2023-11-02 16:55:21
CD GIUSEPPE VERDI: I LOMBARDI ALLA PRIMA CROCIATA – Live recording from Munich’s Prinzregententheater April 23, 2023
Publication: November 10, 2023
Ivan Repusic, Chief conductor of the since the 2017/18 season Munich Radio Orchestra made it clear with his inaugural concert, which he dedicated to Verdi’s “Luisa Miller,” that he particularly valued the early Verdi of the 1840s. With those created on February 11, 1843, between “Nabucco” and “Ernani”, which premiered in Dresden a few days after “The Flying Dutchman”. „The Lombards at the First Crusade“ he continues a concert and CD cycle that, in addition to the already mentioned “Luisa Miller”, also includes “I Due Foscari” and “Attila”.
This fourth Verdi opera, a dramma lirico in four acts, is a wild story for the librettist Themistocles Solera about rival brothers in jealousy, a parricide who mutated into a hermit, a crusade to Jerusalem, a Christian woman captured in an Antiochene harem and her liberation, secret loves and baptisms and other conversions. The story ends with the choir praising God ‘We praise you, great God of victory’, wo Michele Pertusi As a now remorseful hermit, he can take one last look at the Crusader flags hoisted on the walls of Jerusalem before his death.
The opera business should smell like the triumphant “Nabucco” and the Scala impresario, who was full of theater gold Bartolomeo Merelli move on, ideally with the same success ingredients. Major family disputes, religious conflicts, war, love between men and women from hostile camps, the conflict between self-centered interests and community welfare as well as patriotic pathos can also be found in “I Lombardi”. Needless to say, the excavation of the First Crusade in the eleventh century was seen as something of a parable for the Italians’ struggle for freedom against the Austrians. The Crusader Choir ‘O Lord, from my native roof’, which, probably not coincidentally, comes across like a rehash of the Hebrew slaves’ choir in “Nabucco” ‘Va pensiero’, was accordingly celebrated by the Italian audience, in the truest sense of the word, anthemic.
The extremely dazzling Solera, whose father got to know the inside of the prison because of patriotic-revolutionary activities and who was said to have novelistic women’s stories, duels, attempted murder, unreliability, wasting money and working as a secret agent, knew exactly the effect of raging black and white emotions packed into inflammatory verses, fateful twists and turns, confusion of love, blood, death and occasional remorse on the 29-year-old Verdi, who, full of energy and verve, also gave this opera insinuatingly melodic and explosively emotionally charged inspirations from prayer to cabaletta, from adventurous choirs and strangely beautiful ensembles. The clash of extreme opposites in questions of faith that meander across society and love relationships is, at least thematically, not so unusual today.
The dramaturgically over-the-top something, the hair-raising improbabilities, the extravagant characters (except that of the soprano heroine Giselda, who is modern in her ambivalence) and the fourth act, which ends with a kitschy harp, can of course also be enjoyed overall as an exciting, absurdly romantic melodrama.
Particularly the choirs (processional choir ‘Gerusalem’ at the beginning of Act 3!), but also the Giselda-Oronte duet ‘Dove sola m’inoltro’ and the ensembles, which are often chorally reinforced (the magnificent chanted ‘Or s’ascolti il voler cittadino’ from the first Act; Finale II) are impressive and are among the most immediately catchy that Verdi came up with at this stage of his career.
The cast with Nino Machaidze As Giselda at the top, who is able to use her Spinto just as characterfully, intensively, precisely interpreting the text, Belcantesquely intimate (‘Salve Maria!’) to peppery and chilli-hot as Deutekom, Scotto or Meade did before her, is solid. The two Strettas ‘No!’ are incredibly demanding and catchy in terms of their intervals and engraved coloratura. Machaidze belts out Giusta causa’ and ‘Qual prodigo’ in the best prima donna style with total commitment and heated fury.
The tenor, which is technically clean, but tends to be narrow and harsh in the forte Piero Pretti As Oronte, son of the tyrant of Antioch, strives for adequate expression, but cannot match his record competitors Placido Domingo (Philips; Gardiner, Deutekom, London 1971) or Luciano Pavarotti (Legato, Gavazzeni, Scotto, Rome 1969; DECCA, June Anderson , Levine, 1991).
This is what the bass veteran and stylist of grace shows Michele Pertusi in full possession of his vocal resources, that something can be done vocally even with the very peculiar role of Arvino’s brother Pagano, who mutates into a hermit after murdering his father Folco instead of his brother.
Arvino, whom Pagano because of Viclinda (Kristóf Réka) wanted to kill and who also stands in his way as the leader of the Lombard crusaders, is also atypically played by a tenor, in this case the high-pitched one, who is more than sure-footed in terms of phrasing and musically and also has a pleasant sound Galeano Salas, embodied. Salas is a promising young Mexican-American tenor whose current schedule includes Rodolfo in “La Bohème” (Turin, Florence, Dresden, Genoa).
Arvino’s gun squire Pirro, a bad guy who has nothing better to do than support the intrigues of the evil brother Pagano, is played by the Hungarian bass-baritone Sebesty Miklós Vocally darkly powerful with the right hardness.
The secret star of the performance is the fantastic one Bavarian Radio Choir (Rehearsal: Stellario Fagone). Taking part in over 20 tracks, the choir is the main actor in the opera in various character constellations. This professional choir, which can do everything and excels in both sound quality and stunning volume, is worth purchasing the album alone.
Ivan Repusic directs that Munich Radio Orchestra with dedication, con brio and edge, as this effective music needs to fully develop.
Conclusion: A welcome addition to the high-caliber but sparse catalog. The stirring recording proves once again that “I Lombardi” deserves its place alongside “Nabucco” on the world’s opera stages.
Dr. Ingobert Waltenberger
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