Gustavo Porta as Manrico and Erika Grimaldi as Leonora in the performance of Verdi's Il Trovatore for the Opera In Concert event by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Photo / Supplied
What: Il Trovatore
Where: Auckland Town Hall
When: Saturday
Reviewer: William Dart
Choosing Verdi's Il Trovatore as this year's Opera in Concert, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra ensured that a full town hall would be swept away by this most earthy of Italian operas.
Early on, Verdi himself realised that its melodramatic tale of revenge and thwarted love offered the opportunity to be "singular and original," qualities well conveyed by maestro Giordano Bellincampi, effortlessly balancing orchestral thrills and finesse, while Stuart Maunder's telling stage direction brought characters to life.
Pandemic pressures had the New Zealand Opera Chorus singing from held scores, but their smooth entrances and exits became a stylised dramatic feature, especially when progress swiftened during one of Verdi's jauntier marches.
Given the opportunity to sing out, however, in the celebrated Anvil chorus, they were predictably impressive.
The cool assurance of Petri Lindroos' Ferrando in the opening scene suggested more fine singing might lie ahead. Within minutes, we would meet Leonora, deliciously played by Erika Grimaldi, outlining her amatory dilemma to Morag Atchinson's beautifully drawn Ines.
Grimaldi was a lithe, elegant heroine, with a voice to match, heart-melting in the great Miserere and a breathtaking top in the bristling ensembles that close the first two acts.
Simone Piazzola's Count seemed a mite cautious in both characterisation and singing, while Gustavo Porta did not invest Manrico with the ultimate romantic hero status, too much of his singing marred by vocal strain.
The gypsy woman Azucena is the very human core of Il Trovatore; she was Verdi's favourite character and he almost named the work after her.
Olesya Petrova, emerging from the chorus and mostly singing from the lower level of the choir stalls, gave a faultless, finely nuanced performance. Whether vengeful or sorrowful, bonding with Manrico, or holding her own with the Count, she presented Azucena as Everywoman.
Tonight was a glowing testament to the courage and determination of the APO, brilliantly accomplishing what must have been huge challenge in these uncertain times.
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