The diva and the best Puccini: Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov in a Puccini gala at the Teatro Real.

Madrid, September 5, 2024.

Regular guests in recent years in the Teatro Real's last seasons, the artistic couple formed by the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and the Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov, is back to Madrid, in an all-Puccini recital. We have still fresh in our memory her brilliant Tosca in the first post-pandemic season in Madrid, as well as her great  Aida in 2022, during her gradual comeback to international stagings after the Russian invation of Ukraine.

Netrebko, despite her vocal maturity, and the boycott that haunted her in the 2022 Madrid Aida performances with pro-Ukrainian protesters outside the theatre (luckily, this time there was no protest) in relation to her unfortunate good relationship with Vladimir Putin's regime, which she finally disowned (but is still banned in the United States), continues to be the primadonna par excellence in today's opera. Puccini is a composer who is not only unknown to her, but also she is an outstanding performer of his operas, since in recent years she has sung very frequently Tosca and Turandot, and in the past she was an outstanding Mimì, even filming it with Rolando Villazón, with whom she shared a lot of chemistry on stage, when both were at the height of their careers and fame. She has also performed Manon Lescaut in Vienna, New York and Moscow. In addition, she has recorded several Puccinian arias on various albums, including one entirely dedicated to the composer. For all these reasons, this concert was one of the most awaited of the new season.

The other star is the tenor  Eyvazov, who in addition to being her partner on stage, has also been her husband in real life, until they announced their separation last June. Eyvazov is usually his partner in many productions and recitals, but he is also pursuing an important solo career. 

Alongsie them, the soprano Daria Rybak and the baritone Jérôme Boutillier, accompanied by the Teatro Real Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Denis Vlasenko and  the reinforcement of the RTVE Choir, have offered us the following program:

The program began with highlights from Turandot. After the brief choral introduction, Anna Netrebko entered in a sparkling dress, to sing "In Questa Reggia". Netrebko proves to have a spectacular voice, with considerable volume and a beautiful timbre, although Turandot is not a fitting role for her voice, and in fact it seemed fragile at the beginning of the aria. As the aria was transcurring, Netrebko shined with her brilliant high notes. During the following scenes of Turandot, Netrebko stuck to her line, although in the final chorus, she sang a delightful pianissimo on "padre augusto, conosco il nome dello straniero." Then she gave an excellent version of Manon Lescaut's scenes, with a heartbreaking interpretation of "Sola, perduta, abbandonata", as heartbreaking were her high notes too. She maintained this level in the duet "Tu, tu amore", with which the first part of the concert closed.

The second half was memorable. It began with a wide selection, much from of the third act of La Bohème. The days when Netrebko sang Mimì on stage are long gone, but here she showed that she knows the role, and that she can still sing it well in a concert, using her staging experience and her still generous voie, scoring a delicious version of the moving aria "Donde lieta uscì". Then came the "Vissi d'arte", which she already sang on this same stage two years ago, now in a majestic rendition in which she allowed herseelf to lengthen a note in pianissimo before the final phrase "perchè me ne rimuneri così", after which the theater collapsed in thunderous applause. The concert officially ended with the final duet of the first act of Madama Butterfly, the "Vogliatemi Bene", which began with exquisite singing, in which it went from pianissimo, to a display of voice throughout the duet. Her Butterfly may be rather dramatic, but there were moments of tenderness. The concert had two encores, one of which was the O mio babbino caro sung by her. A nice version of a popular aria, which she sang beautifully, in which she again gave a very prolonged high note in "Babbo, pietà, pietà", which impressed everyone with her ability to maintain it for so long, after which she received a strong ovation.

Yusif Eyvazov  improved during the concert. His singing was not very inspiring in the scenes from Turandot, where the high notes tend not to sound beautiful but rather too nasal, even umpleasant. It would be unfair to deny his dedication and effort, something that allowed him to reach a more correct level from Manon Lescaut's numbers onwards, especially in "Donna non vidi mai" and Tosca's "Recondita Armonia". After the end of the concert, he dared to sing the Nessun Dorma, which he performed better than expected. If there is something that cannot be denied, it is the torrential voice that he has, although at some moments the orchestra covered him up.

A surprise was Daria Rybak, who with a beautiful lyrical voice, with a dark touch, allowed her to sing a wonderful version of "Tu che di gel sei cinta" from Turandot, and whose treble could resist the massive volume of the orchestra and the Eyvazov's voice in the final scene of the first act of the same play. If she continues to sing this well, hers is a voice to follow.

More discreet was the baritone Jerôme Boutiller, with a light voice, and without much charisma, except in the Bohème scene, where Marcello was notable. In his solo performance, Edgar's baritone aria was correct. He also played the Mandarin in Turandot.

Alongide all them, the bass Cristian Díaz, and the tenors Pablo García-López and Mikeldi Atxalandabaso  sang in the Turandot scenes. The great spieltenor Atxalandabaso had sung Pong in the 2023 Turandot. In fact, at the end of the final scene of the first act, he made a smile-grimace that was reminiscent of those in the staging of that Turandot last year.

The Russian maestro Denis Vlasenko conducted the Teatro Real Orchestra too loud, and at times the conducting was harsh, as in the fragment at the end of the first act of Turandot, or in the end of the selection from La Bohème, going so far as to cover to the soloists. However, it is not entirely inconvenient for Turandot, although at times it sounded like it was Shostakovich. In the rest of the concert he maintained a good level, especially paying attention to Netrebko. I want to remark that this has been one of the best nights I could remember of the cellos and violas, being supreme. The string made a beautiful entrance before the phrase "Mai nessun m'avrà" in Turandot. The Teatro Real Choir, this time combined with the RTVE one, performed remarkably in their interventions. It has been moving to hear them again in the closed-mouth chorus of Madama Butterfly, after having heard them last summer.

The audience, which did not fill the hall, perhaps due to the high ticket prices, went to see the diva, and remained ecstatic after her interventions, especially in the intense second part. Netrebko has given us a good time with a repertoire in which she has been acclaimed worldwide, and which she clearly commands. Hopefully we will see her again soon in another concert or in a staged opera. The diva of the 21st century has once again conquered the Teatro Real.

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