I’m still searching
which small detail director Loy succeeded in highlighting in this modern production that
otherwise would have escaped me in a traditional one. It takes less than a minute to realize the
ridiculousness of it all. At the royal palace in London cleaners enter with Royal Cleaning Service
in bold letters on their uniforms; probably for fear we would otherwise not have caught the
originality of the concept. Soon after, all members of Parliament are looking into their own copy
of The Sun, England’s popular tabloid well-known for its coverage of royals. Loy had a special
edition of The Sun printed telling us on its front page: “Seducer returned” “Devereux is back”.
From that moment on the story turns from ridiculous to risible. If one uses telling and realistic
details, one asks the audience to accept the rest of the story as really possible as well. Therefore
one is asked to believe that modern Parliament can condemn anyone to death and that the actual
Queen Elizabeth is able to act without a single member of Her Majesty’s Government to be noted
within hundreds of miles — a problem not existing in a traditional production as the real queen
Elizabeth I not only reigned but governed as well.
To muddy the waters somewhat more Loy asks his prima donna to remove her red wig at the end
revealing a few tufts of grey hair (a wig as well) which is quite compatible with the last days of
the real Tudor Queen. This reviewer doesn’t like traditional productions per definition. Update if
you want and if it is possible; but do it consequently and put some work in it. That means more
than just putting singers in modern dress and having them read The Sun. That means replacing
the historical names and even changing the words in the libretto. No modern Sarah, Duchess of
Nottingham would dream of referring to Rosamunde (mistress of King Henry II and incidentally
another opera by Donizetti) as most members of parliament wouldn’t know whom she was
singing about. In a traditional production this is of course wholly acceptable as every nobleman
in the 16th Century, and even every Italian opera lover of Donizetti’s time, knew who fair
Rosamunde was. But this means new and unfashionably hard work and maybe madame
Gruberova would refuse to sing a wholly new text.
Updating means too that one knows how to handle a chorus but the only solution Loy finds
during most scenes consists of chorus members and soloists shaking hands and clapping each
other on the back in the most dreadful old-fashioned way possible. And when the Duchess hands
over the ring which can save Devereux’ life to the queen, this cannot be done standing but has
the two ladies crawling as worms on the floor.
As could be expected one of the main Munich papers hailed the production as “an overwhelming
chamber play with precise gestures and unflagging dramatic conviction”. Their reviewer
probably has the necessary hamburger-mentality this writer lacks. Opera according to one of its
modern prophets, one Robert Wilson, has to be savoured as a hamburger; layer for layer and not
as a whole. So there needn’t be a straight relation between music, text, surtitles, costumes and
sets as long as each element is fine on its own. Mr. Loy is fine apostle of this creed. Moreover, I
admit freely he is a great entrepreneur. His productions of Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg and Hänsel
und Gretel which I saw at De Munt and De Vlaamse opera were almost identical. Now that’s the
right spirit, cashing in twice for the same idea.
Such a production cannot but diminish the musical aspects which is a sorry thing indeed .
Gruberova was 59 at the time of recording (almost the exact age of queen Elizabeth when she
had her fling with Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex and stepson of the great love of her life,
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester) and thus she has, probably involuntary, ‘le fysique du role’.
She is less than a minute on the scene and she already sings a stunningly beautiful trill.
Throughout she is in very good voice — lashing out when necessary and proving her technical
mastery with a series of examples of ‘messa di voce’, trills and pearly coloratura. There is no hint
of a wobble or breathiness. She, as the saying goes, sings better than most coloraturas twenty
years younger. She only betrays her age by the one weakness she always gives in to: no one is
clearly able to convince her to renounce a difficult not to be found in the score C or D at the end
of a cabaletta, as nowadays these notes are mostly flat and, as a consequence, she somewhat
spoils her magnificent arias in the first act and during the final scene.
Tenor Roberto Aronica sings better than I remember from his live performances. His is not the
most sensuous sound, but it is a real Italian voice with a good metal core. He sings sensitively
with fine diminuendi and good and strong high notes.
Albert Schagidullin has a strong and beautiful bass-baritone, reminding me of the noble sound of
young Ettore Bastianini. He too knows how to phrase and it’s probably not his fault his Duke of
Nottingham looks rather comic with his modern horse tail hair.
Jeanne Piland has a clear fine mezzo but looks as old as the Queen herself. It’s difficult to
believe in Devereux’ passion.
Conductor Friedrich Haider proves his reputation as a singer’s conductor to be true. Everybody is
clearly at ease though there is vitality in his reading. He also gives us the full score and that
means two verses of the many cabalettas.
The picture quality is very high but there is a problem with synchronizing. No actual date of
performance is given. We only learn there were performances on four days in May 2005. This
DVD therefore was probably culled from several performances but in the editing things went
wrong from time to time as there are several moments where singing and mouth positions do not
correspond.
Jan Neckers
image=http://www.operatoday.com/Robert_Devereux_Gruberova.png
image_description=Gaetano Donizetti: Roberto Devereux
product=yes
product_title=Gaetano Donizetti: Roberto Devereux
product_by=Edita Gruberova (Elisabetta), Roberto Aronica (roberto), Albert Schagidullin (Nottingham), Jeanne Piland (Sara), Manolito Mario Franz (Cecil), Steven Humes (Gaultiero), Nikolay Borchev (Paggio), Johannes Klama (Giacomo). Bayerische Staatsorchester conducted by Friedrich Haider. Staged by Christof Loy – Video Direction by Brian Large.
product_id=Deutsche Grammophon 073 418-5 [DVD]
price=$27.98
product_url=http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=3144&name_role1=1&comp_id=51820&genre=33&bcorder=195&label_id=5813