Spain Monteverdi, L’Orfeo (concert version): Soloists, Choeur de Chambre de Namur, Capella Mediterranea / Leonardo García Alarcón (conductor). Palau de les Arts, Valencia, 23.2.2025. (JMI)
Cast:
Orpheus – Valerio Contaldo
Music / Eurydice – Mariana Flores
The Messenger – Giuseppina Bridelli
Pluto – Andreas Wolf
Proserpina / Hope – Anna Reinhold
Charon – Salvo Vitale
Shepherd I / Spirit / Echo – Nicholas Scott
Shepherd II / Apollo – Alessandro Giangrande
Shepherds – Leandro Marziotte, Matteo Bellotto
Nymph – Estelle Lefort
Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was written in 1607, but this was its first performance at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia. Other operas by Monteverdi have been seen here in recent years as well: L’incoronazione di Poppea and Il ritorno d’Ulysse in patria. I would like to begin by highlighting the huge success achieved at this concert, especially by its great conductor, Leonardo García Alarcón, who has offered an extraordinary version of L’Orfeo, one which I enjoyed enormously.
There are no words that do justice to the musical leadership of Leonardo García Alarcón. I have rarely attended an opera where the emotion of the audience was so palpably felt, especially at the end of Act I with the entrance of the Messenger and his news of the death of Eurydice. It was a moment of emotion that one will not forget, and the audience expressed their gratitude for Alarcón’s extraordinary conducting. He had a wonderful Capella Mediterranea under his command, and I cannot help but mention one of the violinists who jumped up and did pirouettes on the stage while playing the violin. The Choeur de Chambre de Namur was also noteworthy. Among its members were soloists who later played the roles of Shepherds and Nymphs.
The great protagonist of the opera was tenor Valerio Contaldo, who gave a brilliant performance and demonstrated his total mastery of the character. His voice may not be the most beautiful in the world, but it is enjoyable to listen to, and he is a great interpreter: his mastery of the role leaves no room for doubt.
Eurydice, who doubled as Music at the beginning of the opera, was soprano Mariana Flores, who gave a fine performance. In the last scene, she played the tambourine very nicely.
Giuseppina Bridelli interpreted the part of the Messenger. Her performance was more moving than most others in that passage of extreme beauty in which the death of Eurydice in announced.
Anna Reinhold was Proserpina and doubled as Hope, and she was excellent. The deep voices were well served by Andreas Wolf as Plutone and by Salvo Vitale as Charon.
The shepherds were drawn from the chorus, and their performances were impeccable. They were Alessandro Giangrande, who doubled as Apollo in the final scene; Leandro Marziotte; Nicholas Scott, who doubled as Echo; and Matteo Bellotto. Of the Nymphs I would highlight Estelle Lefort, also from the chorus, who has an attractive voice and was a strong interpreter.
José M. Irurzun