SIMON BOCCANEGRA • BERLIN
★★★★☆☆
Photo: Jenny Bohse
REVIEW SIMON BOCCANEGRA: ELENEA STIKHINA TOPS SEASONED BERLIN PRODUCTION
The outstanding Russian star soprano Elena Stikhina is a winning centerpiece in Verdi’s romantic medieval drama Simon Boccanegra in a dark, beautifully executed but fairly traditional production at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin.
The orchestral playing under the direction of Eun Sum Kim is at its strongest, with its distinct sound in the beautiful, baroque opera house, while the title character, sung by the experienced baritone and last-minute understudy George Petean, impresses with charisma and great vocal impact.
Photo: Jenny Bohse
Italian Fabio Sartori delivers a strong tenor performance as Adono, who is in good company with top name Elena Stikhina, who is worth a travel for her beautiful, dark sounding soprano. In short, the evening offers a cast of singers that you can’t put your finger on.
Verdi’s 1857 opera is an intricate game of love and power centered around the Doge of Genoa in the 15th century and is one of the younger works in the master’s career. Unfortunately, Boccanegra is burdened by a rather messy plot that is sometimes difficult to engage with wholeheartedly.
On the other hand, the audience is entertained with a sea of beautiful arias and, not least, impressive choral pieces that several times make the audience spontaneously applaud in musical admiration.
Photo: Jenny Bohse
The grand ‘semi-final’ before the interval with four main soloists in action in front of a huge opera choir in beautiful scenery is opera value for money and ensures ticket buyers get the experience they have come for. Sit back and enjoy a breathtaking live experience of musical theatre, which is the stuff good opera is made of.
The production is a co-production with the Scala Opera in Milan, where the classical staging matches the Scala’s often somewhat traditional, tourist-safe profile. Here in Berlin, one is tempted to think that Simon Boccanegra should have had a kick over the shin.
Photo: Jenny Bohse
The Staatsoper delivers a multi-faceted repertoire, and this evening we are witnessing one of the classics executed in a seasoned, (slightly too) safe version. A choice that on the one hand satisfies a wide opera audience, and on the other hand probably falls short in terms of innovation and dramatic challenges, especially for diligent opera-goers.
Four stars from GOT TO SEE THIS for an entertaining, but also rather predictable opera evening, where, due to illness, the well-known Marseille baritone Ludovic Tézier had to miss the title role.
