By Imogen
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SqpcFOchjA
Available until: 14th May
2021
I’d never even heard of Teatro Real
Madrid. If you’d asked me what it was I’d have guessed that it was the
Bernabeu, the stadium where Real Madrid play, their theatre of dreams. Spain
doesn’t exactly have a great operatic tradition. It is a very musical nation
but there aren’t many operas written in Spanish. Even the ones with a Spanish
feel like Carmen aren’t written in Spanish.
But they do have a very good opera house and they have attracted some very good singers. Even though I don’t think I’ve heard of any of them.
Not many companies are even trying to
stage operas at the moment (and it’s very obvious why) so I think Teatro Real
Madrid deserve adulation for putting a production together and making it work.
There are some quite weird bits. The socially distanced chorus do look a bit
weird and creepy especially when they had their masks on at the beginning. They
all had their own squares to stand in and sometimes they wore party hats and I
think it would have been better if the squares weren’t all in line with each
other. (I’m sure there’s a posh word for that but when I asked google it gave
me an article on Rice Krispies which aren’t even square so I don’t know what
google’s been smoking.)
The bluey lighting also isn’t exactly
a party atmosphere but maybe Leo Castaldi (he’s the director) was trying to be
all clever and postmodern by showing the shadow that is hanging over Violetta.
In that case lighting director Carlos Torrijos did a good job.
It was also quite weird that Violetta
and Alfredo didn’t touch (because she might have had a fatal disease for real
too) but who wants to see people their age snogging anyway? It was weird but at
least it was respectable.
Nicola Luisotti is the conductor and
he’s a man in case you’re wondering. Most conductors are men but that’s not
because women can’t do it, we’d just rather do something more interesting like
being onstage in nice clothes than wearing a suit and waving a stick. But he
waves his stick very well. The score sounded beautiful and I actually enjoyed
listening to the preludes instead of wanting them to get on with it.
Violetta is played by Marina Rebeka
and Alfredo is played by Michael Fabiano. It took me a little while to get used
to them because they weren’t what I expected. I’m used to hear the roles taken
by lighter-voiced singers who are earlier in their career and Marina and
Michael obviously had well developed voices and lots of experience. But before
too long they totally won me over. Their voices are heavy but beautiful and
they have the vocal flexibility to sing the coloratura properly. Marina plays
Violetta’s physical and mental suffering very well and although I think they
should really have given Michael some hair he has a powerful ringing tenor and
he is very passionate. I also like the way he is so enthusiastic about helping
Violetta with her money problems, that kind of thing is so attractive in a man.
Artur Rucincki plays Giorgio Germont.
I don’t like the character at all, I think he needs to mind his own business.
My dad is the same, like what does it have to do with parents who you date? And
Alfredo is much older than me. And gatecrashing parties so you can embarrass
your kids, just stop now ok? Like it’s not embarrassing enough just having
parents. This Germont has two sticks, one to help him walk and one shoved up
his… I’m sure you know where I’m going with that. But Artur plays the cold old
man very well. His characterisation is strong and his voice is powerful.
The singers in the small roles are
good too. I like Sandra Ferrandez. She makes Flora seem quite fun. As long as
the party hats were meant to be ironic. If they’re supposed to be a genuine
fashion accessory I’m DONE.
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