Madrid, December 27, 2022.
For the madrileño music lover, Christmas cannot be imagined without the classic operatic title at the Teatro Real. It is part of the whirlwind in which Madrid is absorbed in these dates: purchases, dinner with the family, illuminated streets and a great opera night. It is perceived on entering and leaving the theatre: to see the little Christmas market in the Isabel II square with the big christmas tree, with its powerful pink light, to realise we're not in an ordinary time. The current opera is a classic, as well as a long-absent work from the Teatro Real: Vincenzo Bellini's La Sonnambula, which returns to the Teatro Real after 22 years.
One could wonder about the reasons of this absence, and among them, one could think of the supreme difficulty of the main role, which needs a great soprano to make it justice. Despite the long time after these 2000 performances with Annick Massis and María José Moreno, this used to be a recurrent title in the past at the Teatro Real old history. It was premiered in Madrid in 1852 by the contralto Marietta Alboni, but it is still remembered when in 1863 the legendary Adelina Patti performed it to an audience featuring the famous writer Benito Pérez-Galdós, then a young journalist, or the queen Isabella II. It is said that in the last performance, around 200 canaries were brought to celebrate her as the new "queen" of music. As a gift from Destiny, we can make a vague idea by listening Patti's 1906 rendition of the aria. Other sopranos like María Barrientos, Regina Pacini, Graziella Pareto or Amelita Galli-Curci performed the opera at the Teatro Real stage. Now, La Sonnambula returns to Madrid with two A-level casts, both having a great critical acclaim as well as an enthusiastic reception from the audience. This review will talk about the second cast.
Bárbara Lluch is the director of this new production. Lluch is known after her successful, colourful, production of the Zarzuela El Rey que Rabió last year. Granddaughter of the actress and director Nuria Espert (well known in this opera house, since here she directed a famous Tosca, filmed to DVD in 2004, and also acted in Golijov's Ainadamar in 2012), she makes her debut at the Teatro Real. Unlike her zarzuela production, this one is dark, gothic-like, somber, taking distance from the bucolic ambiance of the original story, despite being conservative in the costumes, desgined by Clara Peluffo. The sets by Christof Hetzer are austere, following Lluch's vision, with a tree presiding the scene in Act 1, a steam machine-like device in act 2, and a big house in Act 3, all of them darkened, with a dense athmosphere suggested by Urs Schönenbaum's lighting. Amina is in several moments accompaigned by a corps-de-ballet coreographed by Iratxe Ansa, which seems to convey that the dancers are the spirits of destiny moving Amina in their dance.
The curtain rises to show those spirit dancers moving Amina in their dance, in total silence. In Act one, we attend to the betrothal ceremony between Amina and Elvino, both wearing showy wedding crowns. In act 2, the count is more lustful than in the original story, at he is almost about to take Amina while slept, as if he was unable to repress his instinct. One of the most commented, and also criticized aspects of this stage is the new "feminist" vision of this opera: Amina is an empowered, more confident woman who at the end she leaves Elvino and his stupid jealousy, deconstructing the original fable moral of the triumph of love. If this action would have happened nowadays, we could only celebrate that Amina would leave the distrustful Elvino, but Lluch's vision doesn't match with what Amina is singing.
As well as in Norma and Puritani, this work has Bellini's signature style of beautiful melodies,virtuous, inspired, very convenient to the bucolic background of this opera, as well as they have a dramatic effect in scenes such as the sonnambulism ones, or the pathos in Amina's famous aria in Act 3. Despite the romantic comedy air, the psychological portrait of the roles is present in the arias. The Teatro Real Orchestra is conducted by the veteran Maurizio Benini, well known in this repertoire and in this opera house. Benini accompaigned the singers, but also gave strength to the orchestra, sometimes too much, like in the first scene of Act 2 during Elvino's aria. This bucolic work (like other ones) has a remarkable participation of the horns, which were accomplished, as well as the cello in Ah, non credea, which sounded as tender as the soprano. The Teatro Real Chorus sang in their usual good acting and singing level.
Jessica Pratt is one of the most celebrated coloratura sopranos today. And Amina is one of her signature roles. Well known in Spanish opera houses because of her regular presence in their schedules, she makes at last her debut at the Teatro Real despite she has previously sung with the company in Finland with a tour in Puritani some years ago. Her Amina is in the tradition of more light coloratura sopranos than dramatic ones. Her voice has a remarkable technique, but above all splendid, resounding high notes, raising over singers, chorus and orchestra. Despite being a bit reserved and shy during her opening scene with Come per me sereno, her singing improved more and more during the show, and in the scenes with Elvino she sounded tender, with a beautiful piano singing. In her final big scene, she gave a melancholic, introspective, dramatic version of the Ah non credea. She concluded her performance with an agile, pyrotechnic version of the Ah, non giunge aria.
Francesco Demuro surprised the audience with his devoted and powerful Elvino, in a singing well projected and with a nice youthful tone, yet not completely refined. He shone in the duets and in the Prendi l'anel ti dono, but in Act 2 he really got his peak, despite some ups and downs in volume during the Perché non posso odiarti, which at the end he close with a long, well done final high note.
Serena Sáenz in the role of Lisa also improved as the performance transcurred, with a nicely sung rendition of her Act 2 aria De' lieti auguri a voi son grata, which she closed with a big final high note. In the role of Rodolfo, Fernando Radó has good low register, and his aria in act 1 was well sung. Gemma Coma-Alabert in the role of Teresa was a big surprise with her good singing, well projected and her dark, seductive tone. Isaac Galán in the role of Alessio and Gerardo López as the notar were at a good level.
This performance, despite some ups and downs, has been really enjoyable. The audience, despite not applauding at the end of every aria, awarded the cast effort at the end, specially Pratt which was welcomed, so we can conclude everyone had a good time.
My reviews are not professional and express only my opinions. As a non English native speaker I apologise for any mistake.
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