“I observe that in Byron’s there is not that scenic grandeur that is desired in operas for music: put your ingenuity to the torture and find something that makes a bit of noise especially in the first act. […] Do it with commitment because it is a beautiful, delicate and very pathetic subject.”
Thus wrote Giuseppe Verdi to his faithful Francesco Maria Piave as soon as he identified Byron’s drama The Two Foscari the basis from which to compose his new opera which premiered at the Teatro Argentina in Rome on 3 November 1944. On the other hand, it is almost impossible to move a subject like that of the Two Foscari, in which everything is played out on the political background that leads to the personal dramas of a Doge, his son and his combative daughter-in-law. Piave did everything possible to liven up the action, inserting here and there some theatrical twists – for example, the entrance of Lucrezia in the third act who, without mincing words, says to the Doge: “Ah more children, unhappy one, you didn’t… As he left, the innocent died…”; a sentence thrown there like a boulder, without any delicacy, and which alone would justify a parent’s heart attack. But, as if that wasn’t enough, immediately afterwards the dramatic tension mounts further with Loredano informing Francesco Foscari of the dismissal decided by the Ten. And the grandiose finale reserved for the protagonist who sings “This is therefore the iniqua mercede…” is yet another demonstration of how Verdi loved, more than any other, the vocality of the baritone but also of how, with the non-trivial contribution of Piave had found a way to make his audience jump on their seats. Certainly today’s sensitivity makes us less inclined to understand tragedies based on ethical and honor issues, especially if linked to politics, but it is the music of the first Verdi, the one from the “prison years” that compensates by giving us strong emotions.
A whirlwind of excitement and emotion is what we experienced during the Sunday performance of the Due Foscari which we witnessed at the Teatro Municipale of Piacenza and what contributed most to it was probably the direction of Matteo Beltrami who, after Il Trovatore directed last year in the same theater in Piacenza, gave yet another demonstration of having Verdi’s music in his blood, of feeling it like few others, of breathing it together with the singers and of living it in perfect symbiosis with the orchestra. Beltrami brought out the best of the early Verdi with his fire, lively tempos, but also by recalling his bel canto extraction perceptible in several points of the score. L’Orchestra of Emilia-Romagna “Arturo Toscanini”very precise in responding to the director’s instructions, has highlighted since Prelude to be in brilliant form: after the initial nine bars the chromaticisms created by the intertwining of brass and bassoons with strings and high woodwinds are of rare beauty, like the clarinet Alone which pierces the silence with a poignant sound, introducing the theme of Jacopo Foscari and that of Lucrezia. The latter rendered with precious filigree by the trembling of the violins combined with the flute. A direction that is particularly attentive to the sound balance and the needs of the singers without being dominated by them, on the contrary; but always maintaining an absolute squaring of the circle. Credit must also be given to the baton for having been able to tell the story without incurring the drops in tension that could be induced by the poverty of the plot, but rather keeping the attention constant and well alert towards the beauty of one of the most intriguing compositions of the young Verdi; score that already allows us to glimpse glimpses of Traviata, Simon Boccanegra and Don Carlo.
The singers obviously also benefited from this direction.
Luca Salsi in the role of the Doge he was the protagonist of a capital performance that convinced us without ifs or buts. The baritone from Parma showed that he totally mastered the role by showing off a well-rounded and homogeneous vocality across the entire range (even the high register seemed more collected and better projected than on other occasions), good musical quadrature and absolute attention to the scenic word. Furthermore, the dark vocal timbre, the right accents inserted in a very varied phrasing, together with the good stage presence, earned him a well-deserved triumph with the public. White heat success that led to the convinced request for an encore, generously granted, of “This is therefore the unfair reward…”
Probably the best performance of the Parma baritone we have witnessed to date.
Marigona Qerkezi, called upon to take on the very complicated role of Lucrezia Contarini in place of the expected Marina Rebeka, managed not to make us miss the Latvian soprano to whom we send our best wishes for a speedy recovery. Qerkezi, who we remembered in Guglielmo Tell staged in the 2019-2020 season of OperaLombardia, has had considerable technical and vocal maturation. The Croatian soprano of Kosovar origins has for some time been placing her training as a light lyric soprano at the service of a more demanding repertoire, debuting in the roles of Leonora (Trovatore), Elvira, Aida, Lucrezia Contarini and, soon, in that of Abigaille. Characters with vocal writings that make the veins of the wrists tremble and that could make you fear for the desirable longevity of those who face them. In reality, Qerkezi’s excellent technical organization leaves us rather calm about her future since, during the performance we attended, she never gave us the impression of getting bigger or looking for a vocality that doesn’t suit her. it was its own. Her agility and strength were excellent, her vocal delivery at all heights, the lines, the dynamics were very good and the volume was more than good. Her keeping her distance, demonstrating the fact that she sings with her own voice, was truly remarkable, so much so that she reached the end without missing a beat. Despite a perfectible diction, from an interpretative point of view she too was credible, above all by virtue of careful phrasing and good stage presence. From a purely vocal point of view, you are probably not yet an authentic dramatic soprano: you notice this when the score requires you to sing in strong the notes that come just above the transition zone (say G, A and Bb) and which do not yet possess the necessary dose of metal, unlike the high and super high register which instead releases easily, very brightly and powerfully. In any case, a performance worth remembering which places Qerkezi among the most reliable interpreters for this role today.
The test was also substantially positive Luciano Ganci engaged in the complicated role of Jacopo Foscari. The Roman tenor, fresh from two performances of Aida (17 and 20 April) directed by Riccardo Muti in Tokyo, faced the numerous rough edges present in the score with the necessary bravado, showing off his usual precious timbre by alternating beautifully emitted notes with some controlled ones a little less well, especially on the occasion of some high scores that are excessively open and therefore not perfectly turned and ringing. Small things if you like, especially considering the difficulties present in this part and how well it was resolved in the magnificently marked phrasing, in the ample display of colors and in the pathos infused in the duet with Lucrezia in the second act and in general in the generosity shown in the ensemble scenes. Moreover, the precious vocality with which this tenor is endowed can be a sort of double-edged sword, in the sense that with a voice of such a present and brilliant nature, even a slightly more forced or less focused note does not go unnoticed. But that’s kind of the price that artists with beautiful voices have to pay.
For the flanking parts we highlight the excellent Loredano di Antonio Di Matteo and sufficient evidence of Ilaria Alida Quilico (Pisana) e Manuel Pierattelli (Infantryman). We regret having to report weak evidence of Marcello Nardis in the role of Barbarigo. Completed the cast Eugenio Maria Degiacomi (servant of the Doge).
The performance was of a very good standard Choir of the Municipal Theater of Piacenza, excellently prepared by Corrado Casati.
The staging that bears the director’s signature Joseph Franconi Lee it saw the light in 2008 at the ABAO Bilbao Opera and arrives in Piacenza at the end of a satisfying journey that took it to the Teatro Regio in Parma, the Teatro Comunale in Modena and the Teatro Verdi in Trieste. The strong points certainly lie in the simple yet effective scenes William Orlandi (certainly appreciated by the singers who found themselves always singing with a wall behind them) which, sliding in a circular manner, open up, creating different settings and allowing a suggestive glimpse of Venice to be glimpsed in the background, but also in the precise and essential movements given to choir and artists. Also very beautiful are the historical costumes designed by Orlandi himself who, with an intelligent choice of colours, clearly highlighted the roles of the characters present on stage. The lights are effective Valerio Alfieri.
At the end, long and enthusiastic ovations were reserved for all the creators of the show.
The review refers to the afternoon performance of Sunday 5 May 2024.
Danilo Boaretto
