patrikpen: An African Norma in M&V 5 September

lunedì 7 novembre 2016

An African Norma in M&V 5 September

An African 'Norma'

GIUSEPPE PENNISI compares
La Fenice's Bellini revival with
an earlier production in Naples

As I discussed here a few months ago, Vincenzo Bellini's Norma has often been staged, in the last few years, not during the Roman occupation of the Gallic lands (where France is now) but in the most different and diverse settings such as in Tibet under Chinese domination, in the ruins of a church in Northern Europe during World War II, and in France during German occupation. The Fall season of La Fenice in Venice was inaugurated with a revival of a production whose successful, albeit discussed, debut had been last year. In the staging, Norma is placed in the Congo during French domination when, as explained in the program notes, the governor was the Italian explorer, Pietro Savorgnan di Brazza. According to the Italian and French history books, he was a true believer of the 'white man's burden' to bring civilization to the natives. According to recent research in African history, he was a domineering womanizer and a rapist. Also the stories about his premature death differ: for the French and the Italians (who named an airport after him), he died from a tropical disease, whereas for the Africans he was murdered due to excessive running after the wives of local chiefs. It is worth recalling that other productions have set Norma in Africa, eg in a Metropolitan Opera staging in the late nineteen seventies, with Shirley Verrett in the title role.

The production was entrusted to a very well-known American artist of African descent, Kara Walker, especially famous for her abstract paintings and sculptures of African women and for her installations. The Biennale d'Arte Contemporanea (an art exhibition in Venice, well-known worldwide) was also involved in the production. Kara Walker is also engaged in a large number of social projects against racism, violence against women, war; she has a flair for paintings with a strong sexual content. Thus, the plot of Norma seemed to fit her quite well: it involves a foreign governor chasing after two native virgins devoted to the local god, political tensions for freedom from the occupying power, passion and sex. Kara Walker's sets and costumes based on her visual art are quite effective.

A scene from Bellini's 'Norma' at La Fenice. Photo © 2016 Michele Crosera

However, she is not a stage director and she was assisted by Charles Fabius, who has worked for many years with Robert Wilson. Even though some of the singers have played the respective roles several times and know the parts inside out, the staging lacked cohesion. There are, of course, several references to Wilson's symmetries, however the six singers seem to each go on own their ways. It is much like an opera staging of the nineteen fifties or even of the period and style before World War II. Nonetheless, at the opening night on 27 August 2016, the theatre was sold out and the audience seemed to enjoy the staging.

The musical aspects overrode the staging. First of all, the exceptional performance of the two protagonists, soprano Mariella Devia and mezzo Roxana Constantinescu. I commented on the sublime singing and acting of Mariella Devia in my recent article (A Different Norma, 25 February 2016), based on a new production at the San Carlo Theatre in Naples. Her splendid vocal line, very clear timbre, exceptional legato, very skilled breath control, superb acute and perfect control of coloratura could be better appreciated in the smaller La Fenice than at the larger San Carlo.

Mariella Devia in the title role of Bellini's 'Norma' at La Fenice. Photo © 2016 Michele Crosera

Roxana Constantinescu was a high class Adalgisa. Their second act duet Mira o Norma was a real masterpiece. Next to these two, the other four singers — Roberto Aronica as Pollione, Simon Lim as Oroveso, Anna Bordignon as Clodilde and Antonello Ceron as Flavio — seemed of a lower standard, especially Roberto Aronica who appeared to have a bad night, particularly his descent from a heroic tenor register to melodic sentimental singing. The chorus, directed by Claudio Marino Moretti, kept very high standards.

The conductor Daniele Callegari deserves a special mention. Norma is usually considered an opera where the conductor's main task is to support the singers. Callegari and La Fenice Orchestra extracted the underlying symphonic carpet, the skillful counterpoint and other aspects that made Norma one of Richard Wagner's most loved operas.