Is there such a thing as a “minor” Mozart? He wrote Il re pastore in 1775 at the age of 19, shortly after La finta giardiniera. If we forget for a moment the pinnacles of opera that are his later and more famous works, these two early titles are gems in their own right. We are really only talking about different degrees of brilliance.
The new staging of Il re pastore (The Shepherd King) by the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma follows the Costanzi premiere of the work in 1988. Director Cecilia Ligorio brings this work to life very gracefully in a perfect balance of the old and the new. While Gregorio Zurla's set opens on a seemingly traditional, pastoral landscape dominated by a large tree, we soon start to spot signs that diverge from the literal reading of the time of the story, that of Alexander the Great. Vera Pierantoni Giua's costumes recall the mid-20th century, while Fabio Barettin's stark lighting introduces a contemporary element, as to signify a new outlook on an old story. These choices highlight the timelessness of the story, or better still its meaning: the conflict between nature and society, individual needs and imposed duties. Aminta, the shepherd king, is torn between a tranquil life with his love, Elisa, and the duties imposed by his new status: “Dunque pastore io fui men servo. E che mi giova il regno?” (And so as a shepherd I was less of a servant. What’s the point of a kingdom?).
The role of Aminta, originally written for a castrato, was taken here by soprano Miriam Albano. She delivered a flawless performance throughout, but in the famous aria “L’amerò, sarò costante” she completely captivated the audience, hands down the highlight of the evening. Soprano Francesca Pia Vitale sang Aminta’s lover, Elisa. Announced as indisposed, her performance was still very strong, starting from her aria “Alla selva, al prato, al fonte”, where she displayed a nice voice and controlled coloratura, although, likely due to her indisposition, she missed the final high note. Soprano Benedetta Torre, as Elisa’s friend Tamiri, possessed the most distinctive of the three female voices, with a rounded tone and a dark timbre, albeit her singing could have been more nuanced.
For the two male voices, Mozart cast – quite unusually – two tenors. Juan Francisco Gatell sang the enlightened king Alessandro, notable in the aria “Se vincendo vi rendo felici”, but displaying style throughout. Krystian Adam played his friend, Agenore. Adam has an interesting, darker timbre and he excelled in the recitatives and in the aria “Sol può dir come si trova”, although he ran into difficulties in the upper register of the lovely aria “Per me rispondete”, which was a pity.
The Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma was conducted by Manlio Benzi. A moment that stood out was Aminta's aforementioned aria, not only for Albano's singing but also for the violin solo which beautifully duetted with her. Something that was missed was the period sound of the harpsichord, as the fortepiano used in its place felt too “modern”.
Overall, Ligorio's production left a very strong impression. Notwithstanding the weak dramatic weave of Metastasio’s libretto, the power and magic of Mozart’s music together with a good cast and intelligent direction showed that it often pays to explore more Mozart off the beaten track.
