Un Ballo in Maschera may not have the most plausible of stories, but the music, unsurprisingly as it is Verdi, is just outstanding especially Renato's Eri Tu. This Parma production is a winner on the whole with so many good(even great) things. It does fall a little short of being perfect though, as to me two performances didn't quite make the grade. Elisabetta Fiorillo is an authoritative enough actress and her low notes boom thrillingly, but her voice everywhere else is distractingly unsteady, a big problem as most of her music is in the middle register. Most disappointing was Kristen Lewis' Amelia. Her middle is utterly enchanting and she looks beautiful in her costume, but her top notes are rather shrill- she did sound taxed in her wonderful Act 3 aria Morrò, Ma Prima in Grazia in particular- and her acting is very bland.
The traditional costumes and sets are very appealing and beautifully designed especially in Act 1 and the masked ball at the end of the third act. Amelia's costume in particular for the costumes was very striking, accentuated by the atmospheric lighting. The stage direction is intelligent and the drama is riveting as a result, it succeeds also in making the action and storytelling coherent which is a major plus. The video directing is both dynamic and grand, and how it captures the use of fog and blowing capes makes it very cinematic. The sound is generally very good, though the scenes between Riccardo and Amelia in Act 2 didn't always sound very balanced, sounding as though Meli and Lewis were trying to out-sing one another, which may not have been the case but sounded that way.
It is a remarkable production musically. The orchestra play with oomph and pathos with ravishing sound and good texture balances. The dynamic thrust is also very impressive. The chorus sing vibrantly and passionately, never once giving the impression that they are static or oblivious to the drama. That has not always been the case with the chorus in the Tutto Verdi collection/series, so I'll put it down to good stage direction. Gianluigi Gelmetti conducts splendidly, he is a highly musical conductor who knows exactly what he wants and shows so clearly and he really seems to love the score(hardly surprising). The use of dynamics, articulation and tempos, the ability to make some of the rhythms dance, how he accommodates the singers, players and action and how he enhances the drama and storytelling through all of this is hugely impressive.
Vladimir Stoyanov has a beautiful voice and sings firmly and expressively for Renato. He conveys the sympathy, loyalty, firmness, anger and anguish of the role very convincingly, and his ovation for Eri Tu was richly deserved. Serena Gamberoni's Oscar is simply perfect and endearingly angelic. It is a fuller voice than the lighter silvery sort of voice I'm used to hearing, but it has all the lyricism and agility for the vocal line and her articulation and embellishments are spot-on. As an actress she is very charming. Francesco Meli is the star though. His tone is ringing and almost heroic, with very elegant phrasing and clear diction, and he is an involving actor. He also has one of the better lower registers for any tenor in the role on DVD.
Overall, a splendid but imperfect performance, the Carlo Bergonzi/Antonietta Stella performance is the best Ballo on DVD but this Parma production is worthy. And for the Tutto Verdi DVD productions collection, it is in the better end of the spectrum. 8/10 Bethany Cox
The traditional costumes and sets are very appealing and beautifully designed especially in Act 1 and the masked ball at the end of the third act. Amelia's costume in particular for the costumes was very striking, accentuated by the atmospheric lighting. The stage direction is intelligent and the drama is riveting as a result, it succeeds also in making the action and storytelling coherent which is a major plus. The video directing is both dynamic and grand, and how it captures the use of fog and blowing capes makes it very cinematic. The sound is generally very good, though the scenes between Riccardo and Amelia in Act 2 didn't always sound very balanced, sounding as though Meli and Lewis were trying to out-sing one another, which may not have been the case but sounded that way.
It is a remarkable production musically. The orchestra play with oomph and pathos with ravishing sound and good texture balances. The dynamic thrust is also very impressive. The chorus sing vibrantly and passionately, never once giving the impression that they are static or oblivious to the drama. That has not always been the case with the chorus in the Tutto Verdi collection/series, so I'll put it down to good stage direction. Gianluigi Gelmetti conducts splendidly, he is a highly musical conductor who knows exactly what he wants and shows so clearly and he really seems to love the score(hardly surprising). The use of dynamics, articulation and tempos, the ability to make some of the rhythms dance, how he accommodates the singers, players and action and how he enhances the drama and storytelling through all of this is hugely impressive.
Vladimir Stoyanov has a beautiful voice and sings firmly and expressively for Renato. He conveys the sympathy, loyalty, firmness, anger and anguish of the role very convincingly, and his ovation for Eri Tu was richly deserved. Serena Gamberoni's Oscar is simply perfect and endearingly angelic. It is a fuller voice than the lighter silvery sort of voice I'm used to hearing, but it has all the lyricism and agility for the vocal line and her articulation and embellishments are spot-on. As an actress she is very charming. Francesco Meli is the star though. His tone is ringing and almost heroic, with very elegant phrasing and clear diction, and he is an involving actor. He also has one of the better lower registers for any tenor in the role on DVD.
Overall, a splendid but imperfect performance, the Carlo Bergonzi/Antonietta Stella performance is the best Ballo on DVD but this Parma production is worthy. And for the Tutto Verdi DVD productions collection, it is in the better end of the spectrum. 8/10 Bethany Cox
