L'Italiana in Algeria (OZ, 28th Feb. 2008)
Having seen several Lievi’s work at OZ, I wasn’t expecting much when I went to see the new Italiana production at OZ. It is quite pleasing for the eyes (excellent stage sets by Luigi Perego and nice costumes by Marina Luxardo) but lacks substance. Beneath the comedy there are some male-female-power play and east-west conflict issues in Italiana, however under Lievi’s direction, it becomes a simple comedy with slapsticks, a superficial entertainment and nothing more. If you are looking for something in which you can sit back, relax and have a good laugh for the evening, this would be it.
Lievi has transposed the story to early 20th century. Mustafa’s harem is now an Algerian art deco nightclub with verandas stretching into Mediterranean Sea. Mustafa is its owner (and a gangster boss too) and Elvira is the star of the nightclub. The transposition of the plot works quite well and provides certain freshness to the story, however not much (new) insight. I can deal with the slapsticks and all, but turning Isabella into a coquette is not acceptable for me. Isabella is an intelligent courageous woman who risks everything and crosses an ocean to find the love of her life. Well, she IS also dominant and manipulative. She did trick Taddeo, an admirer of hers, to accompany her on this journey (probably also pay for her too). She knows well how to work her female charm on men to get what she wants. A coquette? No, no, no, she is way too cunning for that. ;)
As usual music was the highlight of the evening. Marianna Pizzolato was a welcome replacement for the indisposed Vesselina. She’s got a warm and beautiful timbre; the ease how she masters the coloratura passages is quite mesmerizing and her embellishments are quite refreshing. Carlo Lepore (Mustafa) and Alfonso Antoniozzi (Taddeo) are quite a buffo team. At several passages I find Paolo Carignani’s conducting lack of energy, but all in all, it was a good performance. The biggest discovery of the evening was Javier Camarena’s Lindoro. I was quite surprised that OZ has engaged Camarena for quite a few leading roles right after he graduated from OZ’s apprentice program. (Normally the graduates, if OZ decided to engage them in the ensemble, start with smaller roles, not leading roles.) I have attended Camarena’s graduation (from the apprentice program) concert last year; there I found he’s got great potential, but didn’t impress me all that much. Boy o boy, has he improved! Now I know why he’s given to sing Lindoro (both in Italiana and Barbiere) and Belfiore (Finta). His voice is sensational. It’s beautiful, bright and warm, a graceful lyric tenor voice with a volume that can cut through orchestra effortlessly; nice phrasing and agile on stage. No wonder now Met, Vienna, Madrid and Paris want to have him too.
Javier Camarena