A Surreal Atmosphere

Daniel Auber's 'Fra Diavolo' is back in Rome,
reviewed by GIUSEPPE PENNISI

Fra Diavolo, ou L'hôtellerie de Terracine (Fra Diavolo, or The Inn of Terracina) by Daniel Auber returned to Rome's Opera House on 8 October 2017 after more than a century. I was in the audience on the opening night. Auber's opera had been seen and heard occasionally in minor opera houses or by travelling companies in Rome during last century. This production is a joint venture with Teatro Massimo di Palermo, where the plan is to stage it in 2018. No effort has been spare to provide a top production, including the first presentation of a new imaginative method for the sets.

Anna Maria Sarra as Zerlina and John Osborn in the title role of Daniel Auber's 'Fra Diavolo' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Photo © 2017 Yasuko Kageyama

It is an opéra comique in three acts from a libretto by Auber's regular collaborator, Eugène Scribe. It is loosely based on the life of the guerrilla leader Michele Pezza, active in southern Italy during the period 1800-1806, who went under the name of Fra Diavolo (Brother Devil). The opera was first performed by the Opéra Comique in Paris on 28 January 1830, and an Italian version was prepared by Auber and Scribe for performances in London in 1857. This contained new recitatives and arias, as well as expanding the roles of Fra Diavolo's accomplices. The opera was Auber's greatest success, one of the most popular works of the nineteenth century, and was in the standard repertory in its original French as well as in German and Italian versions. An English translation was also made; the opera was quite popular in the UK too, because it shared many points with the work of Gilbert and Sullivan. British musicologist Hugh Macdonald, a nineteenth century music specialist, considered this comic opera as 'the most successful work of its kind before Offenbach'. The libretto is very French: a typical example of boulevardier theatre, full of comic intrigues to make the audience laugh for a couple of hours. Even a Hollywood movie was made from the opera, with important actors such as Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy; in the 1934 Italian dubbed version, Tito Gobbi sang quite a few baritone arias.

John Osborn in the title role of Daniel Auber's 'Fra Diavolo' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Photo © 2017 Yasuko Kageyama

The plot is quite simple. Zerlina (Anna Maria Sarra), daughter of the innkeeper of Terracina (Alessio Verna), is in love with an impoverished soldier, Lorenzo (Giorgio Misseri), but her father wants her to marry a rich man. Lorenzo is in pursuit of the notorious bandit Fra Diavolo (John Osborn). Diavolo himself arrives at the inn disguised as a marquis and robs two English travelers, Lord and Lady Rocburg (Roberto De Candia and Sonia Ganassi). Lorenzo manages to retrieve part of the stolen goods and is rewarded with enough money to marry Zerlina. Diavolo is determined to rob the travelers again and enlists the help of his two comical henchmen, Giacomo and Beppo (Jean Luc Ballestra and Nicola Pamio).

From left to right: Anna Maria Sarra as Zerlina, John Osborn as Fra Diavolo, Jean Luc Ballestra as Giacomo and Nicola Pamio as Beppo in Daniel Auber's 'Fra Diavolo' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Photo © 2017 Yasuko Kageyama. Click on the image for higher resolution

During the night the three of them sneak into Zerlina's room and steal her dowry. Lorenzo appears and mistakes the 'marquis' for a rival in love. The next day, Zerlina is forced to marry Francesco as she now no longer has her dowry. Diavolo instructs his henchmen to warn him when Lorenzo and his troop of soldiers have left the town so he can safely rob again, but the two are recognized in the crowd by Zerlina and Diavolo is tricked into appearing and shot when the signal is given as arranged. Zerlina is free to marry Lorenzo again.

A scene from Daniel Auber's 'Fra Diavolo' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Photo © 2017 Yasuko Kageyama

The music is rather easy to listen to. After an elaborate overture, the score is simple, with a few important arias and several duets, trios and quartets. The stage direction by Giorgio Barberio Corsetti emphasized the speed of the action and was supported by stage sets (Massimo Troncanetti), costumes (Francesco Esposito) and especially videos (Igor Renzetti, Alessandra Solimene and Lorenzo Bruno). The action is set in the late nineteen fifties and, due to a new 3D method, the sets are like the pictures of comic books of that time. Also the constructed parts are made of 3D paper derived from corn. This gives a surreal atmosphere and facilitates changing the sets.

A young British conductor, Rory Macdonald, was in the pit and provided a swift pace to the opera. The orchestra, chorus and corps de ballet went along quite well. The cast was made of good singers (who also acted very well). In my view, the two youngsters (Anna Maria Sarra and Giorgio Misseri) were just excellent. John Osborn, Roberto De Candia and Sonia Ganassi (who was a bit under par on 8 October) are well experienced professionals in this type of comic opera.