Full of
Irony
GIUSEPPE PENNISI experiences
a different 'Sleeping Beauty',
Ottorino Respighi's
'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco'
at the Lyric Theatre in Cagliari
a different 'Sleeping Beauty',
Ottorino Respighi's
'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco'
at the Lyric Theatre in Cagliari
Almost all of us are familiar with Charles Perrault's fairy tale La belle au bois dormant which
has been the source of inspiration of plays, movies and especially ballet. A new production of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece will soon be at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Few specialists, however, are familiar with Ottorino Respighi's opera that travelled around the world in the nineteen twenties. The 1922 version was conceived for a well known marionette company I Piccoli di Podrecca and was initially staged at Teatro Odescalchi in Rome — a theatre not large but perfect for contemporary music — it was Alfredo Casella's preferred theatre. Thus, this first edition of La Bella Addormentata
nel Bosco required a chamber orchestra and also in the pit a small chorus and a limited number of singers for the twenty characters onstage. I Piccoli di Podrecca made it an international hit in Europe and the Americas.
 Claudia Urru as the nightingale (left) and Lara Rotili as the cuckoo in Act I Scene 1 of Respighi's 'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco' at Cagliari Lyric Theatre. Click on the image for higher resolution |
It was then staged in a new version in 1934 and conducted by the composer himself (two years before his premature death), and once more in 1967 in a third version, completed by the author's widow, Elsa, and performed as a concert by RAI, Italy's national broadcaster.
 Vincenzo Taormina as the King (left), Shoushik Barsoumian as the blue fairy (centre), Claudia Urru as the nightingale (right) and Lara Rotili as the cuckoo (far right) in Act I of Respighi's 'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco' at Cagliari Lyric Theatre. Click on the image for higher resolution |
In order to prepare myself for listening to and viewing the opera, I tried to look for a recording. I only found a 1994 live recording — now out of the catalogue — by the Slovak National Broadcasting Company, of course, in Slovak rhythmic translation. Thus, the staging of this opera is a real rarity.
 Vincenzo Taormina as the King (left), Lara Rotili as the Duchess (centre) and Shoushik Barsoumian as the blue fairy (right) in Act I of Respighi's 'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco' at Cagliari Lyric Theatre. Click on the image for higher resolution |
However, the Cagliari Lyric Theatre opened its 2017 season with La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco on 3 February 2017. I was in
the audience. One of the reasons for choosing this opera could have been the national
and international success of another forgotten work by Respighi, La Campana Sommersa, which will be at the Lincoln Center at the New York City Opera next March in the Cagliari production. Another reason could be that, if
the material is good, these revivals do pay. Cagliari Lyric Theatre is booked
for nine performances. The theater's audience capacity is 1,700, quite large for a town of
125,000 residents. Due to the reputation of its high quality productions, the theatre attracts audience members from the entire Sardinian island
and also from the 'continent'.
 Angela Nisi as the Princess (on the moon), Vincenzo Taormina as the King (left), Veta Pilipenko as the Queen (left) and Shoushik Barsoumian as the blue fairy (centre) in Act II of Respighi's 'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco' at Cagliari Lyric Theatre. Click on the image for higher resolution |
La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco was well worth a trip. It was presented in the 1934 version, a
fully-fledged opera with a medium size orchestra, fourteen singers to fit
twenty characters, dancers, mimes and what not.
 Veta Pilipenko as the old woman (left), Angela Nisi as the Princess (centre) and Lara Rotili as the cat (right) in Act II of Respighi's 'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco' at Cagliari Lyric Theatre. Click on the image for higher resolution |
The fairytale is divided into three acts, each with two scenes, and follows Perrault's story quite closely except for the finale. The Princess and the entire court sleep for almost three centuries. The
royal castle is run down. The garden full of weeds. An American party arrives there while visiting Europe in the late nineteen twenties. The
head of the group is a fellow named Mr Dollar. A billionaire in her forties is
flirting with a young man who enters the dilapidated castle, sees La Bella Addormentata and
kisses her.
 Angela Nisi as the Princess (on the moon) and Antonio Gàndia as the young man who wakes her in Act III of Respighi's 'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco' at Cagliari Lyric Theatre. Click on the image for higher resolution |
 The foxtrot in the final scene of Act III of Respighi's 'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco' at Cagliari Lyric Theatre. Click on the image for higher resolution |
Visually the production is splendid. Leo Muscato is the stage director, Giada Abiendi is responsible for the stage setting, Vera Pierantoni Giua for the costumes, Alessandro Verazzi for lighting, Luigia Frattaroli for choreography, Donato Renzetti conducts, and Gaetano Mastroiaco is the chorus master.
The opera is short (some one hundred minutes). The score is light and full of irony. Good listeners may find parodies of Verdi's melodrama and of verismo, as well as references to Wagner, Massenet, Debussy and Strauss.
The fourteen singers in twenty parts are young and also act quite well.
Shoushik Barsoumian (as the blue fairy, a coloratura soprano) deserved ovations. Vincenzo Taormina (as the King) is an excellent bass baritone, and Antonio Gandìa, a promising tenor with a very good central register, was the young man who wakes La Bella
Addormentata.
 Angela Nisi as the Princess, awoken by Antonio Gàndia in Act III of Respighi's 'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco' at Cagliari Lyric Theatre. Click on the image for higher resolution |
The audience was enchanted.
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