Camden New Journal - Classical and Jazz: Stiffelio

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The Review - MUSIC - classical & jazz with JOEL TAYLOR
Published: 26 April 2007

José Cura takes the title role in Stiffelio

Censored opera of Verdi is going on a charm offensive

REVIEW: STIFFELIO
Royal Opera House
by Helen Lawrence

STIFFELIO is one of Verdi’s least known and most unusual operas. It is by no means top-drawer Verdi, but it is a fascinating score with musical and dramatic forshadowings of masterpieces such as Ballo and La Traviata, yet to come.
The story centres on the dramatic conflict of a Protestant pastor torn between his duty as a minister to forgive his adulterous but repentant wife, and his feelings as a wronged husband. Played in modern dress with two scenes set in a church, and mention of divorce in the last act, it was all too daring for the censors of 1850 who shredded both music and words.
Verdi’s reaction was to withdraw it after a few performances. He re-used half of it for Aroldo in 1857 and the rest disappeared for more than a century. Rediscovered barely 25 years ago it was given its Royal Opera debut in 1993 in this production, now revived.
Covent Garden does it proud with beautiful period sets by Michael Yeargan, Peter J Hall’s Victorian costumes, and exquisite lighting by Paul Pyant. However the singers are not so well served by Elijah Moshinsky’s fussy and sometimes inept direction.
José Cura in the title role has a fine voice, looks good and works hard.
But his effort is too obvious and his emotional reactions are sometimes more ham than real insight.
As his wife, Lina, Sondra Radvanovsky has all the notes for this demanding role but does nothing very distinguished with them.
Her voice has a harsh edge and sometimes curdled tone, and words are not always clear.
The baritone Roberto Frontali, as Lina’s father, also possesses a fine voice, but sang with rather generalised pathos varying between loud and soft with nothing in between.
I longed for more elegance and refinement of phrasing from all three. Mark Elder conducted with passion and, aside from a few lapses, the orchestra and chorus responded with wholehearted performances.

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