Beethoven, Fidelio
Por Jonathan Spencer Jones
SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW, Abril 2010
Buenos Aires Lírica. Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Buenos Aires Lírica, Conductor: Guillermo Brizzio. Teatro Avenida, Buenos Aires. 9.4.2010. (JSJ).
Director: Rita De Letteris
Sets/Costumes: Daniela Taiana
Lighting: Alejandro Le Roux
Chorus: Juan Casasbellas
Cast:
Don Fernando: Leonardo Estévez
Don Pizarro: Homero Pérez-Miranda
Florestan: Peter Svensson
Leonore: Carla Filipcic Holm
Rocco: Hernán Iturralde
Marzelline: Ana Laura Menéndez
Jaquino: Gustavo De Gennaro
Two prisoners: Julián Zambó y Lucas Somoza.
Buenos Aires Lírica made the ambitious and challenging choice of a new production of Beethoven's Fidelio to open its 2010 season. And despite the limited size of the orchestra pit in the Avenida and the need for an suitably strong cast, the company by and large acquitted itself well on all counts.
The production by Italian director Rita De Letteris was very traditional and “period” in concept, with no attempt, thankfully, to “localise” the story to any particular time or place. As De Letteris, for whom the dramatic interconnections are all important, said in an interview in a local magazine, in order to conserve the theatrical dimension of the work, her aim was to create a world that Beethoven would recognize without being foreign to today's audience.
With Daniela Taiana responsible for the sets and costumes and Alejandro Le Roux for the lighting, this was achieved admirably, and it also carried through to the interactions between the protagonists with no detail missed, such as the longing glance from Marzelline to Fidelio/Leonore and the respectful interactions between Rocco and Leonore.
The Leonore of Carla Filipcic Holm was played with aplomb – her timbre is warm and her portrayal had just the right balance between the two “characters” with reserve as Fidelio and longing as Leonore. Likewise Austrian tenor Peter Svensson gave a powerful and pleasing performance as Florestan, his style almost declamatory. As Rocco Hernán Iturralde appeared as both too young and soft in character, although vocally was very agreeable, while Homero Pérez-Miranda – a specialist of the darker roles – was a convincing Pizarro, if vocally somewhat light.
Of the smaller roles Ana Laura Menéndez was a fresh Marzelline and Gustavo De Gennaro was adequate as Jaquino, as was Leonardo Estévez as Don Fernando.
The orchestra under Guillermo Brizzio played well, even with the tempi occasionally feeling slow, and the chorus trained by Juan Casasbellas gave of its best.
