Giuseppe Verdi - I due Foscari - DVD

ENGLISH

Although Giuseppe Verdi wrote many operas that came to epitomize Italian Opera, among them Aida, Rigoletto and La Traviata, one of his earlier successes ' the father and son tragedy I Due Foscari premiered in Rome in 1844 has not received as much attention as it deserves. Less opulently orchestrated than some of his preceding operas and with a gloomier story than his other operas, it is a jewel in its own right.<br /> <br /> TDK presents a staging from the wonderfully magnificent opera house in Naples, the Teatro San Carlo, directed by Werner Düggelin, one of the most distinguished theatre directors in Europe and choreographed by the superb Heinz Spoerli ' both closely associated with the Zurich Opera and Theatre. The story of the conflict between paternal love and the political duties of the Doge of Venice unfolds before a backdrop of the severe facades of classical Venetian architecture symbolising the strict rules that bind the elder Foscari's decisions. Concentrating on the inner conflicts of the Doge of Venice, his son and daughter-in-law, the staging creates a character study against the background of what appears to be an eternal and universal conflict, between love and duty, wishes and obligations, the inner and the outer structures that hold our lives together.<br /> <br /> The conducting of Nello Santi, a musical director of the great Italian singer-conductor tradition of Gianandrea Gavazzeni and Giuseppe Patané, is perfectly suited to the carefully orchestrated musical character studies with "leitmotifs" assigned to each of the main characters. His sensitive conducting supports three exceptional singers, all well rooted in the Italian tradition. Leo Nucci, who has long been regarded as one of the foremost baritones in the Verdi repertoire gives an overwhelming performance - vocally and dramatically - in the role of the elder Foscari. Like Verdi's Simon Boccanegra this is a role perfectly suited for the mature voice and actor. Tenor Vincenzo La Scola, well known for his interpretation of the main tenor roles in Verdi, Donizetti and Puccini Operas, sings the role of the Doge's son, unjustly charged with murder. His mezza-voce is beautiful and he has great vocal control. The fabulous spinto-soprano Alexandrina Pendatchanska is admirably able to meet every vocal and dramatic challenge that her role as the desperate wife seeking mercy for her husband holds in store. On this DVD she shows herself as one of the most interesting Verdi singers of the young generation.