Customer Reviews

Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Verrett, Johannson, Orani, Vespasiani, Nova, Podic, Sienna Opera

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

 

 

Having seen previous productions, namely the stellar movie version starring Placido Domingo, I must that that I was left uninspired by this production.

Given that this production was staged during the Sienna Music Festival I can only assume that this is by and large a student cast, with the inclusion of a few professionals in the title roles and that's how this opera comes across.

Let me give you the major flaws I've noticed.

As aforementioned, the entire production is very amateur like.
The set is very rudamentary and average in design and the costumes are not authentic to the Sicilian region in which this great piece was originally set.

The sound quality is also not the best. There is a noticeable amount if white noise in the background, especially when viewed at a higher volume, and the sound often distorts when the singers sing more loudly or reach for the high notes.

Same goes for the picture quality. Though attmpts at fading from frame to frame are made, the overall result is disappointing.
Quality is, again, an issue that will be difficult to look beyond.
The picture often gets slightly out of focus and marginally blurry.
None of this would be a big deal were this a production staged and recorded in the mid-70's, but in this digital age one can't help but feel that this production should be of considerably better quality.

On to the acting....and singing.
Mrs. Verrett in the role of Santuzza, does a decent job. Her singing is good and her interpretation of the role (her debut in this Opera) is also decent.
The main shortcomings of her performance are two-fold.
1. She is too old to convincingly portray a scorned, young lover and
2. She tends to overact the role, resorting to excessive grimmacing and sobbing, even during moments when there is no need nor room to do so.

I'd also like to share a few comments about the tenor role played by Kristijan Johannson.
Though I've never heard of this tenor, it can be assumed that he is of some renown in Europe as his singing is quite good.
In fact, his voice is the one saving grace that helps make this production somewhat enjoyable.
His is a strong, clear, lyric voice, with just enough weight to effectively pull off a lirico-spinto part like this.
However, in what seems to be some sort of tradition among too many tenors, his acting is the polar opposite of his singing.
He certainly tries his best, but he too falls victim to overacting and seems unsure when to employ which emotional dramatization.

The rest of the leading cast was average. Not bad, but also nothing overly impressive.

I should also tell you that the previous reviewer was correct in his assesment that the orchestra pretty much dragged the entire score along at an unfathomably slow pace.
This, of course, did nothing to help this much maligned prodution.

All in all, this production of Cavalleria Rusticana would be respectable were it an all student, college level performance. However, given that this is supposed to be a professional production, with "name" singers, this production fails at almost every point.

I've given this a 2 star rating only because it's the only production of this Opera currently available on DVD. My hope is that the film version starring Domingo will soon become available so I can sell this one.
In the meantime, I shall have to make to with a rather substandard Cavalleria Rusticana.

Os amantes do verismo tem uma nova versão da ópera Cavalleria Rusticana a disposição. Até o momento só foram lançadas comercialmente duas versões em filme com Plácido Domingo, nenhuma em teatro ao vivo. Esse lançamento vem a preencher essa lacuna.
Amado por muitos e odiado por outros tantos o verismo é um estilo único, que se caracteriza por relatar pessoas comuns, gente simples e pobre sofrendo paixões arrebatadoras e sangrentas. Mascagni foi um dos precursores desse movimento e a sua Cavalleria Rusticana caiu no gosto do público do fim do século XIX. O sucesso continua até hoje. De curta duração e com alta intensidade musical ao assisti-la é impossível se desconcentrar um segundo. Emocionante , elétrica ,forte . Cavalleria Rusticana é tudo isso e muito mais. Impossível não se apaixonar pelo prelúdio orquestral e pelo intermezzo sempre usado em festas de casamento.
A gravação realizada no Teatro Comunale de Siena trás Shirley Verrett como protagonista . Atuação cênica impecável, grande atriz que demonstra toda a dor pela rejeição do amado. Sua Santuza é toda ciúme,angustia e paixão não correspondida. Voz escura e densa aliada a agudos potentes aumenta mais a dramaticidade da personagem. Simplismente uma Santuza que beira a perfeição.
Krjstian Johannson é um tenor correto. Destaque na ária de abertura, O Lola, ch' ai di latti la cammisa. Postado em um camarote junto com uma harpa ele canta a paixão. Faz um Turiddu apaixonado por Lola e impaciente com Santuza. Mama Lucia é representada por Ambra Vespasiani ,mezzo-soprano de voz opaca e ocre que tem como única vantagem o porte físico parecido com uma mama italiana.
A pequena participação de Lola não faz dela uma personagem secundária. Nesse curto espaço de tempo em que atua deve demonstrar seu caráter. Uma mulher capaz de trair o marido com um homem comprometido com outra. A bela voz de mezzo-soprano de Rosy Orany , escura e potente não ajuda em nada sua atuação. Falta-lhe mostrar que é a mulher sem escrúpulos que esta descrita no libreto.
Alfio é o marido de Lola , traído pela esposa e sem saber canta com alegria Il Cavallo Scalpita. Música inspirada no toreador da Carmen, simples e forte como o personagem . Ettore Nova capta essa essência , alegre no início e raivoso quando Santuzza lhe conta da traição esposa.
Tudo lembra uma vila italiana do sul nos cenários, a adega de mama Lucia está em primeiro plano, tudo rústico, de madeira. A igreja ao fundo é de uma simplicidade pobre. Os figurinos são adequados, os aldeões estão em suas melhores roupas de Domingo de Páscoa. Mas esse melhor representa a classe social baixa dos habitantes. Nem um cenário correto apoiado a uma boa orquestração salva o coro. Totalmente desafinado,os integrantes parecem não saber onde estão, ficam perdidos a esmo. O coro tem importância vital nessa ópera, Mascagni não compôs as belas melodias corais ao acaso. Gli aranci olezzano, Il cavallo scalpita e Viva il vino spumeggiante são algumas das belas intervenções corais nessa ópera que foram arrasadas pelos coristas de Siena.
A gravação é datada de 1991 com matriz analógica, quando transposta para o digital fica com som e imagens medianas. Nada que atrapalhe muito, mas, se compararmos com os lançamentos de outros selos com gravações de matriz digital, a qualidade é inferior.
Você que gosta do verismo e da Cavaleria Rusticana não pode deixar de ter esse disco em casa, e se você não gosta desse movimento adquira esse dvd que sua opinião vai mudar. Vale a pena pela soberba atuação de Shirley Verrett , montagem correta, orquestração eficiente e o principal, a beleza da música de Pietro Mascagni. Simplismente um dvd imperdível!

Ali Hassan Ayache

I love this short Victorian verismo opera, have had it with Pagliacci (both with Callas) for centuries. And I thought Verrett and Johannson were great. I think the music (which is tunefulish) is very dramatic and beautiful. However, I thought this performance of it was very bad, and the one act opera wasn't even paired with Pagliacci, which I think is customary. After the revelation to Alfio (and also including Santuzza's desperate pleading with Turiddu, which came before that), the music picked up force and the show pulled itself together. Before this, however, it was dismal and drab. Lucia was at pains to find something to do with herself. The chorus was ineffectual and weak musicwise, and seemed just to wander vaguely in the background, some people smiling sometimes, some seeming to talk, and generally being a drag on the whole affair. Typical of 19th Century Italian opera, this was chock full of Christianity, but for a change, it was pivotal to the plot, almost. Santuzza believed she was "damned" because she was abandoned by her lover to whom she was not married. I was very disappointed, but will no doubt watch it again. Even the orchestra seemed to perk up about half or 2/3 of the way through. Incidentally, Verrett introduced the thing by telling the plot. I didn't know anymore about it when she was done than I did before she started, including the ending. For brighter souls than I who may not be familiar with this opera, I suggest skipping this track so as not to spoil the story.

This is the first opera I have ever watched so I'm certainly no expert, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. My girl scout troop, five girls, all 11 yrs. olds, watched it (several times) and then performed an abbreviated version. (My co-leader and I edited the sound down to about 10 minutes, believe it or not, containing all scenes but one.) The girls really enjoyed watching the opera and had a lot of fun acting it out. I think it was the perfect introduction for them to this great art form. I highly recommend this performance.