Oberto is a long way from Verdi best(though not among his worst either), but for a debut in opera it was a promising start. The beautiful music and signs of Verdi's trademark themes(historical setting, father and daughter relationship, except not quite as well explored compared to Rigoletto for example) are all there and make up for a story that is not as dramatic or concise as those of Verdi's middle-period to late operas. There are two DVDs of the opera available, this and one with Ildar Abdrazakov in the title role. It is difficult actually to say which one I prefer as there are assets better done in one production and not so well in the other. I prefer the staging and the performance of Leonora in the Abdrazakov production, but the performances of Riccardo and Cuniza are superior here and the performances of Oberto are about equal. There wasn't really that much wrong I found with this production. Though the hand movements were exaggerated and distracting and Francessca Sassu's Leonora comes across as rather tentative and uninvolving vocally and dramatically.
The costumes and sets, on the other hand, while minimal are still appealing and tasteful enough, and the production is atmospherically lit. The staging may be rather stolid for some, especially compared to the Abdrazakov performance, but it does do its best with a libretto that doesn't offer that much and there are moments that are poignant and intense. The orchestra and chorus perform with great phrasing and beauty of tone, performing with real idiomatic commitment with care to blend with one another. The conducting is solid and accommodates in alternative to compromises. Giovanni Battista Parodi is commanding as Oberto, pitching vengeful and dignity perfectly, and has a very resonant voice that is elegantly phrased and incisive. Mariana Pentcheva has a beautiful voice with an exciting middle register, and her interpretation is very intense and involved. Fabio Sartori offers some of the best singing of the performance as Riccardo- an admittedly rather underwritten character- with great power and ring without barking too much. While he is not as good an actor as Parodi and Pentcheva, with one too many static movements, he at least has more subtlety and involvement than Carlo Ventre on the Abdrazakov set.
In conclusion, a worthy(more than worthy even) production that makes the most of Verdi's promising if imperfect operatic debut. 8/10 Bethany Cox
The costumes and sets, on the other hand, while minimal are still appealing and tasteful enough, and the production is atmospherically lit. The staging may be rather stolid for some, especially compared to the Abdrazakov performance, but it does do its best with a libretto that doesn't offer that much and there are moments that are poignant and intense. The orchestra and chorus perform with great phrasing and beauty of tone, performing with real idiomatic commitment with care to blend with one another. The conducting is solid and accommodates in alternative to compromises. Giovanni Battista Parodi is commanding as Oberto, pitching vengeful and dignity perfectly, and has a very resonant voice that is elegantly phrased and incisive. Mariana Pentcheva has a beautiful voice with an exciting middle register, and her interpretation is very intense and involved. Fabio Sartori offers some of the best singing of the performance as Riccardo- an admittedly rather underwritten character- with great power and ring without barking too much. While he is not as good an actor as Parodi and Pentcheva, with one too many static movements, he at least has more subtlety and involvement than Carlo Ventre on the Abdrazakov set.
In conclusion, a worthy(more than worthy even) production that makes the most of Verdi's promising if imperfect operatic debut. 8/10 Bethany Cox
