Matinée with Salvatore Licitra as Turriddu/Canio.
0900 Breakfast at the hotel. 1140-1330 Up and down the streets in Genoa to find a place where I can have lunch. 2030-2130 Pizza at the Pizzeria Amadeus. How I long for the "real thing" real Norwegian Pizza instead of the original Italian Pizza. Our Pizza do not get cold this quickly and have more food in it (especially Cheese)
(Strange how everything is about food).
Until the point when it is all about OPERA
Teatro Carlo Felice
saturday 10 march, 15.30 (F)
Pagliacci
Dramma in un prologo e due atti di Ruggero Leoncavallo,
musica di Ruggero Leoncavallo
Orchestra director Bruno Bartoletti
Canio = Salvatore Licitra
Nedda = Svetla Vassileva
Tonio = Alberto Gazale
Silvio = Roberto De Candia
Beppe = Bruno Ribeiro
In Genoa the very known double-bill CAV/PAG started with PAGLIACCI. That's unusual. But not the first time. I liked this production very much. All action was in the same place in the whole opera. That Canio's troupe also had circus elements was very naturally implemented. Never did it intrude or become a distraction.
Our Silvio (Roberto De Candia) was not the usual most handsome baritone you can find as type. But in saying so, it makes you think, why should it only be believable that Nedda could love only a beautiful man... So in a way, here you are at the heart of the story; who is Nedda, or rather what does love mean for her. Nedda (Svetla Vassileva) made it clear how this is not our usual operatic heroine. She does not love her husband Canio, she does not even let him kiss her, which is humiliating when a wife does so in front a whole village. But Canio seem more good-humored and just go on joking with the children. So during the opera she is uncaring to Canio, and quite cruel to Tonio (Alberto Gazale) but tender to Silvio and good-hearted to her daughter....
Daughter, you say... Yes in this production Canio and Nedda are parents. Which naturally makes Nedda's death truly heart-breaking. In herself is Nedda not a person easy to love. But when a small child comes out, running towards mother's dead body. Then the audience and of course Canio, the father, see what a terrible thing he has just done. And then "La Commedia è finita" he says, his voice is broken, and so is the man and his family. But Tonio got his revenge on the woman he said he loved. But did not love enough to have a happy life.
No, I am not over-looking Canio (Salvatore Licitra). The reason I wanted to see CAV/PAG in the first place. What a singer, what an actor!!! He sang wonderfully, his Vesti La Giubba was the best I ever heard. And when you add to that, he was such a great actor. Totally believable...
BRAVO, Salvatore!! Bravi, tutti! and BRAVA, Bambina!
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