Ariodante among Clan-like Scottish zombies and amazing singers at Aix Festival (5-VIII-2014)

 Ariodante : Aix festival,  second night for Ariodante, no disturbances this time!
Just a talk for the industrial action but I think some in the cast were still under the shock of what happened on the opening night (3rd).

 Very surprising evening,  completely in a different atmosphere because of the production which transposed the libretto in a contemporary Shetland village  of sailors ruled by a Scottish head of a clan (the King) under the spell of  a quack priest (Polinesso, who to my eyes made me think of Tartuffe).
 Sonia Prina gave a stunning interpretation of this utterly sex-biased monster, even sniffing poor Ginevra's underwear... among other rather rude acts, like raping Dalinda in the bedroom corner, within fantastic singing and ornaments (sometimes on the funny edge...of her great contralto voice)
The group of zombies in Shetland woolies (very nice knitted patterns actually, what I think is from the Fair isles style of knitting... I once camped in the Hebrides where  I bought myself a cardigan in a blue and white pattern which is still in top form as this type of wool is hard- wearing) were standing all the time either in the lounge (center room) or crowding in Ginevra's  blue bedroom, and moving the furniture, a huge wooden table and chairs (too often for me) or taking their shoes on and off anytime they danced Scottish  easy steps (reminding me of pub - folkdancing in Ceilidhs in Skie many years ago).
 Richard Jones, I thought,  must have economised a lot on the dances with the English Voices ( very good at singing !) doing these silly gigs on fine music from the pit...( what a clash... for me.)
But that did not transpire on the price of my ticket. I would have liked to be able to dream a bit more with the exquisite music from the pit,  and another type of setting though....
What made me refer to them as zombies is the rather stiffness of the group and the tics I noticed when they carefully put their shoes in a row at the front of the stage. The third time (I think) I got annoyed and displeased to notice these gestures which took my attention away and made me think of psycho disfunctions on the side of the stage director or else on my side, noticing too many absurdities in the zombie crowd which kept being very static and was in fact the chorus ... but did not sing much  during the course of the opera. I simply hated them when they very skillfully animated the two puppets representing Ginevra and Ariodante for the third time, last scene of the puppet show was atrocious, telling what is understood but not said... the red lamp, the posh dinky cars, plus the shiny red high heels when Ginevra 's ghost is hitchhiking, were obvious symbols of the fall of Ginevra  but were they necessary to the plot? Handel's music and the words are quite satisfying, no need to underline them with visual modern clichés.
Ginevra -Patricia Petibon was in harmony with this Scottish atmosphere, her bright natural red hair flowing around her fair complexion. She was smashing in both singing and acting delivering her  arias with amazing ornaments, reaching some terrific heights in her psychotic delirium. She was a true contrast to Sarah Connolly 's Ariodante who appeared very calm and apollonian most of the time, even in despair and wanting to drown. Her acting and singing were very controlled and aristocratic. I enjoyed her singing a lot, it sounded more melodious to me, less rhythmic than what Vesselina Kasarova does in this role. ( but I never  saw VK on stage in this role, I wish I had!).
The head of the Clan I had seen on stage in Alcina was hardly recognisable! Luca Tittoto gave a fair rendition of this role where he goes from paternal love to sentencing his daughter to death. ( with a wee dram  of Scotch...here)
Sandrine Piau-Dalinda was, as often, marvellous in her" maid "role here, more vocally suited for the normal role than what was to be seen in this production. She was well matched vocally to the young Texan tenor David Portillo who also gave a wonderful rendition of Ariodante's brother, Lurcanio.
The baroque orchestra(Freiburger Barockorchester) and the conductor Andrea Marcon were what is the best for this opera and I felt somehow deprived of the beauty of the music with what was going on  stage sometimes.. until the end which was not a happy one, during the lieto fine... when Ariodante sat alone at the high table while Ginevra packed up her suitcase ( second time) and escaped on the road, at the front stage, hitchhiking !
I came out thinking the setting looked tremendously cheap on such splendid scores... Probably I am too old-fashioned. But without  this cast,  this production would have been a flop.