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Troubles in Florence
GIUSEPPE PENNISI was at
the
opening night of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
The Florence
annual music Festival --
named 'Florentine Musical May' but extending to the end of June -- is in serious financial
trouble. The pertinent foundation no longer has any assets, but instead a
stock of 36 million euros debt. Its operational expenditure exceeds
subsidies and other sources of funds (tickets, advertising, selling of productions) by 5
million euros. The negative cash flow may
reach 8 million euros per annum when the New Theatre
(under construction for years with huge cost overruns) starts operating
(now foreseen in late 2014). No one seems to know what to do with the
existing theatres (four
for a city of
less than four hundred thousand residents). The Festival is eighty years
old and has had international
relevance for decades. The Italian government
appointed a commissioner to try to sort out the financial troubles or to
put into liquidation what is left of what used to be an important European
institution. Several voices,
including the newly appointed Minister of Cultural Affairs, are asking
for special support. But
so far, no one has come up with the badly needed cash.
A scene from the concert performance of Verdi's 'Don Carlo' at Teatro
del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino on 3 May. Photo © 2013 Gianluca Moggi.
Click on the image for higher resolution
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Kristin Lewis as Elisabetta and Massimo Giordano in the title role of
Verdi's 'Don Carlo' at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Photo © 2013 Gianluca Moggi. Click on the
image for higher resolution
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The
Festival was supposed to be inaugurated by a stunning new production of Verdi's
five act 1886 Don Carlo
(generally called 'the Modena Don Carlo' after the city where it was
premiered); recently I explained the differences between the various
versions of this opera ['A Complex Plot', 17 April 2013]. Don Carlo is one of the costliest of
Verdi's opera to stage. It's
difficult to
understand why the festival commissioned a new
production from one of Italy's
best known directors, Luca Ronconi, rather than using the 2004 staging by
the late Luchino Visconti (originally produced for Rome's Teatro dell'Opera and still very effective). I
am told that sets and costumes have
been sent for scrap; luckily, the pictures [below] are a good testimonial
of the level then
achieved. A double mistake for a theatre in financial distress: to plan
for a monumental five
act 'grand opera' and to let an excellent staging go.
Barbara Frittoli as Elisabetta, Gemma Bertagnoli as the page Tebaldo
and Violeta Urmana as Princess Eboli in Act II of Luchino Visconti's
production of Verdi's 'Don Carlo', mentioned in this review, and
photographed in Florence on 12 February 2004. Photo © 2004 Gianluca
Moggi. Click on the image for higher resolution
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Violeta Urmana as Princess Eboli and Fabio Armiliato in the title role
in Act III of the 2004 'Don Carlo' in Florence. Photo © 2004 Gianluca
Moggi. Click on the image for higher resolution
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Barbara Frittoli as Elisabetta, Ayk Martinossian as a monk and Fabio
Armiliato in the title role, in Act V of Luchino Visconti's 'Don
Carlo'. Photo © 2004 Gianluca
Moggi. Click on the image for higher resolution
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Thus, Don
Carlo was presented in concert form, with a few minor cuts
and only one intermission, between Acts III and IV. After more than four
hours, there was a fifteen minute standing ovation for the artists,
mixed with 'Save the Florence Musical May' appeals.
The
'Modena Don Carlo' is quite different from
the more frequently staged four act 'La Scala Don Carlo'. Its key theme is not
the political and
ecclesiastical oppression, but the utopia of the two young lovers and
their hope for 'a better world'. Musically,
there is a continuous contrast
between the airy lovers and the dark and bleak world
surrounding them. Zubin Mehta was
in the pit on 2 May 2013 (when I was in the audience) and
had also been conductor for
the 2004 staging. Now he is seventy-six years old, yet his touch is more
tender than in 2004.
Zubin Mehta conducting 'Don Carlo'. Photo © 2013 Gianluca Moggi. Click on the image for higher resolution
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Mehta
and the orchestra
provided a real tapestry of musical tints and their shadings and gave
prominence not only to the two young lovers but also to the friendship
between Carlo and Rodrigo.
Massimo Giordano and Kristin Lewis are the lovers; they are quite good
but arrived tired at Act V when she has her major aria
followed by a rapturous duet. The
two basses, Dmitry Beloselskiy and Paata Burchuladze, were very good,
especially in their taxing Act IV duet. As Princess Eboli, Ekaterina
Gubanova sang to a
very high standard.
Gabriele Viviani did well as Rodrigo but not as convincing and melodious
as Ludovic Tézier in Turin's
recent 'La Scala Don Carlo' performance.
From left to right: Gabriele Viviani as Don Rodrigo, Ekaterina Gubanova
as Princess Eboli, conductor Zubin Mehta, Kristin Lewis as Elisabetta
and Massimo Giordano in the title role of Verdi's 'Don Carlo' at Teatro
del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Photo © 2013 Gianluca Moggi. Click on
the image for higher resolution
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There
were almost a dozen unexceptional singers in
small roles. As
usual in Florence, the orchestra and chorus did
marvels.
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