These three names are enough to make you want to see this, not only were they great performers but seeing them together seems like a dream team. And I do like Simon Boccanegra, the story is very convoluted and the music- while not having as much "instant classic" arias and such- is beautifully arresting. There are some fine DVDs of the opera, sadly the best production I've seen the 1978 La Scala is not released as one, the best being the 1995 Met production with Vladimir Chernov with the one from 1984 with Sherrill Milnes a very close second. The 1991 Georg Solti-conducted performance is also outstanding, and the 2010 Royal Opera House production very good. The Carlo Guelfi and Thomas Hampson performances are surprisingly effective too and the 2010 Met production has its good and bad points but the 1998 (Glyndebourne?) performance is a disappointment.
Sadly, so is this production from Tokyo. Certainly it does have good qualities. The orchestral playing is marvellous, with lots of beauty of tone, dramatic thrust and power. Piero Cappuccilli is a wonderful Boccanegra, his voice is of true Verdian baritone quality and is in mint condition and dramatically he is subtle yet authoritative. Nicolai Ghiaurov I have always considered one of the best ever Fiescos, he does nothing to tarnish this. His timbre is one of the biggest and most beautiful of any bass I've heard, and he brings nobility, grave dignity and vengeance to Fiesco. The two are riveting together, intense in the prologue and incredibly moving in the final act. Katia Ricciarelli brings a haunting and somewhat seductive quality to Amelia, and while she is not always precise rhythmically her voice still has that gleaming beauty and vocal expresiveness. Orfanella in Tetto Umile is also very touching.
I was mixed on the performances of Gabriele Adorno and Paolo though. Giorgio Merighi sings stylishly and mostly pleasing tone, though with some rough intonation and nasal sounds, but is a terrible actor(definitely for me the most poorly acted interpretation of Adorno I've seen), constantly looking uncomfortable and sheepish. Lorenzo Saccomani has a fine voice but is not scheming enough so Paolo's villainy is very bland in this production. I put this down to bad direction rather than poor acting though, I have seen him before and he is not a bad actor at all.
For the fine performances of Cappuccilli, Ghiaurov and Ricciarelli and the quality of the orchestral playing, I cannot say the same for the rest of the musical values or the production. Olivier De Fabbritis' conducting for me here is far too subdued, for Orfanella in Tetto Umile that approach is acceptable but for the Counsel Scene and the big confrontation between Boccanegra and Fiesco it just doesn't work. And from listening to the chorus, I got a real vibe that they were severely under-rehearsed. It all felt approximate and their hearts just didn't seem in it. Visually, the production fares little better, the costumes look ridiculous with the Counsel scene actually looking as though I was watching a circus which took away from the impact of that scene. Ghiaurov's ageing is jaw-droppingly over the top and his wig is one of the worst wigs on any opera stage I've ever seen, and that's not a joke. The sets are blandly minimal, while the production is also dully lit.
The camera work is rather dark and scenes are hindered by it not focusing on the main subject of that scene. The prime example being Boccanegra's death scene, instead of concentrating on Boccanegra it is more concerned for some weird reason on Ghiaurov's back. The stage direction is confused and co-ordinated in a vague manner. That is particularly true of the chorus, who don't seem to have a clue of what they were supposed to do, only the three leads showed any real signs of acting ability. Dramatically it was possibly at its worst in the Counsel Scene, one of the most thrillingly intense moments of the opera especially if you have a good Boccanegra. For all Cappuccilli's fine efforts and Ricciarelli's radiant soaring over the choral work the stage direction and drama was utterly chaotic. In conclusion, a disappointment that promised more than it delivered.
5/10 Bethany Cox
Sadly, so is this production from Tokyo. Certainly it does have good qualities. The orchestral playing is marvellous, with lots of beauty of tone, dramatic thrust and power. Piero Cappuccilli is a wonderful Boccanegra, his voice is of true Verdian baritone quality and is in mint condition and dramatically he is subtle yet authoritative. Nicolai Ghiaurov I have always considered one of the best ever Fiescos, he does nothing to tarnish this. His timbre is one of the biggest and most beautiful of any bass I've heard, and he brings nobility, grave dignity and vengeance to Fiesco. The two are riveting together, intense in the prologue and incredibly moving in the final act. Katia Ricciarelli brings a haunting and somewhat seductive quality to Amelia, and while she is not always precise rhythmically her voice still has that gleaming beauty and vocal expresiveness. Orfanella in Tetto Umile is also very touching.
I was mixed on the performances of Gabriele Adorno and Paolo though. Giorgio Merighi sings stylishly and mostly pleasing tone, though with some rough intonation and nasal sounds, but is a terrible actor(definitely for me the most poorly acted interpretation of Adorno I've seen), constantly looking uncomfortable and sheepish. Lorenzo Saccomani has a fine voice but is not scheming enough so Paolo's villainy is very bland in this production. I put this down to bad direction rather than poor acting though, I have seen him before and he is not a bad actor at all.
For the fine performances of Cappuccilli, Ghiaurov and Ricciarelli and the quality of the orchestral playing, I cannot say the same for the rest of the musical values or the production. Olivier De Fabbritis' conducting for me here is far too subdued, for Orfanella in Tetto Umile that approach is acceptable but for the Counsel Scene and the big confrontation between Boccanegra and Fiesco it just doesn't work. And from listening to the chorus, I got a real vibe that they were severely under-rehearsed. It all felt approximate and their hearts just didn't seem in it. Visually, the production fares little better, the costumes look ridiculous with the Counsel scene actually looking as though I was watching a circus which took away from the impact of that scene. Ghiaurov's ageing is jaw-droppingly over the top and his wig is one of the worst wigs on any opera stage I've ever seen, and that's not a joke. The sets are blandly minimal, while the production is also dully lit.
The camera work is rather dark and scenes are hindered by it not focusing on the main subject of that scene. The prime example being Boccanegra's death scene, instead of concentrating on Boccanegra it is more concerned for some weird reason on Ghiaurov's back. The stage direction is confused and co-ordinated in a vague manner. That is particularly true of the chorus, who don't seem to have a clue of what they were supposed to do, only the three leads showed any real signs of acting ability. Dramatically it was possibly at its worst in the Counsel Scene, one of the most thrillingly intense moments of the opera especially if you have a good Boccanegra. For all Cappuccilli's fine efforts and Ricciarelli's radiant soaring over the choral work the stage direction and drama was utterly chaotic. In conclusion, a disappointment that promised more than it delivered.
5/10 Bethany Cox
