{"id":87079,"date":"2024-04-02T00:00:17","date_gmt":"2024-04-02T04:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/operawire.com\/?p=87079"},"modified":"2024-04-01T14:39:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-01T18:39:39","slug":"cd-review-opera-raras-lesule-di-roma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/operawire.com\/cd-review-opera-raras-lesule-di-roma\/","title":{"rendered":"CD Review: Opera Rara\u2019s ‘L\u2019Esule di Roma’"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2023, Carlo Rizzi and the British label of Opera Rara resurrected Mercadante\u2019s unjustly neglected \u201cIl Proscritto\u201d – the story of the exile Giorgio Argyll\u2019s return to Scotland and the ensuing, tragic love triangle at the heart of Salvadore Cammarano\u2019s rather unlikely libretto.<\/p>\n

In 2024, conductor Rizzi turns his attention to another exile: the former tribune Settimio who is the title-giving figure in Donizetti\u2019s now rarefied \u201cL\u2019Esule di Roma.\u201d A melodramma eroico <\/i>set in Imperial Rome, it was written for the 1828 season of Naples\u2019 Teatro di San Carlo, two years before the composer reached stylistic maturity with his Tudor opera \u201cAnna Bolena.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet it would be premature to reject this \u201cRoman exile\u201d on the grounds of it belonging to his journeyman years, so to speak, during which Donizetti produced well over a dozen operas: For despite its many weaknesses it gives an interesting glimpse into the transitionary period between the remnants of the 18th century and the advent of full-scale Romanticism.<\/p>\n

The Advent of Romanticism<\/b><\/h3>\n

As is customary, the label furnishes an eloquently written booklet with highly informative essays on the historical context as much as the genesis of \u201cL\u2019Esule di Roma;\u201d in the essay of Eleonora di Cintio its creation is aligned with the reception of Spontini\u2019s \u201cLa Vestale,\u201d in many ways a prototype to the setting and even scenic development of the Donizetti piece.<\/p>\n

It is, however, equally tempting to view \u201cL\u2019Esule di Roma\u201d within the larger, emancipatory framework transitioning from Ancien R\u00e9gime <\/i>classicism into the Romantic Age. As such, there are conflicting elements at play which, in some respects, anchor the opera within the conventional codes of the 18th century while, in others, breaking fresh musical ground.<\/p>\n

For instance, the libretto with its improbably happy denouement portrays a conflict of filial loyalty akin to the output of classicist plotlines by Pietro Metastasio and others. In this sense, Domenico Gilardoni – the librettist – walks a well-trodden path.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the portrayal of the grief-stricken Senator Murena deviates from the monolithic norm set by Metastasio and his peers. Murena has levied false accusations against Settimio which lead both to his banishment and his later death sentence; beset by remorse, he suffers from bouts of madness which Donizetti musically translates as syncopated lines and declamatory passages.<\/p>\n

Murena\u2019s impending insanity may therefore be the earliest of Donizetti\u2019s so-called mad scenes.<\/p>\n

Deus ex machina<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

Donizetti conceives of musical patterns which seem to anticipate some of Verdi\u2019s most poignant inventions. Take, for example, the pairing of bass and baritone in the duet between Murena and General Publio; it vaguely foreshadows the meeting of Attila and Ezio. Similarly, his decision not to end Act one in a concertato finale <\/i>paves the way for Verdi\u2019s spectacular tercet in \u201cIl Trovatore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet even at its most innovative \u201cL\u2019Esule di Roma\u201d cannot make up for its rather glaring shortcomings. The role of Settimio, for instance, remains rather secondary, if not bland; it does not nearly approach the psychological complexity of Murena. Instead, it is stalled by the unevenness of the libretto and its deus ex machina <\/i>ending.<\/p>\n

To a lesser extent the same holds true for his beloved Argelia whose part is commanding for its vocal acrobatics more than for its melodic prowess.<\/p>\n

Nicola Alaimo, Magisterial<\/b><\/h3>\n

Fortunately, the cast is superb and keen to deliver the very best the score has to offer.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, Nicola Alaimo<\/a> is a formidable Murena. It is by no means an easy part; from the outset it oscillates between low-tessitura graveness and baritonal heights, reached in the introductory lament of \u201cEccomi a voi.\u201d The latter also holds some coloraturas which Alaimo seamlessly integrates into the generously spun arks of his phrasing. On the flipside, the Sicilian bass-baritone expressively tackles the syncopated rhythms of Murena\u2019s declining mental acuity.<\/p>\n

General Publio\u2019s part is sung by Llu\u00eds Calvet i Pey<\/a>. The Catalonian\u2019s timbre is infinitely alluring and reminiscent of the layered voice type of, for instance, Giorgio Zancanaro. It complements the slightly grainy profile of Nicola Alaimo, particularly in the introduzione<\/i> of Act one.<\/p>\n

A coloratura specialist, Albina Shagimuratova<\/a> lends her voice to the somewhat tepid figure of Argelia who is very much ingrained in the musical tradition of Rossini – and as such, out of line with the psychological polyvalence of Murena. Still, the part yields many showpiece moments, including notes above the staff which Shagimuratova executes with steely ease.<\/p>\n

Finally, the Roman exile – Settimio – is portrayed by Sergey Romanovsky<\/a> who has a dark-hued tenor with ringing tops and an innate ability to shade and color – which, unfortunately, is not enough to infuse his character with three-dimensionality, let alone psychological traits.<\/p>\n

The scena <\/i>and aria<\/i> of \u201cNudo Terren\u201d – a musical afterthought, by Donizetti – may be his best moment; but to who currently writes the impression unfailingly prevails that the role does not entirely match his vocal inclinations.<\/p>\n

A Stepping Stone to Greatness<\/b><\/h3>\n

Carlo Rizzi<\/a> is at the helm of the Britten Sinfonia and leads with unerring steadfastness.<\/p>\n

Yet the sophistication of its musical execution does not lift \u201cL\u2019Esule di Roma\u201d into the same class as other, more fortuitous discoveries from Opera Rara and its repertory consultant, Roger Parker.<\/p>\n

Unlike Mercadante\u2019s \u201cIl Proscritto,\u201d for instance, it does not display the maturity of Donizetti\u2019s later works, even though the melodic buildup and some of its scenic inventions are already unmistakably Donizettian. However, they do not outweigh the prominence given to stock figures and their place in an otherwise inconsistent narrative.<\/p>\n

\u201cL\u2019Esule di Roma,\u201d in short, represents a stepping stone on Donizetti\u2019s way to artistic maturity, a transitionary moment into the advent of Romanticism and the genius of his Tudor operas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2023, Carlo Rizzi and the British label of Opera Rara resurrected Mercadante\u2019s unjustly neglected \u201cIl Proscritto\u201d – the story of the exile Giorgio Argyll\u2019s return to Scotland and the ensuing, tragic love triangle at the heart of Salvadore Cammarano\u2019s rather unlikely libretto. In 2024, conductor Rizzi turns his attention to another exile: the former tribune Settimio who is the {…}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":87080,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,8],"tags":[444,95,22076,22075,67,3198,3557],"class_list":["post-87079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvd-and-cd-reviews","category-in-review","tag-albina-shagimuratova","tag-carlo-rizzi","tag-lluis-calvet-i-pey","tag-lesule-di-roma","tag-nicola-alaimo","tag-opera-rara","tag-sergey-romanovsky"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCD Review: Opera Rara\u2019s 'L\u2019Esule di Roma' - OperaWire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In 2024, conductor Rizzi turns his attention to another exile: the former tribune Settimio who is the title-giving figure in Donizetti\u2019s now rarefied \u201cL\u2019Esule di Roma.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/operawire.com\/cd-review-opera-raras-lesule-di-roma\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"CD Review: Opera Rara\u2019s 'L\u2019Esule di Roma' - 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