Viva Verdi at the BBC Proms

On the evening of Saturday 20th July 2013 I attended the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Prom 12 featured the Orchestra and Chorus of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano and soprano Maria Agresta. Viva Verdi! was an all Verdi programme in his bicentenary year.

The programme consisted of String Quartet (version for string orchestra) - Verdi arr. C Hermann, Ave Maria (1880) - Verdi, Requiem - Libera me (original version) - Verdi and Four Sacred Pieces - Verdi.

Verdi's String Quartet was written in the spring of 1873 during a production of Aida in Naples. It is the only surviving chamber music work in Verdi's catalogue. The Orchestra performed the Carl Hermann arrangement for a string orchestra.

Ave Maria was composed by Verdi in 1880 for a benefit concert at La Scala, Milan. The Ave Maria for soprano and strings uses the Italian text attributed to Dante, rather than the Latin words of the Catholic liturgy. When Rossini died in 1868, Verdi suggested that a number of Italian composers should collaborate on a Requiem in Rossini's honour, and began the effort by submitting the conclusion, Libera me. The complete Messa per Rossini remained unheard until its performance and recording in Stuttgart in 1988.

Verdi’s Four Sacred Pieces were premiered as three Sacred Pieces in 1898 in Paris. Verdi dropped the Ave Maria from the performance. The Ave Maria was performed as part of the set later that year in Vienna. The Four Sacred Pieces are Verdi looking toward the afterlife through the sacred texts of the Catholic Church.

It was fantastic to be back at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. The Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia and Sir Antonio Pappano performed a wonderful bicentenary celebration of Verdi with whose music they are particularly closely associated. Maria Agresta sang beautiful versions of The Ave Maria and Libera Me. The highlight of the evening was the performance of the Four Sacred Pieces which was full of dramatic music.

Verdi's Requiem at St. Andrew's Hall

On Sunday 26th May 2013 I attended the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Festival Chorus concert at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich which was the final event of this year's Norfolk and Norwich Festival. This special performance of Verdi's Requiem was celebrating the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth.

David Parry was conductor on the evening. Also performing were Nadine Koutcher - soprano, Rosie Aldridge - mezzo-soprano, Gwyn Hughes Jones - tenor and Graeme Broadbent - bass. Verdi's Requiem is an electrifying masterpiece with an intense and utterly compelling marriage of liturgy and opera. It raises the spirituality and emotion of the Latin mass to the pinnacle of high drama.

Verdi's Messa da Requiem is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic funeral mass (Requiem) for four soloists, double choir and orchestra. It was composed in memory of Alessandro Manzoni, an Italian poet and novelist much admired by Verdi. The first performance in San Marco in Milan on 22 May 1874 marked the first anniversary of Manzoni's death. The work was at one time called the Manzoni Requiem. It is typically not performed in the liturgy, but in a concert.

This was a fantastic way to bring this year's Festival to a dramatic finish as the sounds of Verdi's Requiem filled St. Andrew's Hall. The London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Festival Chorus along with all the soloists were brilliant and created an night of magical music, with lots of emotion and intensity. Yet again Norwich can be proud of putting on a wonderful Norfolk and Norwich Festival.

Simon Boccanegra at Norwich Theatre Royal

I was back at Norwich Theatre Royal on Tuesday 26th March 2013 to attend the English Touring Opera's performance of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. This new production sung in Italian featured a twenty six piece live orchestra.

This is the English Touring Opera’s first new Verdi production for several years. The story comes from the history of Genoa, for centuries a great maritime republic, and from it Verdi creates an impassioned plea for Italian unity. This production was set in post-war Italy.

The composer’s musical depiction of the shimmering Mediterranean is wonderful; so too are the characters he creates, from the rough-hewn buccaneer-turned-ruler played by Craig Smith to his spiteful adversary and father-in-law Fiesco played by Keel Watson. Other characters include embittered traitor Paolo played by Grant Doyle and the idealistic Adorno played by Charne Rochford.

This was a massive undertaking for English Touring Opera, with an unusually large chorus and orchestra which was a personal ambition of General Director James Conway and Music Director Michael Rosewell, supported with a special grant from the Peter Moores Foundation.

At the end of the opera, Boccanegra is dying thinking of his youth, the freedom of the deep sea, and peace. Amelia and Adorno, newly married, come for his blessing and understand that he has been poisoned. Boccanegra names Adorno his successor. This was definitely my favourite opera of the three the English Touring Opera performed at Norwich Theatre Royal. Simon Boccanegra has a brilliant story combined with wonderful music.

La traviata at The Royal Opera House

I was back at The Royal Opera House for La traviata in the evening with The Royal Opera performing Verdi's classic opera. This was another opportunity to experience the magical atmosphere at this historic Covent Garden venue.

La traviata is is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave based on Alexandre Dumas Fils's play La dame aux Camelias. The title means The Fallen Woman and was originally entitled Violetta.

In Act I Violetta Valery greets party guests at her Paris salon which include Flora with her escort the Marquis d'Obigny. Gastone introduces Alfredo Germont to Violetta and tells her that Alfredo called on her anxiously each day during her recent illness. Everyone joins in a song in praise of wine and pleasure called Libiamo ne' lieti calici.

Music is heard from another room and Violetta invites her guests to dance. Suddenly she feels unsteady and tells the others to go on without her. Alfredo stays behind and confesses his love for Violetta who protests that love means nothing to her. While alone Violetta reflects on Alfredo's unexpected declaration of love but recalls that she is destined for a life of pleasure.

Act 2 begins with Alfredo reflecting on three idyllic months he has now spent with Violetta at a country house near Paris. Annina arrives to tell Alfredo that she was sent to Paris by Violetta who has been selling her belongings to pay for their life together. Alfredo's father Germont arrives and accuses Violetta of ruining his son. He is shocked to find out that she is supporting the couple. Germont begs Violetta to leave Alfredo as their liaison is putting his daughter's forthcoming marriage into jeopardy and eventually she agrees.

Violetta scibbles a note and gives it to Annina and begins another to Alfredo but is interrupted by his return. Violetta wants reassurance of Alfredo's love for her before she runs away. Alfredo is comforted by his Father but he is inconsolable and goes to Flora's party and swears to avenge himself. At the party Flora and her new lover discuss the seperation of Alfredo and Violetta while a group of guests dressed as gypsies sing and some real gypsies dance.

Alfredo challenged Baron Douphol to a game of cards which the Baron loses and swears revenge. Violetta begs Alfredo to escape from the Baron's wrath and he agrees if she follows him. She tells Alfredo that she cannot go with him because she now loves the Baron. In anger he flings his winnings at Violetta and tells everyone he has paid back for their time together. The Baron swears to avenge the insult to Violetta.

In Act III Violetta is desperately ill and has only a few hours to live. She reads a letter from Germont explaining that Alfredo who fled the country after wounding the Baron in a duel and is coming to beg her to pardon him. Alfredo arrives and falls into Violetta's arms asking her to forgive him and his father. Violetta rallies briefly and gives Alfredo a locket containing her portrait telling him that if he marries he must give it to his bride she then collapses and dies.

The whole cast gave a splendid performance especially Ailyn Perez who played Violetta Valery. Piotr Beczala was outstanding as Alfredo which gave the magic of Verdi something special to make this an evening to remember. A night of laughter and tears that moved everyone at The Royal Opera House.