The Quality of Mercy in Music and Vision 1 Febbraio

The Quality of Mercy
Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino',
heard by GIUSEPPE PENNISI

Of Verdi's five operas commissioned by non-Italian theatres, only La Forza del Destino did not follow a different style than those prevailing at that time at La Scala in Milan, at the San Carlo Opera House in Naples or at the Apollo Theatre in Rome. Indeed, this was one of the reasons why at its first performance in St Petersburg in 1862, the opera nearly flopped; the reception was quite cold. Audience and reviewers expected either a comparatively light Italianate comedy or some concessions to the new Russian way to conceive musical theatre. Instead, they got a lugubrious affair where all the principals die on stage in the last Act. In addition, the local musical élite resented Verdi's 22,000 ruble commission: at that time, Russian composers normally commanded a fee of 500 rubles.
In St Petersburg, audience and reviewers were surprised by a score where, from the first to the last note, there is a sombre and lugubrious atmosphere. A few scenes of popular life -- designed to provide 'comic relief' in the middle of so many gloomy and grueling events -- are kept from the original Spanish play from which Francesco Maria Piave drew his libretto. However, in the opera they are much fewer than in the play, also due to the need to keep the overall length within reasonable boundaries. The St Petersburg version is now seldom performed. I had the pleasure of listening to a performance conducted by Gergiev, and must admit that in its cruelty, I consider it superior to the 'reference version' -- that adapted for La Scala in 1869. The ending in Byronic style is especially effective: the vocal and orchestral score transmits the desperation of a universe where there is no place for God, and thus no place for mercy. In 1862, perhaps even because of his wife's influence, Verdi was a true atheist and had a hopeless view of life and of the world -- as also shown by his letters.
The 1869 La Scala version inaugurated the Parma Teatro Regio opera season on 28 January 2011 in the full unabridged critical edition prepared by Philip Gosset of the University of Chicago. Also the musical direction was entrusted to Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti, well known both for his care in handling a composition and his tendency to caress tempos so much to slow them down. Thus, we had a very long evening -- four hours (including two intermissions).

Roberto Scandiuzzi as the Abbott, Dimitra Theodossiou as Donna Leonora and the Chorus of Teatro Regio di Parma in Act II of Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino'. Photo © 2011 Roberto Ricci. Click on the image for higher resolution
The 1869 version differs from the original St Petersburg edition (and from the Spanish play). The difference is in the overall concept more than in single parts of the score: the ending is a prayer to God with a trio opened by Non Imprecare Umiliati by the Abbot and the redemption of the two protagonists -- even though she dies. In short, from the 1862 God-less universe, the 1869 drama emphasizes the quality of mercy, indeed of a mercy that only God can provide.

The Chorus of Teatro Regio di Parma in Act III of Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino'. Photo © 2011 Roberto Ricci. Click on the image for higher resolution
A fully-fledged conversion? Not really. In Aida, Otello and especially in Verdi's last will and testament, Falstaff, we are again in a world without God -- indeed in a world which 'is a jest and everybody is a jester'. However, something important had happened: Verdi's friendship with the Italian poet and novelist Alessandro Manzoni had made him come to doubt his own atheism. Manzoni himself had been a bon vivant atheist in his Parisian youth but had become a staunch Roman Catholic as shown by his poems, by his tragedies and most importantly by his very successful novel I Promessi Sposi. The 1869 La Forza has such a tension (in spite of its silly and macabre libretto) because, in Verdi's production, it is the opera of Doubt. This doubt is seen through a plot hardly credible nowadays, but it had some appeal to the nineteenth century middle class audience.

Aquiles Machado as Don Alvaro in Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino' at Teatro Regio di Parma. Photo © 2011 Roberto Ricci. Click on the image for higher resolution
Normally, in a review of La Forza, emphasis is placed on the vocal score, on the magnificent tunes always conveying the diverse emotions of the characters, on Verdi's uncanny ability for melodies, on the skillful mergers of solos with the chorus and on the excellence of the duets, the trios and the tutti numbers. Indeed, there are few solo numbers: two for the soprano and one each for the tenor and the baritone. Those for the soprano, especially, are of supreme beauty. I believe that a strong point of this new Parma production was the evidence given to the extraordinarily apposite writing for the orchestra which is characterized by the intensity in conveying the atmosphere. In Gelmetti's hands -- a bit heavy at certain moments -- it seems to have a Beethovenian strength. Also, the orchestra and the soloists (eg Fra Melitone) anticipate Falstaff in their skillful interplay -- a much more advanced style than that hitherto found in Verdi.

Dimitra Theodossiou as Donna Leonora in Act IV of Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino' at Teatro Regio di Parma. Photo © 2011 Roberto Ricci. Click on the image for higher resolution
On the vocal side, an interesting aspect of the performance is Dimitra Theodossiou's much awaited debut in the role of Leonora. She is a well experienced soprano who has most of Verdi's operas in her repertory. She is an 'absolute soprano' with a very ample range. Her 'Leonora' has a lot of temperament. In short, she is not the tender and sweet little soul overwhelmed by Fate but a strong woman able to face her misfortunes squarely. She received real accolades in her two major arias, Madre Pietosa Vergine in the Second Act and Pace, Mio Dio in the fourth act.

Aquiles Machado (left) as Don Alvaro and Vladimir Stoyanov as Don Carlo di Vargas in Act IV of Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino' at Teatro Regio di Parma. Photo © 2011 Roberto Ricci. Click on the image for higher resolution
Alvaro is Aquiles Machado, who had disappeared for a few years from the Italian scene and is back on stage after a diet which made him lose 40 kilos. No doubt, now he has the physique du rôle. He is a lyric tenor, whereas the part requires a dramatic 'spinto' tenor -- very hard merchandise to find in today's music market. Nonetheless, his O Tu Che In Seno Agli Angeli did not disappoint the purists who crowd the upper tier of Parma's Teatro Regio; Machado received an open stage warm applause. On 28 January, the difference between his lyric voice and the vocal writing was apparent in the Fourth Act duet Invano, Alvaro with, as his partner, Vladimir Stoyanov in the part of Carlo. Stoyanov is one the best and most powerful Verdi baritones now available. The duet was good but not excellent.

Mariana Pentcheva as Preziosilla in Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino' at Teatro Regio di Parma. Photo © 2011 Roberto Ricci. Click on the image for higher resolution
Any theater's musical director would think that the veteran Mariana Pentcheva would be a safe bet as Preziosilla, a role she has sung several times. On 28 January, her Rataplan with chorus at the end of the third act left quite a bit to be desired; she missed a couple of pitches and forced her voice through the whole scene. Another veteran is Roberto Scandiuzzi, as the Abbot; quite effective in a short but critical role. Finally, Carlo Lepore must be mentioned: he is a frequent star of Rossini's comic opera and gave a perfect characterization of Fra Melitone.

The first scene from Act II of Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino' at Teatro Regio di Parma. Photo © 2011 Roberto Ricci. Click on the image for higher resolution
Like any opera, La Forza is not only orchestra and voices but also theater. The direction, sets, costumes and lighting are signed by Stefano Poda. It is a rather special staging, more similar to that seen in German opera houses than to traditional Parma fare. There is a single set: walls that are moved to provide atmosphere to the action. There is no indication that the plot evolves between various parts of Spain and Italy; rather, the costumes seem to suggest that the action is in Pomerania at the end of the nineteenth century. The lighting heightens the somber and lugubrious atmosphere. Also the choreographic actions -- there is no real ballet -- further accentuate the gloom. However, at the end of the Second Act (La Vergine degli Angeli) and the final trio, the lighting shows the quality of mercy in full bloom.
The opening night audience saluted the performance with a long applause. A DVD is in the making.
Copyright © 1 February 2011 Giuseppe Pennisi,
Rome, Italy

GIUSEPPE VERDI
PARMA
ITALY
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