patrikpen: Opera Philology in M&V 15 August

domenica 7 gennaio 2018

Opera Philology in M&V 15 August

Opera Philology

Rossini's 'Torvaldo e Dorliska',
reviewed by GIUSEPPE PENNISI

Torvaldo e Dorliska is the third production of the 2017 Rossini Opera Festival — a revival of a joint venture between the ROF and the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. Then, the opera was performed at the PesaroFestival in summer 2006 and in Naples in winter 2007. I have no memoryof other performances, but in summer 2006 I reviewed the opera for an Italian weekly and wrote that it was of interest mostly to opera philologists. The librettist, Cesare Sterbini — also the author of the libretto for Il Barbiere di Siviglia — called it dramma semiserio, meaning a rather truculent subject with moments of comic relief and a happy ending.

A very special sub-category of drama seminiserio was that of plays or operas named pieces à sauvetage where, after a complicated and highly dramatic intrigue, the 'good guys' arrive, punish the 'bad guys' and save the protagonists just as they are about to be killed. Beethoven's Fidelioand Cherubini's Lodoiska belong to this category. Indeed, Fidelio's first version, Leonore, is one of the best examples of dramma semiseriobecause the tragic plot is intertwined with comic moments. Two years after Torvaldo e Dorliska, Rossini composed a masterpiece of the genre: La Gazza Ladra.

Teatro Valle produced the opera for the first time in Rome on 26 December 1815. It was a success and one of the determinants for the decision to contract Rossini and Sterbini for Il Barbiere di Siviglia, staged a few months later, also at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. This ROF revival started on 12 August 2017. I was in the audience at the opening performance.

The plot evolves in the castle of Ordow, somewhere in Northern Europe. The Duke, a gloomy and bad tempered man, is certain to have killed his rival in love (Torvaldo) but has not been successful in capturing the prey, Torvaldo's wife, Dorliska. She falls into the Duke's hands, because after wandering in the woods by night she knocks at the castle door, almost by accident.

Torvaldo is not dead, and arrives at the castle too, in disguise as a woodcutter. After a good amount of intrigues, the castle keeper, Giorgio, and the other servants decide that their boss has gone beyond any reasonable limits.

They organize a revolt, and ask help from the King. The revolt explodes just when the Duke is about to kill Torvaldo and rape Dorliska. The King's army arrives.

The Duke is led off in chains, awaiting trial. The opera ends with general rejoicing for restored peace and quiet.

In the score are seeds of future works by Rossini, including Il Barbiere di Siviglia. The orchestration is minimal, mostly in support of the vocal parts. There are some excellent arias such as Dorliska's cavatina and the Duke's last aria. The basso buffo (Giorgio) and the lyric tenor have rather impervious vocalizing. Overall, the opera is half-baked; its most interestingmoments are the indications of future work.

The stage direction by Mario Martone, the set by Sergio Tramonti and the costumes by Ursula Patzak are sufficiently gothic to fit the gloomiest parts of the plot more than the comic and happy sections. Francesco Lanzillotta conducted the Rossini Symphonic Orchestra efficiently. The singers were of quite high level, especially Nicola Alaimo (the Duke), Dmitry Korchak (Torvaldo), Salome Jicia (Dorliska) and Carlo Lepore (Giorgio). The audience applauded the performers.

GIOACCHINO ROSSINI

NINETEENTH-CENTURY MUSIC

CARLO LEPORE

ROSSINI OPERA FESTIVAL

PESARO

ITALY

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