A Finnish composer, a Latin title, a French libretto: quite an interesting mix for an opera. Starting from the title – using the Latin word for “mother” – Adriana Mater by Kaija Saariaho aspires to be an archetypal story, a Greek tragedy-like tale. The opera, to Amin Maalouf’s libretto, premiered at the Opéra national de Paris in 2006. It is now being presented by the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma in Peter Sellars’ new production, a collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony, and is the first time any opera by Saariaho – who died in 2023 – has been staged in Italy.
Set in an unnamed country on the brink of war, Saariaho’s opera tells the story of Adriana, a young woman raped by Tsargo, who decides to keep the baby against the advice of her sister, Refka. She wonders if the child will be good like her or bad like his father (“Mon enfant sera-t-il Caïn, ou bien Abel?”). When her child, Yonas, grows up and discovers the truth about his father, he promises his mother that he will kill him. In the end, this is not so much a tale about maternity, war and violence, but about the coexistence of good and evil. The scene of the father returning from war is emblematic: he is blind, thus becoming a living metaphor of the blindness of evil.
Sellars is very familiar with this work, having already directed the opera many times, including the Paris premiere. The decision to have the orchestra on stage rather than in the pit was baffling, as this was not announced as a concert performance. In reality, it was a semi-staging, with costumes by Camille Assaf and a minimal set, consisting of square platforms for the singers and colour-changing LED light bars above the stage, designed by Ben Zamora. Greater emphasis was given instead by Sellars to the singers’ acting.
Saariaho’s score is cinematic, more successful at creating background atmosphere than at painting memorable details, with its gloomy mood and the eerie interventions of the chorus. Ernest Martínez Izquierdo, who enjoyed a long collaboration with the composer, conducted the Orchestra del Teatro dell’Opera di Roma with confidence.
The cast was the same as the San Francisco production and the standard was indeed very high, but the vocal score, with its sudden and continuous register swings, is treacherous. Dramatic soprano Axelle Fanyo, as Refka, offered an interesting counterpoint to Adriana, showing off her depth in the mid to low register while changing colours to a much brighter one in the top notes. As Yonas, tenor Nicholas Phan has a warm and very pleasant timbre, although showed some strain when suddenly touching the high register. His acting was passionate and convincing. Baritone Christopher Purves, as Tsargo, was as good in the depiction of the drunken soldier as in that of the older, blind man. Young mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron gave a flawless performance as Adriana, her rich timbre and perfect intonation complemented by an intense but natural interpretation of the role. The cherry on the cake was her perfect French diction.
Adriana Mater belongs to the kind of operas that particularly need strong performers in order to succeed. Perhaps the score, lacking in variety and true originality, does not match the ambition of the grand concept of an archetypal story. After a very impactful start between the brass and chorus, it gradually loses momentum and falls flat towards the end. Still, Barron’s stunning performance, and that of the orchestra and chorus, made this show a powerful and worthwhile experience.
