!
Freni was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Mimi’s in history. Tender and fragile, with her heartbreaking pianissimi and legato arches she managed to move even the greatest cynics to tears.
Von Karajan conducted theatrical and passionate way, with ample attention to the sonic beauty of the score. As the Germans would say “das gab’s nur einmal.”
In 2008 we celebrated not only Puccini’s 150th birthday, but also von Karajan’s 100th. Moreover, it was 35 years since the famed conductor recorded La Bohème: a cause for celebration! And lo and behold – Decca has released the opera in a limited deluxe edition (Decca 4780254). On the bonus CD, Mirella Freni talks, among other things, about her relationship with von Karajan and about singing Puccini roles. It is really fascinating.
SIMON BOCCANEGRA 1977
In 1971, Claudio Abbado conducted a magisterial and now legendary performance of Boccanegra at La Scala. It was directed by Giorgio Strehler and the beautiful sets were designed by Ezio Frigerio. In 1976, the production was shown at the ROH in Covent Garden. Unfortunately, no official (there are ‘pirates’ in circulation) video of it was made, but the full cast did fortunately go into the studio, and thus the ultimate ‘Simone’ was recorded in 1977 (DG 4497522).
Abbado treats the score with such love and such reverence as if it were the greatest masterpiece of all time, and under his hands it really does transform into a masterpiece without parallel. Such tension, and with all those different nuances! It is so, so beautiful, it will make you cry.
The casting, too, is the best ever. Piero Cappuccilli (Simon) and Nicolai Ghiaurov (Fiesco) are evenly matched. Both in their enmity and reconciliation, they are deeply human and always convincing, and in their final duet at the end of the opera, their voices melt together in an almost supernatural symbiosis:
Before that, they had already gone through every range of feeling and mood, from grievous to hurtful, and from loving to hating. Just hear Cappuccilli’s long-held ‘Maria’ at the end of the duet with his supposedly dead and now found daughter (‘Figlia! A tal nome palpito’).
José van Dam is an exquisitely vile Paolo and Mirella Freni and Jose Carreras are an ideal love couple. The young Carreras had a voice that seems just about created for the role of Adorno: lyrical with a touch of anger, underlining Gabriele’s brashness. Freni is more than just a naive girl; even in her love for Adorno, she shows herself to be a flesh-and-blood woman
Gounod: Faust
Gounod’s Faust with Plácido Doming, Mirella Freni and Nicolai Ghiaurov was recorded in 1979 by EMI (now Warner) and it is easily one of the best recordings of the work. The orchestra of the Paris Opera is conducted by Georges Prêtre, one of the best conductors of French repertoire.
The cast is finger-licking gorgeous: Mirella Freni is a fragile and sensual Marguerite and Nicolai Ghiaurov a very impressive Méphistophélès. In the small role of Valentin we hear none other than Thomas Allen.
Fedora 1996
When she was sixty, Mirella Freni included Fedora in her repertoire and she gave a series of performances in Italy and Spain, finally coming to the Met in 1996. It became an enormous success. No wonder, because La Freni’s voice was extraordinary. I have never before seen her act with such intensity; it is a performance of the highest level.
Ainhoa Arteta is truly delightful as the flirtatious, spirited Olga; her performance provides the necessary comic note. As the Polish pianist, Boleslao Lazinski, the real piano virtuoso appears: Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Not only can he play the piano very well, but throughout his performance he convinces as a real primadonna, it is very entertaining to watch. Domingo also portrays a perfect Loris: tormented and oh so charming!
The staging is conventional, with lavish, larger-than-life sets and real snow behind the stage-sized windows. It is just beautiful (DG 0732329).
Turkomanie in Europa van de 18-de eeuw. Jeane-Etienne Lotard: Portret van Marie Adelaïde de France in Turkse jurk (1753). Credits: Andere Tijden
Oriënt! Wat wisten wij er ooit van? Het was exotisch, avontuurlijk en spannend. Alle mannen daar waren macho, super aantrekkelijk en potent. En ze rookten opium. Alle vrouwen waren mooi, gracieus, geheimzinnig en verleidelijk. Het geurde daar naar amber en wilde jasmijn ….
Het was zo ontzettend ver weg en onbekend – geen wonder dat wij daar door betoverd werden. Geen wonder ook dat onze dromen soms op hol sloegen. Maar de dromen bleken ergens goed voor, want ze hebben ons de prachtigste kunstwerken opgeleverd, waaronder ook opera’s. Il Turco in Italia van Rossini is er één van.
Geloof het of niet (geloof het!), maar Turco heeft heel veel weg van Cosi van tutte van Mozart. Zelfs de muziek doet er vaak aan denken. Het verhaal: een Don Alfonso-achtige dichter zonder inspiratie, zeg maar een soort kwade genius, bedenkt een intrige waarin hij alle personages manipuleert als zijnde marionetten, waardoor iedereen het (bijna) met iedereen doet, maar aan het eind komt alles goed. Of niet. In ieder geval heeft onze Prosdocimo een prachtig verhaal.
Ik vraag mij af hoe de ideale Fiorilla zou moeten klinken. Op de mij bekende opnamen wordt zij gezongen door alle stemsoorten: van een super lichte coloratuur sopraan tot een donkere coloratuur mezzo met borsttonen. Op de een of andere manier kan mij geen van de dames echt bekoren, ook Maria Callas niet, al komt zij dicht in de buurt van wat ik in de rol zou willen horen.
DVD
Zürich, 2002
In 2002 werd Il Turco in Zürich op het programma gezet. De hoofdrol was in handen van een oude rot in het vak, Ruggiero Raimondi. Zijn Selim is zonder meer spannend en erotisch en de slijtage aan zijn stem compenseert hij met een overweldigend spel en een geweldig charisma.
Oliver Widmer is goed op dreef als de cynische dichter Prosdocimo en Paolo Rumetz zet een heerlijk suffige Geronio neer. Het probleem heet Cecilia Bartoli. (Niet slaan alstublieft, het is maar mijn mening!) Zij is zeer virtuoos, zonder meer, maar haar maniertjes vind ik zeer irritant en haar donkere timbre absoluut niet bij de rol passend.
Het geheel is vrolijk, met felle kleuren en maffe kostuums: zo lijken de zigeuners op een combinatie van Volendammers met Peruanen (Arthaus Musik 100 369)
In Pesaro werd in 2007 een zeer naturalistisch ogende Turco opgenomen, met in de hoofdrollen uitsluitend jonge, onbekende zangers. Dat ze, wellicht op Marco Vinco (Selim) na, nog steeds onbekend zijn gebleven, zegt niet alles, maar toch wel wat.
Niettemin valt er veel lol aan te beleven. De typetjes zijn heerlijk herkenbaar, de kleuren mooi en de handeling volgt het libretto op de voet. Zeker leuk! (Naxos 2.110259)
Genua, 2009
Een van de nieuwste opname op dvd komt uit 2009 uit Teatro Carlo Felice in Genua. Nou ja, nieuw… de productie is bijna 30 jaar oud en werd voor het eerst al in 1983 gezien.
Het is niet erg, want het is nog steeds bijzonder vermakelijk, al moet ik toegeven dat het mij soms een beetje duizelt van wat er allemaal op de bühne gebeurt: acrobaten, vuurvreters, ballerina’s, Arlechino’s en wat al niet. Commedia dell’Arte ten voeten uit.
Myrtò Papatanasiu is een mooie Fiorilla en Simone Alaimo een heerlijke Selim, al vind ik dat hij iets beneden zijn gebruikelijke hoge niveau presteert. Ook Antonino Siragusa stelt lichtelijk teleur als de smachtende Narciso (Arthaus Musik 101 39)
CD
Milaan, 1954
Maria Callas zong de rol van Fiorilla al in 1950 in Rome en vier jaar later nam ze haar in de studio op, met de krachten van de Milanese Scala. Gianandrea Gavazzeni dirigeerde een ‘all star cast’ – de meeste namen doen ons nu watertanden. Maar, afgezien van het feit dat ze allemaal werkelijk fantastisch waren, moeten we ons afvragen of het nog steeds adequaat klinkt in onze oren.
Ja, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni zou vandaag de dag nog kunnen, maar de rest, inclusief La Divina? Bij haar bekruipt mij vaak het gevoel dat ik bij de verkeerde opera ben beland en dat ik naar Anna Bolena zit te luisteren. (Warner 0825646340880)
Milaan, 1958
Waar ik absoluut niet omheen kan is Sesto Bruscantini als een werkelijk onweerstaanbare Selim. Scipio Colombo is heerlijk als de (in zijn interpretatie) komische schurk Prosdocino en als Donna Fiorilla horen we een van de heerlijkste lichte sopranen uit de tijd: Graziella Sciutti. Een beetje soubretteachtig, maar zo wendbaar, en zo heerlijk getimbreerd!
De rest van de stemmen is goed maar niet uitzonderlijk, maar de directie van Nino Sanzogno – licht en sprankelend – doet de opera alle eer na. De live opname uit 1958 (Milaan) is behoorlijk dof. Toch – een bijzonder document van de tijd die nu toch echt voorbij is (Myto 00193)
Sesto Bruscantini en Graziella Sciutti in ‘Credete alle femmine’:
Basia con fuoco 