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Political intrigue brought up to date
Craig Smith as Simon Boccanegra confronts the rebels Pictures: Richard Hubert Smith Simon Boccanegra English Touring Opera Wolverhampton Grand **** THIS was probably a political thriller
when Verdi unleashed it in 1857 in an Italy where unification was in
full swing. There is revolution, partisans rising against the
rich and powerful, powerful families, political intrigue, allegiances
and betrayal and even a poisoning of the leading character – a typical
day in Italian politics really The original based on the 1843 play by Spanish
dramatis Antonio Gutiérrez, was a bit on the complex side as far as
story and characters went, so a revised version was produced in 1881
which is the one ETO are touring, with a twist.
The original was set in Genoa in 1339 jumping on
to 1364 but in this ETO version, directed by James Conway, the setting
is moved to an Italy just after the Second World War when Italian
politics, which always make comic opera look staid and serious,
were as predictable as the weekly lottery numbers. Boccanegra, a privateer – virtually a licenced
pirate – in the original is turned into a partisan who, from the
surtitles we are sold was a black marketer and instead of becoming Doge
of Genoa becomes Prime Minister.
Craig Smith manages the aging of 25 years from
young partisan to careworn Premier over a quarter of a century
well and is in good baritone voice throughout. Singing honours though go to Elizabeth Llewellyn
with her powerful, soaring soprano as Amelia, the adopted daughter of
the patrician Grimaldi family but secretly the daughter of
Boccanegra and the dead Maria Fiesco. Maria's child had led to a feud between
Boccanegra and the powerful Fiesco played by Keel Watson, a big
man with a big, bass baritone voice. Other key players are Paolo, sung wonderfully by
Grant Doyle, who backs Boccanegra and then betrays him and Adorno,
Ameila's lover and one of the rebels against Boccanegra's rule. Verdi is not a common subject for ETO, not for
any cultural reasons, purely cost as Verdi demands big orchestras and
big choruses, although Boccanegra is smaller than some, but a grant from
the Peter Moores Foundation Swansong Project has enabled a larger
production, musically, to be added to the repertoire. Samal Blak's design is minimalistic yet effective
with the use of perspective lines and square columns to give us
streets, barricades, gardens and a council chamber all created by a few
walls and lighting. The larger than usual ETO orchestra show their
worth with some fine playing under Michael Rosewell. This is perhaps not one of Verdi's finest works,
possibly because of its unfamiliarity, and although it has beautiful
music with some fine duets and trios it has no really memorable arias or
chorus works – hence I suspect the unfamiliarity again. It is an opera that is unlikely to feature on any
greatest arias or operatic highlights compilations. This is a fine production with, Amelia and Paolo
excepted, singing which is pleasing rather than exceptional but that
does not detract at all from what is a rare and welcome airing for
Verdi's political thriller. Roger Clarke |
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