Feminism and Anti-colonialism in Music and Vision 28 dicembre

Feminism and Anti-colonialism

Meyerbeer's L'Africaine
reviewed by GIUSEPPE PENNISI

In the year when all over the world, theatres celebrate the bicentenaries of the births of Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner, La Fenice theatre in Venice has had the brilliant idea to rediscover the rarely staged grand opera L'Africaine by Jacob Meyerbeer. Although born in Berlin and operating for several years in Italy, where he composed six operas in the Rossini 'tragic' style, Meyerbeer became a divinity in Paris where he had tremendous influence on the opera houses. It is known that Wagner went out of his way (and of his pride) to beg Meyerbeer to allow a Wagner work to be staged in the French city, then the musical capital of Europe. Verdi was invited by Meyerbeer to compose for the Paris stage, which he did thanks to a very hefty fee — Verdi was always an excellent businessman. The two composers had little to share; Verdi worked with Meyerbeer but detested him. Meyerbeer's fame is linked to his four grand operas but he composed several comic operas in the French style (and in French) and a few Romantic operas in German.

L'Africaine was expected to be the ultimate in music theatre. Meyerbeer worked at it for nearly twenty years but he died before completing it. The task was taken by François-Joseph Fétis. Verdi considered him 'an arrogant nothing'. L'Africaine's first staging, on 28 April 1865, was such a tremendous success that there were some one hundred and eighty performances in Paris alone during the following twelve months. It was considered a major blockbuster until around 1890. In Venice there were sixty performances between 1868 and 1892. Then it was forgotten until a few revivals took place after World War II.

Jessica Pratt as Inès and Anna Bordignon as Anna in Act I of Meyerbeer's L'Africaine at La Fenice. Photo © 2013 Michele Crosera. Click on the image for higher resolution

Why? There are several reasons: a cumbersome history-and-love libretto with a plot spanning two continents and two oceans (like a Cecil B DeMille film of the nineteen-fifties); as many as thirteen soloists, double chorus and a corps de ballet (better if integrated with world known étoiles); and several special effects (a storm in the ocean, Palaces in Portugal and far away Indian Kingdoms). In my view, more than the demanding stage requirements, the main issue is the score itself. It is well written and pleasant enough to enthrall audiences. There are several moments of excellent sophisticated music. But it lacks cohesion. Indeed, among Meyerbeer's grand operas, I think that only Le Prophète (revived in the nineteen seventies by the Metropolitan Opera House where it was a blockbuster for several years) has the needed cohesion. L'Africaine is a compendium of French musical history in the nineteenth century (from the predominance of Rossini's style to Gounod's drame lyrique through Spontini's imperial operas, tragédie lyrique, opéra lyrique and other genres).

Luca Dall'Amico as Don Pédro at the front, with several other members of the cast, plus extras, in the prison in Act II of Meyerbeer's L'Africaine at La Fenice. Photo © 2013 Michele Crosera. Click on the image for higher resolution

Nonetheless, the 23 November 2013 gala (with sky high prices) started at 6pm, received several rounds of open stage applause, and (after two short intermissions) was given a fifteen minute standing ovation when the curtain fell at 10.30pm. The music, I said, is quite easy to follow (and to remember and hum), but the real trick was the production.

Jessica Pratt as Inès, Davide Ruberti as Don Diégo, Veronica Simeoni as Sélika and Gregory Kunde as Vasco de Gama in Act II of Meyerbeer's L'Africaine at La Fenice. Photo © 2013 Michele Crosera. Click on the image for higher resolution

The stage director Leon Muscato — with the help of Massimo Checchetto (sets), Carlos Tieppo (costumes) and especially Fabio Massimo Iaquone and Luca Attilii (video) — did away with cardboard palaces, vessels and oceans. Instead there were a platform, a few props and projections (and also period films of the African and Indian colonial wars). More fundamentally, this production extracted the two main elements of the complicated plot — feminism and anti-colonialism. Both were quite unconventional in 1865. Two women (the Portuguese lady, Inès, interpreted by Jessica Pratt, and the African-Indian princess Sélika (Veronica Simeoni) are in love with the same man, Vasco De Gama (Gregory Kunde). On two different occasions they save him from sure death. Also, they are so astute as to make both the Portuguese and the African Indian Courts reverse their decisions. The anti-colonialism is apparent because the African-Indians are a tolerant and even compassionate lot, while the Portuguese (even the clergy) are devious, tricky and even sadistic.

Jessica Pratt as Inès, Gregory Kunde as Vasco de Gama and the chorus in the Act III tempest scene of Meyerbeer's L'Africaine at La Fenice. Photo © 2013 Michele Crosera. Click on the image for higher resolution

To the main protagonists — Jessica Pratt, Veronica Simeoni and Gregory Kunde — I should add Angelo Veccia as Nélusko (the African-Indian deeply in love with Sélika). They are all top-notch and deal with impervious arias and complicated concertato. The rest of the cast (nearly all Italian and singing frequently at La Fenice) is of high quality. I would have liked the conductor, Emmanuel Villaume, to give the orchestra more colors, but this can be made good in the other performances.

Copyright © 28 December 2013 Giuseppe Pennisi,
Rome, Italy