Opera Review: L’Italiana in Algeri

Photo credit: Teatro Regio Torino and Gran Teatre del Liceu

I floated home from the Liceu after a delightful evening watching a flawless production of Gioachino Rossini’s comic opera “L’Italiana in Algeri.” No murders, no destructive passion, no tragic betrayal. This was the antidote to so much opera that we see, love and suffer through. This was pure opera buffa, designed to give us pleasure and laughs. Indeed, the distinguished 19th-century French author Stendhal described it as no less than “totally organized madness.” A better description would be hard to find.

The scuttlebutt has it that Rossini wrote the entire thing in less than a month. Considering the multiplicity of instruments involved in orchestration, as well as the vocal score, this has to have been something of a record breaker. In addition, he was only 21 years old when he wrote it. How many of us can even imagine writing a classic of any sort at that age that is still vibrant and popular 200 years later?

The current production, which will play at the Liceu until December 23, is a must for anyone who wants charm, laughter and playful music to warm the chill winter evening. I could go back many times and get the same enjoyment out of this cheery production.

The story revolves around a young Italian girl, Isabella, shipwrecked in Algeria while searching for her missing lover, Lindoro, who, this being the usual absurd opera libretto, happens also to have ended up there. He is now enslaved and she, as an exotic Italian import, catches the roving eye of Mustafa, the reigning Bey, who has a thoroughly infuriated wife. And so, to the accompaniment of delightful music, the plot works its way through all manner of emotional and practical complications.

Conxita Garcia’s chorus acted as convincingly as ever, the orchestra, under the direction of Ricardo Frizza, blended perfectly with the singing and kept a brisk tempo. As Isabella, Mezzo soprano Varduhi Abrahamyan sang with great charm and acted well. Her pursuer, the Bey, sung by baritone Luca Pisaroni, added the gift of comic acting to his vocal charm. Tenor Maxim Mironov had to contend with the rather colorless role of the enslaved Lindoro and his voice, though pleasing, was rather slight. And Giorgio Caoduro, as the luckless Italian, Taddeo, in unrequited love with Isabella, was excellent. Indeed, so were the rest of the soloists in this small cast. (Just big enough to do superb justice to the septet!)

Victorio Borelli choreographed the staging so that it was full of life and engaging, both smooth and constantly diverting. A passage with a huge pencil produced to threaten punishment by impaling made me, and I am willing to bet, other members of the audience, squirm in my seat. All in good fun.

As the year ends, I thank the Liceu for its grand entertainment and look forward to a rich 2019.  Next up is Giacomo Puccini’s heartbreaking “Madama Butterfly,” with Lianna Haroutounian and Jorge de León in the first cast and Ainhoa Arteta and Rame Lahaj in the second. It will play for 10 nights, from January 12 to 29.