This tale of fourteenth century Venetian political intrigue is one of the composer’s less frequently
performed works, although not for
any particular reason - other operas have more ‘big tunes’ or
more famous arias; what Simon
Boccanegra has is concise dramaturgy and effective storytelling,
thus making it an ideal candidate
for this ‘semi-staged’ concert performance. Like many of Verdi’s
operas from this period, it also
contains its fair share of clunky exposition and characters who
express themselves in very broad
terms - there isn’t much room for nuance in a tale where people
either love each other very much
or hate each other very much. But that’s nineteenth century
romantic opera for you .....
The ethics of ‘semi-staging’ have
been much debated, with some describing them as a
cynical exercise in cost-cutting;
no doubt there is a cost-cutting element, but it’s unlikely to be
cynical, with opera companies
everywhere strapped for cash and ON lacking the kind of funding
that Covent Garden can rely on.
But as long as musical values are present and correct, there is little
need to worry and many of these
‘semi-staged’ performances have been effective because they’re
under-produced. With only a basic
set and costumes, the focus is placed where it should always be:
on the playing and the singing.
Both were in fine fettle for this
Nottingham performance. Opera North has assembled a
splendid cast of singing actors
who do full justice to Verdi’s demanding vocal writing and they
sailed through the complex
combinations of duets, trios and quintets with seasoned aplomb. Taking
a cue from baritone Roland Wood
in the title role of the Pirate turned Doge, all inhabited their
characters with conviction, in an
opera where lower voices predominate: basses Vazgan Gazaryan
(Boccanegra’s enemy Fiesco) and
Mandla Mndebele (the treacherous Paulo) were particularly
effective as the opera’s
principal antagonists, as was tenor Andres Presno as Boccanegra’s rival and
Boccanegra’s daughter Amelia
(doubling in the silent role of her mother Maria in the Prologue) - a
performance of real charisma and
authority that recalled Mirella Freni at her peak.
Opera North’s orchestra has been
described (seriously) as ‘the Vienna Philharmonic of
northern England’ and
performances like this one only serve to underline the point: they always
give a flexible and idiomatic
reading of whatever score is in front of them. Under conductor
Antony Hermus, who has
demonstrated his affinity with this orchestra on several previous
occasions, it becomes the prefect
Verdian instrument, with the strings in the Prologue being a
perfect musical representation of
the lapping waters of Venice.
Director P J Harris keeps things
necessarily straightforward, but the lighting could have
done with being brighter; from a
circle seat, it was hard to make out expressions on faces.
Otherwise, a splendid production.
On tour to Hull, Liverpool and Gateshead until 24th May 2025.
https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/simon-boccanegra/#cast-creative
Reviewer - Paul Ashcroft
On - 300425
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