Placido DOMINGO (Rigoletto) et Andrea ANDERMANN dans la "Chambre des Géants"" Réalisation : Pierre Cavassilas- Crédit : Radafilm, Photographe : Cristiano Giglioli
Ruggero RAIMONDI (Sparafucile) et Marco BELLOCHIO (Metteur en scène) Réalisation : Pierre Cavassilas- Crédit : Radafilm, Photographe : Cristiano Giglioli
BELLOCHIO (metteur en scéne) et Julia NOVIKOVA (Gilda) - Réalisation : Pierre Cavassilas- Crédit : Radafilm, Photographe : Cristiano Giglioli
Pause pour Vittorio GRIGOLO (le Duc) Réalisation : Pierre Cavassilas- Réalisation : Pierre Cavassilas- Crédit : Radafilm, Photographe : Cristiano Giglioli.
Four singers, two from the top class old generation we all have loved in various operas, and another pair from the younger generation, a promising good looking tenor and for me a complete discovery, this young Russian soprano from Saint Petersburg who was finalist at operalia in 2009. She was relieved to sing with Placido she already knew and told us she would not have taken part in this adventure otherwise.
Somehow she reminds me of Marina Poplavskaya I saw as Placido's daughter in Simon Boccanegra last july at the ROH. Placido has a definite tendancy to adopt as daughters on stage, young, fair and graceful Russian singers. ( I did not think Angela Gheorghui looked in the least like a daughter, nor did Anja Harteros to my taste anyway!)
This film after the show explains the goals of this tremendous adventure: a complete television film, with a very good team
and fantastic cameramen. So the musicians, the singers, the dancers, the orchestra, among 350 crew members worked hard during three weeks for two days of live casting.
I resent filmed live operas, I have never seen one in a cinema house, and yet, I really enjoyed this production made for tv viewers. Like Tosca filmed in Castle San Angelo where this natural location had a great role, Palazzo Te was part of the drama. In fact I would have liked to see more of its faboulous ceilings and paintings!
On the whole I found Placido Domingo less at ease vocally than in Simon Boccanegra. These terrible close-ups revealed he was not quite as comfortable as in Simon Boccanegra. The hunchback jester, so much in despair because of the love of his life, his daughter, was terrific! He made a real artistic move but the singing was not what I was expecting. Still it was a dearing performance for these two elderly singers, Domingo and Raimondi!
As for the young lovers, they were adorable in their "Addio" duet in the garden: Vittorio Grigolo acted like Roméo, sweet Gilda- Julia Novikova, who could be a nice Juliette too, sang like an angel! (I have to admit I react quite often like a teen-ager...)
Images in such a project came first and Verdi's music came second. Zubin Mehta did his best, it must have been terribly complex for the singers and the orchestra to be synchronized in all the entire location of the action, Verdi did not sound like it does in the opera-house, of course. So this is unfair really. After all it is not a 'film music' it is an entire score which is equally part of the drama.
Opera chic qualified this artistic 'product' as 'hybrid', yes this is the term to go into its complexity. I do not ignore it is as well a big business enterprise, with perhaps the excuse of bringing culture to the 'masses'...
What prevails nonetheless for me is a deep feeling of admiration for all the 350 crew members in these two days live opus on tv, broadcasted in 123 countries.
And really, confidentially and selfishly I send a request to Placido: do not over do it, keep lots of energies for 'El Postino', I have got my ticket at le Châtelet, and this is your creation, a fantastic one which will belong to you only on stage , so ...keep well dear Placido and lots of thanks for all the fabulous emotions throughout all these years!
A press cut and photos which recall the atmosphere of the
rehearsals.
It is interesting to know that Sébastien Guèze was on the premises of the filming and rehearsing on friday night, being Vittorio Grigolo undercover. Vittorio Grigolo had a sorethroat and did not know if he could actually sing on saturday night. (this is the summary of the last paragraph). I am very fond of this young tenor, he was Vincent in Mireille last June and has a real fine voice. I do hope to see him perform in Marseille again.
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