Quinn Kelsey triumphs in the Opera Philadelphia’s Simon Boccanegra

In the Simon Boccanegra, a standard guy features wonder thrust through to him, appointment his eventual demise as a result of a good confluence out of destiny and you can circumstance. In the act, the guy will lose and you may regains a child, quashes a revolution otherwise a few, and unites Italy together with his perishing inhale. Of numerous audience revere Verdi’s masterful score when you are while doing so sniffing on convoluted area, however, Laurence Dale’s manufacturing to have Opera Philadelphia’s Event O23 tends to make a great persuasive circumstances on the work’s remarkable unity.

This new movie director has actually that time purposefully obscure, that have imposing sets by Gary McCann that subtly suggest an effective fascist aesthetic. You to definitely testing might seem a bit unfair towards the identity character – a man that is ethical with the core, even when he do not totally prevent the trappings off autocracy – however it underscores the point that one to individuals saving grace was another’s tyrant. Dale employs extra-textual devices you to definitely coordinate the brand new backstory as opposed to opposing Piave and you can Boito’s libretto. The newest manager and music artists perform an admirable quantity of specificity for the storytelling, as a result of the large expanses of your Academy out of Music’s phase and you will new opera’s periodically static stretches.

One could hear in the Taylor’s sound the potential adjust on the a good Verdi baritone in the own right

In the gap, Corrado Rovaris unflaggingly helps the action onstage when you are verifying the perfection of your rating, you start with feminine textures on stately prelude. By the end of Prologue, in which Boccanegra was elevated to help you Doge of Genoa, the guy whips the orchestra into a good phantasmagorical frenzy, which matches the fresh extreme vocal of the plebian chorus. (Opera Philadelphia chorus grasp Elizabeth Braden will continue to functions secret having their own forces – I’d dislike to shed their particular in your town, however, she will be into the assertion to your in the near future-to-end up being unused Metropolitan Opera concert.) On night, Rovaris renders you to tune in to familiar tunes with the newest ears, because as he ravishingly levels the brand new strings, wind gusts and you will percussion in the “Have quest’ora bruna” – on top of that and make Verdi sound like the new progenitor out of one another Debussy and you can Berg.

To possess 1st getaway on the name role, Quinn Kelsey continues to burnish their bona fides once the prominent Verdi baritone from their generation. Even when he never battled with singing projection, the guy favored lyricism during, shading their melting legato singing having advice old and you can indecision unlike barking outlines to present Boccanegra’s mounting emotional worry. Their finally utterances seemed appropriately haunted, whether or not their sturdy tonal beauty remained. For the help of Fernand Ruiz’s outfits, he shown his character’s progression of easy corsair so you’re able to huge leader, and in the opera’s later acts, he reminded the viewers you to definitely Boccanegra remains a basically a good guy on his center.

Soprano Ana Maria Martinez lacked some of the hallelia, the brand new daughter of Boccanegra who’s raised by his archenemy, Jacopo Fiesco. Never expect ethereally floated high cards otherwise a particular expansiveness regarding tone. A little defeat crept to your Martinez’s voice within times, also, however, total, she introduced a sensible and you may extremely music interpretation from a great Verdi woman that will from time to time look rather and you will empty. Her Amelia was headstrong and confidant, though it’s difficult to appreciate exactly what pulls their unique so you’re able to Richard Trey Smagur’s hooty, overacted Gabriele Chilien femmes pour mariage Adorno.

In the a lovely repeated time, a light-gowned supernumerary haunts the new periphery given that Boccanegra’s later partner and you will Amelia’s mother; she fundamentally leads Simon on afterlife

Christian Van Horn reduce a regal, dignified profile because Fiesco, although the role lies a keen octave or so below the comfort zone off their fundamentally lyric trout-baritone. As Paolo Albiani, Boccanegra’s turncoat advisor, baritone Benjamin Taylor are a finding, raining miles off plangent tunes on exactly what could easily be a great standard-issue villain.