Finally, the 2021-2022 Madrid operatic season begins with its first staged title, a new production of Rossini's La Cenerentola at the Teatro Real. Now that major operatic theatres worldwide reprise their activities, Spanish opera houses begin their second Post-Covid seasons. On the other hand, a very special opening: Rossini is back to the Teatro Real stage after 8 years, when a revival of their famous 2005 Barbiere was done in 2013. And also La Cenerentola returns to the Spanish capital, 20 years later the 2001 performances featuring Sonia Ganassi and Raúl Giménez. Now, these performances have been dedicated to the Spanish mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza, a legendary performer of this opera. In addition, this is the 100th season in history of this opera house.
Last thursday, 23th September, this Cenerentola had its premiere in the season opening gala, with the attendance of Queen Sofía (alongside the most prominent Spanish jet-set), extremely high priced: from 65 to 593 euros. One could wonder if, after being won the International Opera Awards for Best opera house in 2019, now "el Real" aims to reach the glamour and exclusivity of the Bayreuth or Salzburg Festival opening galas by asking the audience such a price per ticket, when in the past it was even affortable to attend (I myself attended to at least three opening galas in past years, despite tickets are a bit more expensive than the rest of performances). At least, it was telecasted by the Spanish Television for those unable to attend the premiere cast, or even any performance.
All this said, This post should have talked about the performance sung by the second cast on September 26, 2021. However, due to a little domestical accident, which included a visit to the hospital, I had to miss it, much to my despair. As a result, I will talk about the premiere telecast.
Rossini's version of the Perrault original tale, seems to be more kind than the original. He had to make significative changes to it, but despite it seems a radically different story at the end, the essence is not transformed. The music is joyful, cheerful, and very inspired, including terrible coloraturas, making the spectator to leave the theatre smiling.
This opera based in the Perrault's Cinderella, returns in a production from the Oslo Opera, directed by the world-famed Stefan Herheim, known by his legendary Parsifal at Bayreuth, among other stagings. Herheim creates a classic and at the same time modern version of the story, setting the action in the fantasies of a cleaner at the Teatro Real. Rossini is here a major character, appearing here as god, and creating genius. At a first sight, it could seem an innocent version of a dark fairy tale, but Herheim's final goal is to put us down to earth: actually, both Cenerentola and the cleaner suffer a lot. All that joyful world of color and fantasy, is just to evade the hard reality the worker endures. Esther Bialas's costumes are vividly colorful and shining 18th Century gowns, but the most significative is Rossini's one: a black cape, with little wings and a purple shirt. Torge Moller and Fettfilm achieve a fantastic, musical ambiance with projected animations, which will be described later.
All begins with a darkened stage, only with Angelina (later called Cenerentola) dressed with her uniform, her cleaning cart, and mop. From a suspended cloud, Rossini descends and helps Cenerentola to become the protagonist of the tale she is reading, Cinderella. She introduces herself into a chimney, from which she would return already characterised, and accompanied by the rest of characters. When the overture ends, Rossini says: "Ancora no, maestro". Paradoxically, the singer portraying Don Magnifico is the same one portraying Rossini, as if the composer-creator-fairy , at introducing Cenerentola in the action, not only introduces her in the beautiful but also in the hard, ugly aspects, with such an abusing stepfather and sisters. As if not even in the fairytales everything is a bed of roses. The first set is a street, at whose bottom, a beautiful animated landscape in which a Disney-like castle raises, which happens to be Don Ramiro's palace. During a concertante, Teatro Real itself appears projected at the bottom. The second scene is the palace, set by a succession of the chimney frames, luxuriously decorated. Now the stepfather is dressed like his own character , and the male chorus is now the one dressed like Rossini, handling pen and paper to compose and leave music sheets around the stage. The banquet at the Act 1 finale is a crazy dance of tables (in which the characters have entered and leave their heads up, becoming the Rossini chorus' dinner) and tables. At the beginning of the second act, Magnifico, his daughters and a strange man covered with a mop wig are talking amicably, but one of the girls take the wig off, to reveal that conductor Frizza himself was covered with that wig. He reincorporates to the orchestra wig after arguing Magnífico was having a nap. During the storm scene, all the characters activate an old theatre machine to create the effect of thunders and fogs. At the end of the work, when Ramiro and Cenerentola are already betrothed, we don't see the stepsisters repented, only Magnifico. However, reality is knocking to our door: when Cenerentola finishes her aria, her luxurious white gown is coming off, the setting and characters disappear, and suddenly the mop, the cleaning cart appear again, and confused, the protagonist shrug arms. Everything has been just a dream!
Riccardo Frizza, an accomplished Rossini conductor, succeeds at obtaining from the orchestra a genuine Rossinian sound, with an agile rendition of the Overture. His interpretation of the score conveys the joy and vividness of the composer's melodic universe, despite some slowness in his tempi. On the other hand, that slowness worked out well for the woodwind section, which gave a delightful performance in the Storm scene. The male chorus was excellent as usual, and their acting was even better, all of them dressed as Rossini, composing and singing, reproducing this staging intention of representing them as the multiplication of the composer's creative will.
Karine Deshayes, one of the most renowned mezzo-sopranos today, sings the title role. This singer has a somehow dark-toned voice, but despite its interesting sound, which can fit into the sad aria "Una volta c'era il re", it doesn't seem too powerful. And definitely it results cold for most of the many agile, cheerful funny and quarreling scenes during this work, as coldness was a key word for this performance. She seemed to have reserved herself for the famous finale, in which she managed well with the coloratura and some good high notes, but always not enough joyful for what this role seems to demand. However, this performance fits into the staging's darkness, with an adequate acting.
Dimitri Korchak is the prince Don Ramiro. An usual singer in this venue, Korchak has a lyric voice, proper of a leggero tenor, with a beautiful youthful tone. During his famous aria "Sì, ritrovarla io giuro" he revealed to cope with some difficulties, specially in high register, not being specially inspired in the second part, "Pegno caro e adorato", despite a nice pianissimo. He regained force and stamina for the last part, "Ritroveremo", closing with a good final high note, but with some effort.
Don Magnifico was sung by Renato Girolami. I cannot say his was a satisfactory night, despite he can sing the part, specially in the terribly difficult ultra-rapid rhythms in the score. The voice has not the authority this character invites to think about, because despite being ridiculous, Don Magnifico is still a nobleman. Singing seemed somehow light and lacking some volume, resulting in a not precisely unforgettable rendition of "Miei rampolli femminini". However, he improved in second act, specially in the duet with Dandini. On the other hand, each time he had to impersonate Rossini, he gave a memorable and convincing performance: the composer as authoritative and friendly at the same time, like we see him in his portraits.
The best singer in the night Florian Sempey as Dandini. This young French baritone has an interesting and emphatic voice, clearly sounding and with a nice dark tone. A bit reserved in his entrance aria "Come un'ape ne' giorni d'aprile" but he improved too soon, and even he stole the show in many times. Excellent in the duet with Magnifico.
It is always a pleasure to see the Italian bass Roberto Tagliavini every season in Madrid. In this production, his Alidoro delighted the audience with his beautiful singing in "Là del ciel nell’arcano profondo". His rendition was full of authority, style, an always brilliant low register, commanding the colorature and with a great legato, joining shining high notes with nice low ones.
Rocío Pérez and Carol García respectively as the wicked stepsisters Clorinda and Tisbe, were magnificent. Both sang well and acted even better their funny parts.
The select audience of this opening season gala enjoyed of a nice opera night, judging by the eagerness with they ovationed the singers. But also the thousands of viewers, who thanfkful to Teatro Real and TVE (Spanish Television) for this initative which takes opera to every Spanish home, making us able to enjoy Herheim's amazing staging and Rossini's magical music. A pleasant season opening.
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