Don Carlo
Although I’m not fond of this production, but the excellent cast always lure me back to see it again and again. This time I was prepared to endure the torture of that horrid procession once again for Fiorenza Cedolin’s and Stefania Kaluza’s sake. I was a bit disappointed to find out that Cedolin was replaced by Joanna Kozlowska. But just a tiny bit, because I’d seen Kozlowska’s Elisabetta before and knew she’s very good at it. Carlo was sung by Neil Shicoff, Filippo by Roberto Scandiuzzi and Posa by a young Italian baritone named Alberto Gazale. Although the evening didn’t start as well as I’d hoped for, but it turned out to be an evening full of surprises.
Let me start with Günther Groissböck’s Frate. It was like an unbearable tease to hear him as Frate, because I could hear a great potential for Grand Inquisitore lying there, but his voice also needs to mature further more before he tackles this role. I was a bit surprised to hear him in a small role like this, since he’d already moved on to bigger roles like Sarastro, Zoroasto (Orlando), Il Re (Aida) and Publio (Clemenza), nevertheless I was glad he sang Frate. The same goes for Sen Guo, who’s gaining her fame as excellent Queen of Night around Europe recently, as Voce di Cielo. Definitely a luxury cast for this role.
There’s nothing to be said about Shicoff. He’s great as usual. But Kozlowska and Kaluza were better than ever. Not only they gave a flawless performance, they sang the soul and heart out of their character. Especially Kaluza, she practically sang the house down with her “don fatale”. It was performance that can be measured up to La Baltsa’s ‘86 performance at Salzburg. (Ok, maybe Baltsa was a bit over the top there, but you know what I mean.) Scandiuzzi and Alfred Muff (Grand Inquisitor) were also quite good that night, but the biggest surprise of the evening was Alberto Gazale. I had never heard of him before, nor the mention of him. All I can say is WHAT A VOICE!!! It’s a big and solid voice with a beautiful warm timbre, very Italianated, good diction and phrasing. If there’s anything, well….. his singing wasn’t really subtle. Then again, if you got a voice that can compete with Shicoff’s in every way, well, you don’t have to be subtle about it. Show it to me, baby! His duet with Shicoff can only be described as breathtakingly ecstatic.
Last but not least, Carlo Rizzi showed great sensitivity and understanding for the music and the singers. One could feel that the singers had great trust in him and knew they were well supported by him (which was probably why most of them sang exceptionally fantastic that night). His conducting was passionate and dramatic and yet well balanced. Just the way I like my Italian operas. ;-)) His much advertised Vienna Traviata (with Villazon and Netrebko) didn’t impress much, but his Zurich Don Carlo surely did.
P. S.
They finally removed those horrid dangling skeletons in the procession scene. Yeah!