As much as one loves Baroque opera, with its slow pace and rambling plots, it can take a certain amount of courage to stage it – especially uncut – for a modern audience. That is probably why we don’t see gems like Handel’s Alcina more often on major opera house programmes, especially in Italy. The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma has been taking good steps in this direction over the past few years, and it has always been rewarded with a great response from the audience, this production being no exception.
This was the first time Alcina, which premiered in London in 1735, has ever been presented in Rome. The new staging is a co-production with Dutch National Opera, appearing there in 2015, while the show was originally created by director Pierre Audi in Sweden in 2000. The sets and costumes by Patrick Kinmonth and lighting by Matthew Richardson are deceivingly “classic”, recalling 18th-century imagery: wigs, richly ornate plump silk dresses, embroideries, painted scenes of forests. At first, we are led to believe we are watching a simple reconstruction of the theatrical scenes how they could possibly have appeared in Handel’s own time. But this is an illusion, an illusion is Alcina’s world. And illusion is the main theme of this opera.
Aside from the painted backdrops, the stage is completely bare, sharply contrasting with the richness of the costumes. The reveal comes at the beginning of the second act, when the bewitched Ruggiero, thanks to a magic ring, suddenly sees the beautiful island for what it really is: an arid desert. And what do we, the audience, see? The pretty painted backgrounds shift and we are left with the back of their wooden structure. The similitude between the fading of Alcina’s magic and the fading of the artifice of theatre is the concept underpinning Audi's staging.
Audi's minimalist staging also feels like a challenge thrown down to the audience: “I will show you the sheer beauty of Handel’s music, and how it can stand three hours on its own, with almost no tricks involved.” Does he succeed? In part, yes. At the same time, the very nature of Baroque opera seems to call for “something” on stage; if nothing else, to fill the infinite da capo of the arias! As much as we want to bring Handel into the modern day and appreciate the dramatic and psychological depths beyond the prettiness of his arias, the anti-naturalistic Baroque aesthetic, nonetheless, screams for artifice and exaggeration.
The Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera was superbly conducted by Baroque expert Rinaldo Alessandrini, with the use of period instruments (harpsichord, archlute, recorder). Born in Rome, while he has had a solid international career and the highest recognitions abroad, this was only his second time conducting in this theatre (after Giulio Cesare in 2023).
Soprano Mariangela Sicilia in the title role and countertenor Carlo Vistoli (Ruggiero) were reunited after a memorable Orfeo and Euridice here in 2019. On this occasion the couple again proved a safe casting bet. Sicilia delivered an impeccable performance, with convincing acting and excellent singing throughout. Vistoli confirmed himself as a great interpreter of Baroque repertoire, with a smooth and natural voice in “Verdi prati, selve amene”.
Mary Bevan was an entertaining Morgana, although the direction pushed her acting a bit too much towards the comic side. The register of the role, also, seemed to sit a bit too high for her soprano, with many top notes thinning out. The enchanting and famous aria “Tornami a vagheggiar” was well sung, though, and enjoyable, if perhaps a bit too fast.
Anthony Gregory (Oronte) has a nice leggero tenor voice and played his part well, even if showing a slight uncertainty in pronunciation and intonation in the first half of the opera. He gained confidence in the second half and gracefully delivered his two arias, “È un folle, è un vile affetto” and “Un momento di contento”.
Mezzo Caterina Piva was a good Bradamante, while soprano Silvia Frigato covered the part of Oberto very well, originally written for a boy soprano. Francesco Salvadori (Melisso) displayed a very exciting bass, round and deep and his performance was one of the best on stage (especially “Pensa a chi geme” in Act 2).
The modernity of Audi's staging and the focus on acting were both the strength and the weakness of this show. For once, one wouldn’t have minded a few more bells and whistles.
