Customer Reviews

Bellini - I Puritani / Gruberova, Bros, Alvarez, Orfila, Gorny, Madrid, Pierotti, Haider, Barcelona Opera

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In my mind I Puritani is the most BELCANTO of all the Italian repertory, it is all about the long flowing melodies, fast cabalettas and repeated high notes. So it shouldn't be any surprise that Bellini had four of the greatest singers in mind while writing it. In fact they ended up with the nickname of Puritani Quartet. I am presenting some of this just to warn you it is extremely difficult music to sing, the few recording of this work are only attempted when a first rate cast can be put together... the soprano role (with the memory of Callas and Sutherland fresh in mind) is littered with high eflats and two octave runs. The tenor role is famous or rather infamous for the high F that is usually sang in falsetto or skipped altogether, but it also has high C's and D's throughout.
I Puritani is a goldmine of endless melodies and beautiful music. Lets get down to this performance. This is the fist time that I have witnessed Gruberova noticeably having vocal problems. She has been 30 years of rock solid coloratura! So in a way it was sort of sad to watch her struggle through Son vergin vezzosa missing the high E flat ending... or the pause before attempting the final note of Ma tu gia fuggi... or the fact that she skipped the ending aria Ah! sento o mio bell'angelo. That said it was truly amazing to watch her mad scene, she was minus some intonation problems... WONDERFUL BRAVO! And it was a pleasure to see her and hear her at her best. Just for those 17 mins this DVD is worth the price. After I got past the above problems, I have to admit that her performance was really remarkable, it is a tough opera and seeing some of the singers currently singing I am glad Gruberova's performance was captured and released. As for the rest of the cast... they are not in the same league as the Diva. Bros has a nice warm tenor, but I think this role might be stretch for him the high D's were good but there was no attempt at the high F. Then again, what singer today would sing the high F (we miss you Pavarotti). Haider and the rest were good, not great, but good and the tempos seemed for the most part to help the singers cope with the heavy demands. I would have to recommend this recording to anyone who like belcanto opera or coloratura divas there is at least one good high E for you to enjoy.

Whether you are a Gruberova fan or not, you will love this production of Bellini's opera. With minimal sets (which work effectively), the 'static' nature of this opera is well conveyed. Haider conducts the orchestra and chorus of the Liceu, Barcelona and soloists Carlos Alvarez, Simon Orfila and Jose Bros give excellent accounts of their parts. Gruberova is clearly the star of this show and the audience love her. For her age, she sings excellently, even besides a few moments of patchy pitch and tone. I actually saw her sing this role in Munich a year earlier and she was just as good, if not better. Opinions will vary between opera lovers about the merits of this production. I love it, hence the 5 star rating.

This has got to be the most intensely melodic opera ever written. We don't see it done very much today because we lack the singers. This production from the Licieu is not perfect but it's as good as we are likely to find today. Gruberova is past her prime but she can still deliver. I haven't heard singing like this lately elsewhere. And she makes us feel for Elvira. Bros is unknown to me but on the basis of this performance he should have a good career. He has a sweet tenor that is able to encompass Arturo's high notes of which there are many. The other singers are up to par and Haider leads a spirited performance. Andre Serban's production is all greys and blacks except for Elvira's red rose. But these are Puritans after all. And there is more than enough color in those heart melting melodies. If you do not know Puritani give yourself this wonderful gift.

The production is a traditional staging from the Gran Teatro de Liceu de Barcelona, very effective considering the lead new productions have taken in the past 10 years (this is a 2003 live recording). Friedrich Haider baton is equilibrated his tempos are just accurate according the original partitura.

Gruberova as Elvira is pretty well, she doesn't looks in her 30's but she certainly is in good shape, no wobbling (which is typical in some sopranos reaching the 50's) seems that the experience gained through her career gives her the authority to handle the role; she is a committed and believable Elvira.

Jose Bros is a tenor with a bright tone and good singing technique his high register sounds both sweet and warm yet he is cautious when facing the hard parts of the role (I prefer a lyric voice with solid high register and over all, determination and courage to hit the notes, like for instance the young Pavarotti and the Swedish great tenor Nicolai Gedda). He gets through his "A te o cara" with some effort, in his duo of the third act "Vieni, vieni fra queste braccia" he just gives a quick peak in the high note and goes down a bit hurried (?). In the final act essemble "Credese a misera" he avoids the original written "Fa" for the tenor. In general he does not cover the role requirements at all but his accomplishment is acceptable.

Carlos Alvarez holds a young powerful Riccardo with a ringing beatiful tone. I really like this baritone he is into his role and does not hesitate.

Simone Orfila is in charge of Giorgio even though he is very young for this role owns the voice to convince, a beautiful tone and strength.

Konstantin Gorny gives an authority Valton with his deep and surrounding bass tone.

Memorable parts: Elvira's aria of the first act and her duo with Giorgio at the end of it, simply fabulous. The great and heroic second act Giorgio and Riccardo's duo. "Suoni la tromba".

As a summary, since no many other alternatives are available on video, this has become a real good option to live the intensity of this amazing Bellini's work. AND GO FOR IT!

Bellini's last opera I Puritani is perhaps one of the most beautiful "bel canto operas" ever composed and a tremendous challenge for both the soprano and the tenor. After reading in this blog some of the comments about this production of the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona I was a bit reluctant of buying it. However my love for this opera and for Edita Gruberova's art made me take the risk and, at the end, I was not dissapointed at all. It is true that the stage production is quite dark and boring with extremely simple scenaries, but puritans were austere people and the mood set by the plot is rather dark by itself. Tenor José Bros gets better toward the end although I do not particularly fancy his voice. On the other hand Carlos Alvarez and Simón Orfila do a fine job, they are not only excellent singers but also very good actors. The duo "Suoni la Tromba", between these two characters, is plenty of power and beauty. However, who really steals the show here is Edita Gruberova who, in spite of her overweigth, overage for the role and overacting make you forget all those "minor details" with her out-of-this-world singing. She is particularly amazing in the madness scene in the second act. I had to listen it several times because I could not believe what I thought was an audio illusion. In the colorature, her voice sounds like a musical instrument and reminds me those virtuoso passages of Paganini violin concerti. In spite of my personal dislike for Bros voice I have to admit that there is a sort of chemistry between him and Edita Gruberova that is more evident in the last act. Their voices work fine together.

If you're looking for operatic eye candy as far as sets and costumes go, this production is not for you. You could pack the sets in a small mini-van and take them on tour. But it's the singing that counts and sometimes Gruberova delivers and sometimes she doesn't. The sad thing is Bellini wrote such beautiful music for this opera and it deserves to be heard by a seasoned cast. This is not the cast. The audience clearly adores Gruberova and she steps out of character to acknowledge their adulation every chance she gets. Bros picks up steam as the performance moves along but the Barcelona Opera chorus evidently had other things on its mind. Watching them in the background shows most of them uninvolved with the proceedings. It's not a dreadful performance but Puritani deserves better treatment. Until another production comes along, this one barely suffices.

First, this is one of the most awesome DVDs ever created by planet Earth. Second, some reviews aver that "the extreme donna," Ms. Gruberova, was not spectacular. Was she? Well, know this. I have never seen more rapturous and worshipful ovations than the donna received after her mad scenes. Her reception after the Act II meltdown ended with her pressed against the back wall. The crowd hooted and pleaded with her until she turned around and ever-so-graciously bowed. She exited behind the wall, and the insane audience demanded her re-appearance. Yeah, she blew some notes, but opera consists not in hitting the notes all the time, but in singing your guts out. And Ms. Gruberova's guts are all over the stage. She's great!

Another thing. According to some place on the internet, a "stretta" is the loud and fast ending of a musical piece in opera. It wakes us up. It was Bellini's signature move. I like stretti. However, many performances on DVD and CD cut out some of these, and it is very annoying. For example, in the Gruberova DVD performance, go to Act I, where Elvira's uncle, Sir Giorgio, tells her that she doesn't have to marry Sir Riccardo Forth; and, indeed, can marry her real-and-true love, Lord Arturo Talbot. Upon this joyous news, Elvira and her uncle sing a loud and fast piece, with some high notes. They repeat the section, only louder and faster, and with some real gigantic high notes. I've rarely had such a good time. This is fun!

Now, the Netrebko/Cutler DVD omits this first stretta. So do CDs with Dame Joan and Diva Callas. Hey, the two stretta are part of one complete musical thought. If you take out the first stretta, the second one has no real purpose. It careens about like a hubcap ejected by a pothole. To remove the first stretta is to destroy the entire section of music. You wreck it when you mutilate it. This must be stopped!

Anyway, if you love Bellni (and how could you not?), I think you will love Ms. Gruberova and crew. Like Michael J. Fox said in "Back to the Future": "Whew! Rock 'n' roll!"

The singing is uniformly good, a young bright tenor nicely matches Gruberova's by now older, more breath-y singing. The staging is stark but extremely effective and, best of all, the conducting is lively and melodious throughout. A real treat to watch if you are any sort of Bellini fan.

I must start off by admitting that I am a relative newcomer to the opera world, and so take what I say as you will. Overall I enjoyed this production of I Puritani. Edita Gruberova, though as some others have said, is perhaps a bit long in the tooth as Elvira, nevertheless more than makes up for it with her singing. Even so, there are a few things to watch out for: the famous "Qui la voce...vien diletto" is sung with a touch too much staccato for my tastes (especially compared to Sutherland's or Ruth Ann Swenson's, both I've heard on CD), but still she carries through with gusto. The most annoying thing, however, is that Gruberova is a complete ham on stage, breaking character often to milk more and more applause out of the audience (whereas I've seen many other opera productions with the exquisite Mariella Devia who garners just as much applause while never breaking character). Those may be picky things, but it eventually became somewhat annoying. The rest of the singers sounded good, and the orchestra did as well. I love this opera, and I wish that there were more than just this one and the Netrebko version on DVD. As another reviewer has said, this opera deserves more!

The reviews here are all very helpful. I agree that the staging is more stark and grim than I would have staged it...oh how I'd like to design sets. I worked as a designer for a career, so naturally, I , and perhaps you as well, would love to take over there. But after all, it was a grim time, and that is the stark contrast presented here...two people desperately in love in a dark time.
Edita Gruberova is new to me...well...opera is new to me...but I can tell you candidly, that I was astounded at her abilities with this most demanding soprano score...so "Bellini like" that it takes your breath away! What an endless sparkling stream of tender melody line. Anyone who ever strives to write new melodies and rythms can only marvel at this work...and be inspired-as so many other later operatic composers were!

It's unkind to characterize Madame Gruberova as struggling...she makes the impossible seem almost routine. She is the girl next door...almost plain...but that is precisely what I find endearing about her. Most of us are not pretty people. Not only would we look ridiculous on stage, we would sound even worse. No this is one to have in your collection and be proud to have there. It is a watery eyed, glorious triumph for this Beautiful Woman.
And how about that Arturo. Man! If we gentlemen could be honest, we would boldly proclaim that we wish to God we could look that good and sing that magnificently.

I would like to give a little more info about this libretto since it underscores cultural and lifestyle dilemnas we face today. The time is around 1650 or so? And it seems the exceses of the power elite grew to be the age old powerful and rich-exploiting the great unwashed masses...thus the revolt. These "nothing fancy" ...uh..."fundamentalists" we all love to hate and fear managed a successful revolution guided by Oliver Cromwell...(I'm relying on memory of my history class)... and his "Roundheads"...so called because they all shaved their heads...much like the young men of today, who have shrugged off all similance of "pretty boyness". The supporters of King Charles 1st were the fancy boy cavaliers with their ruffled shirts, and floppy hats and boots. This revolution , as most revolutions go, went too far, and were ultimately overthrown, where King Charles the 2nd retook the throne.

Before that, though, these no nonsense skinheads went through the churches of England and ripped out all "fanciness"...they perceived as idolatrous...taking all silver and gold for the "cause", and stripping the churches of all "prettiness"....since these Puritans ultimately lost and were driven out of England, and came to America...this is precisely how we wound up with so many stark and bare churches today.... still today, it is some sort of profound and chilling sacrilege to even suggest that we have some paintings on the walls, and pretty stained glass, and to paint the walls a...gasp...colour!...God forbid! "No, no no...it must be plain white...."...sigh...I don't like it, personally...it makes me feel that it is all just a show and pretense of piety, and not genuine at all...it is just plain fake, and it encourages congregants to put on a mask...which is the very definition of the Greek word "Hypocrite".

You see, this is still the fuel for the fire that charges us today with fear of the "religious right"...we all fear that...just as we fear Islam and the suicide bombers who see the West as "The Great Satan". We all sense that if we were to find ourselves under the nation of Islam, we would witness precisely the same thing the English suffered under Cromwell...but a hundred times worse!

My point being that even though this is music written in the mid 1800's; the libretto and the music is still vibrantly relevant...still a thing to be astonished by. And that is the really amazing thing to me.

This is an sumptuous performance. And did I mention it is from the stage of the Gand Teatre.del Liceu of Barcelona.... the greatest operas, and the greatest staging, and the greatest singers pour out from there. If you ever see Gan Teatre del Liceu on the DVD sleeve...you can be supremely confident that this is one you won't regret buying at all. I love these performers...they are all fabulous. Time does not permit mentioning them all-but these performers and their careers bear watching and keeping up with.
This one goes on the top shelf in my collection.