Spain Haydn, Orlando paladino (concert version): Il Giardino Armonico / Giovanni Antonini (conductor). Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 29.10.2023. (JMI)
Cast:
Orlando – Alasdair Kent
Angelica – Emöke Baráth
Medoro – Josh Lovell
Licone/Pasquale – Krystian Adam
Eurilla – Natalia Rubis
Rodomonte/Caronte – Renato Dolcini
Alcina – Núria Rial
Both the Liceu and Teatro Real are hosting premieres of the concert version of this Haydn opera, part of a tour organized by conductor Giovanni Antonini and Il Giardino Armonico.
The great Austrian composer is known as the Father of the Symphony and with good reason – he was truly exceptional in the field. He also wrote a number of operas which, in my opinion, are less notable. Orlando paladino was composed in 1782 and was the penultimate opera of Haydn’s Esterházy period. The work belongs to the heroic-burlesque genre, and it is rather lacking in inspiration. The libretto is of little importance in dramatic terms: in addition to the fantastic nature of its plot, not much happens during the performance.
In the hands of Antonini, the head of Il Giardino Armónico, the musical direction was full of energy and made good use of the excellent orchestra. Antonini took good care of the soloists, although I cannot forget the superb version that Ivor Bolton led in Munich five years ago.
The main protagonists of the opera are Orlando, Angelica and Medoro. Orlando was sung by tenor Alasdair Kent, who has a voice that is adequate for the role although it is not particularly compelling. He was not very emotional in his singing and had to continually pay attention to the score.
Soprano Emöke Baráth sang the part of Angelica. She has a beautiful voice, but she also had to pay too much attention to her music and struggled with expressiveness. Something of the same could be said about tenor Josh Lovell in the part of Medoro. He performed well vocally, but he too lacked emotion.
The most enthusiastic ovations in the hall were for baritone Krystian Adam, who combined a great amount of expression and a sonorous voice. He doubled in the roles of Licone and Pasquale. Natalia Rubis’s performance in the part of Eurilla was good – her voice is appealing, and she sang with gusto.
Baritone Renato Dolcini doubled as Rodomonte and Caronte. He has an attractive and ample voice and made a strong impression. Finally, the character of Alcina was played by Núria Rial, who did well in the part.
José M. Irurzun