VIVALDI'S CATONE IN UTICA: Baroque Perfection

 VIVALDI'S CATONE IN UTICA

Catone:  Valentino Buzza

Marzia:  Valeria Girardello

Valeria:  Miriam Albano

Cesare:  Arianna Venditelli

Arbace:  Valeria La Grotta

Fulvio:  Chiaro Brunello

Ah, to have been in Ferrara for this!  Pietro Metastasio's libretto was one of Baroque opera's most famous and popular with, over time, more than 25 composers setting it to music, including Vinci (for whom it was written), Piccinni, Handel (in pastiche) and Vivaldi.  I can't imagine it being better than Antonio's which here makes as strong a case as possible for inclusion into the repertoire of early masterpieces like Handel's Giulio Cesare, or the Monteverdi trio.

Marco Belussi's direction and elegant production fit Vivaldi's drama to a T.  To that end he is aided immeasurably by Matteo Paoletto Franzatto whose white unit set - all sharp, clean lines, with busts and artifacts on pedastels, Trompe-l'œil statues and multiple proscenia, which all instantly evoke Roman antiquity.  Elisa Cobelli's simple, stunning costumes, white and Romanesque for the women, black and modernesque for the men, with splashes of color (red, gray, gold) completed the effect.

Appearing somewhat wizard-like, batonless conductor Frederico Maria Sardelli, through his mystical looking hand gestures, almost seemed to be conjuring the music from his excellent pit musicians as if through some musical sourcery. This sourcery manifested itself in every member of a strong cast of baroque specialists, all of whom seemed on fire with their assignments. I found it interesting, especially in today's world of early music practices, the choice to forgo having a single countenor in any of the castrati roles.  Indeed, the only genetically male singer was the excellent tenor, Valentino Buzzo in the title role.

All six cast members brought their characters to vivid life, and the charge often brought against baroque operas being little more than showpiece arias connected by endless, boring recitativo proves to be nothing but a canard in the hands of these splendid singers. Indeed, each one tears through them as relentlessy and with actorly skill as intensely as the arias they blaze through. Three plus hours of drama passed quicker than some shorter Donizetti comedies I've sat through!

Sadly, from several reviews I've read the prima - which is what I watched live stream - was poorly attended with only a half-filled house.  That hurts, especially when one considers the venue, the beautiful Teatro Communale Ferrara, has less than one thousand seats.  On the plus side, was interest was strong and within a couple of hours over 10,000 people worldwide were watching. I'm hopeful that this somehow translated to bigger house numbers for the remaining performances.

If you like your opera Baroque, I can't imagine a better few hours than those you'll spend with this one.