The Teatro Real laughs brilliantly at itself: Laurent Pelly's Viva la Mamma in Madrid.

After winning the 2021 International Opera Award for Best Opera Company, once its 2021-2022 season -its 100th- has been announced, and its current season is in its final stage, after having transcurred against all odds, arousing admiration and envy at the same time in all the operatic world, Madrid's Teatro Real is celebrating with Donizetti's Viva la Mamma, the satyre of opera's backstage.

Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali was premiered in its final two-act version in 1831, Donizetti and his libretist Domenico Giraldoni show on stage, in a humorous tone, the quarrel of egos, schemes and envies in a small, mediocre opera company touring in a province, in a kind of theater inside theater. Today is known as Viva la Mamma, one of the many titles it has received in modern productions, based after the role of Mamma Agata, an innovation (or also a parody) of the conventions for travestite roles: instead of a female singer playing a male role, a male singer is playing a female role.

Echoing this key element, Laurent Pelly's production takes to modern times, to an old, small, elegant theater this hilarious story. Pelly is an expert in comic opera, and his landmark production of La Fille du Regiment, which has toured worldwide is a good example of his accomplishment in this field, as well as his Falstaff  seen here in 2019. Even when it doesn't have the same level than the preceding ones, it results in a light comedy about the conflicts inside opera companies. Donizetti's original plot says it is a low-rated opera troupe, but it's perfectly extrapolable to a major one. According to Pelly, the characters are mediocre, ridiculous, but their effort for being the best is able to move us. The permanent set is a theatre, in the first act the parterre is a parking garage, in which the rehearsal takes place. Mamma Agata makes her great appearance in a balcony. As the prelude is playing, the score for rehearsal is being delivered, but the Primadonna doesn't want to pay attention and prefers to read a magazine instead. In the second act, the theater appears now complete, with the seats in the parterre and balconies, a red carpet in the floor and the chandelier above. The tenor enters, weeping, throwing the score sheets around the hall. The hilarious, frustrated dress rehearsal elapses, until when the troupe decides to escape, unable to manage with it. Then, the theatre starts to collapse, with debris falling from above and workers entering for demolition.

The Teatro Real Orchestra, conducted by Evelino Pidò, has given a rendition between correct and remarkable, with agile, rapid tempi, in the buffo style. The overture was played fast, in which strings sounded well. Magnificent the viola in the second act, as well as the orchestra in the opening of the same act, with the tenor aria, as well in the funeral march. The male chorus was in his usual good level, with strong voices and dancing well the choreography.

Despite being an opera about egos, the spirit is choral. The second cast, most of it with Spanish singers, gave a funny performance. Like in every production, some arie di baule from other operas have been used.

Luis Cansino led the cast with his amazing portrait of the grumpy, formidable Mamma Agata. Cansino is an accomplished buffo singer, with a big-volumed, well projected voice and comedic skills. His rendition of the Willow Song from Rossini's Otello was completely hilarious, making the audience to laugh out loud, conveying the most comical and at the same time frail said of this matron.

Sabina Puértolas has done a beautiful rendition of the Primadonna Daria, with a voice reaching every corner to the hall and very fluent coloratura in the first act aria. In act 2, she sang the aria "Icillio io l'amo" from Mercadante's Virginia. Gabriel Bermúdez was a comic Procolo. Francesca Sassu as Luigia could manage in the aria "Tu che voli già spirto beato" from Donizetti's Fausta despite some trouble in high register. Alejandro del Cerro was Guglielmo, the German tenor. He has a big voice, here completely reserved for the Act 2 opening aria, "Non è di morte il fulmine", from Donizetti's Alfredo il Grande, in which he sang in a lyric, beautiful tone, with his powerful voice and a charming, youthful sound. 

The rest of the cast was at the same level, Pietro di Bianco had a fantastic rendition of the tempered, disperate Biscroma, the maestro. Carol García was a nice Pippetto with a charming voice, Enric Martínez-Castignani as the poet was as fun as di Bianco. Piotr Micinski as the impresario and Luis López Navarro as the director have great bass voices, specially the latter one with  deep tone when calling the singers to stage at the end of Act I.

The audience had a great time with this comedy, so we can confirm how right was the choice to set it. Between the cathartic Peter Grimes last April and the Tosca full of top, worldclass singers on July, one can be grateful to see this light entertainment, specially when summer is near, and sunset, a nice weather welcome the spectator when leaving the theatre. A nice, funny parenthesis before the ecstasy to come.

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