Imagine the perfect midsummer evening, a colourful sunset on a lake in Tuscany, some wild ducks floating up and down the streams of the peaceful waters… Far away, you can hear the notes of some famous operas of Giacomo Puccini. Elegant characters are sliding along the paths around the lake, waiting for the open air theatre to open… I was among the lucky few ones, who were invited together with my music mentor, Maestro Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini at the glamourous reception, preceding the opening of the 66th Puccini Opera Festival at Torre del Lago in Tuscany, just nearby Viareggio, where time has stopped for a while to make us go back to the timeless dreams of Puccini’s magic music.
Many ladies were dressed in evening gowns, whereas many men have chosen to endure the classical dark blue suit, even though the weather would be more welcoming to a light linen jacket and a panama hat. There arrives the landlord, General Director Franco Moretti welcoming all special guests with kindness and courtesy, followed by his charming wife, Alessandra delle Fave, aware of any smile or friendly signs to be reported immediately to her husband.
We are now greeting the Artistic Director, Giorgio Battistelli, impeccable and enthusiastic of this opening after such hard times due to the Covid lockdown… And there arrive our dearest friend, Maestro Alberto Veronesi together with his mother and sister, to whom we are introduced by our adorable Paola Izzi. Emotions and memories of “Turandot” two years ago in Turkey for both “Maestros”….
After the greetings and the delicious cocktail and ice-creams offered with refined style and decoration, we were finally allowed to enter the open theatre. The anti-Covid norms are strictly respected and we are all separated by at least one meter, wearing our masks until we are seated. Nevertheless, the excitement is growing and you can sense the wonderful feelings of a whole audience, looking forward to getting back to music life, to the artistic blissful pulse of the great Puccini’s opera. Personally, I was even more excited, if possible, as the opera chosen is my ever favourite one: “Tosca”. The questions are how Stefano Monti, the director, is going to resolve the problems of the Covid norms which impose the singers not to touch each other and how Maestro Veronesi would direct this masterpiece in an innovative way ?
Well, the answer is : WONDERFULLY ! I was smashed by the elegance of the staging, with these three circles, actual theatres within the theatre, with symbolic representations of life feelings and pains, of heartful scenes and sorrow expressions.
The scarf which linked together Cavaradossi and Tosca in the first act was so sensual and playful, whereas the use of the rigid wand by Scarpia was clearly testifying the hardness and violence of the character. All along the opera, the tricks used by Monti were actually getting along so well with the plot and the music. Unfortunately, the third act was not really at the same level, perhaps too conventional and without research. One can think that the director was not given enough time to cure the last part of the opera the way he would have liked.
Musically, it was enchanting. Maestro Veronesi rendered the best of Puccini’s art and saved many times the singers by allowing them to give the best of themselves without being compelled to fall into the difficult traps of a very hard music piece.
A special mention to tenor Amadi Lagha who was very appreciated in “Lucevan le stelle” but the wind was so strong on the lake that when the audience was asking for a “bis”, Maestro Veronesi had to turn around and explain that it was too cold to ask the tenor to sing again this world famous “aria”.
Tosca was Amarilli Nizza, a solid and recognised professional who was at the right level to give an interpretation complete and classy.
Scarpia, Devid Cecconi, was so enthusiastic in his role that you could sense his joy to be again on stage and singing with all his heart this difficult part, even giving his character a kind of empathy in his evil deeds and thoughts !
To put it in a nutshell, the stars were shining high and bright on Torre del Lago last 6th August and we were all deeply emotioned by the absolute privilege to get together in this unique place in the world to celebrate the one and unique Giacomo Puccini. Let us hope that Opera will continue to survive again any kind of obstacles and the response of the audience was doubtlessly one of the more optimistic evidence of our will to go back to attend quality performances and “Tosca” was one of them.
06 e 14 agosto 2020
TOSCA
Melodramma in tre atti su libretto di Giuseppe Giacosa e Luigi Illica
Musica di Giacomo Puccini
(prima rappresentazione 14 gennaio 1900, Teatro Costanzi, Roma)
Regia, Scene e Costumi
Stefano Monti
Maestro concertatore e direttore
Alberto Veronesi
Floria Tosca
Amarilli Nizza
Mario Cavaradossi
Amadi Lagha
Il Barone Scarpia
David Cecconi
Cesare Angelotti Davide Mura
Il Sagrestano Claudio Ottino
Spoletta Marco Voleri
Sciarrone Alessandro Ceccarini
Un carceriere Massimo Schillaci
Disegno luci Eva Bruno
Orchestra del Festival Puccini
Coro del Festival Puccini
Maestro del Coro Roberto Ardigò
Sisowath Ravivaddhana Monipong 