LUCREZIA BORGIA
Donizetti’s opera
Lucrezia Borgia was shown as a concert version in the Concert Hall of Mariinsky
Theatre. I have seen several operas as concert versions there, but I was a bit
surprised that this opera was a real concert version. Always before the so
called concert versions have had some light sets and normal opera costumes.
Though I must say that in this case even the concert version was superb. Music
was so enchanting that I was well able to imagine the young men celebrating and
other scenes as if they were performed on the stage.
Actually it is rather
surprising that this opera is performed rather seldom compared to some other
Donizetti operas. The music is beautiful and contains several very beautiful
arias.
The soloists were from
the Mariinsky Academy of Young Opera Singers and as usual well chosen. The
bass-baritone Ivan Novosyolov who sang the role of Duke Alfonso was perhaps my
personal favourite. Even his Italian sounded good. Gelena Gaskarova sparkled in
the role of Lucrezia Borgia. The role is not the lightest possible to sing and
in the end of last act there is still the aria “Era desso il figlio mio”, which
contains a lot of trills and coloratura passages, but Gaskarova did a splendid
job with it all. Gennaro’s role was sung by Dmitry Voropaev, who go the fourth
prize for men in Mirjam Helin contest in 2004. He has a rather strong Italian
type tenor voice which suited this role very well. I also like a lot Regina
Rustanova in the role of Orsini. She has a lovely bright mezzo voice.
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| Concert Hall |
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| The soloists |
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