#oberto

[girlruggiero]

Barbie Passione Alcina

[vera-dauriac]

Thanks to my local library having Naxos Video, I think I have access to every Verdi opera with English subs, so the time has come to watch them all in order. We just started Oberto, and I said to hubby that I had no idea what it was about. He said...

"It's about a guy, Oberto, who used to be a pirate named Roberto. But he lost his Arr."

😐

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

oh hey everyone I wrote and published a fic

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

welcome to a new series (provided I can actually finish it lol)

[monotonous-minutia]

Chloé Briot as Oberto in Händel’s Alcina

(Brussels, 2015)

[count-di-luna]

Oberto liveblog

first ever Verdi, let’s see :)

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Traversing the Verdi Canon #1: Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio

Welcome to Traversing the Verdi Canon, otherwise known as yours truly’s attempt to listen to/watch the entirety of Verdi’s operatic canon in (mostly) chronological order by the end of 2021.

With that in mind, we begin with his first opera, the 1839 tragedy Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio, usually just presented as Oberto.

My history with this opera is rather limited: my only previous experience was watching this production in January. Because that production is probably one of the most boringly stiff productions of any opera I have ever seen, I instead went with this production from Bilbao in 2007. 

And the opera was a lot more enjoyable as a result. Yes, it does sound like Donizetti a lot (especially the final scene), but the quintessential Verdi sound and facets of his drama, especially in a lot of his work in the 1840s, is already there. Not bad for a relatively inexperienced 26-year-old.

Like I said, it’s not a great masterpiece by any stretch, but particularly for a first opera, it’s more often than not very good. And that’s particularly clear when you have singers that are a) good and b) committed. Of course, Ildar Abdrazakov My Beloved takes top honors on both in the title role, although a lot of times I got the sense that the role itself is rather underwritten. Evelyn Herlitzus isn’t a conventional Verdi singer but she’s also both good and committed and thank the universe she actually knows what to do with her hands. I must confess I groaned inwardly when I saw Marianne Cornetti as Cuniza on the cast list, but she was actually quite good here. Carlo Ventre did what he could with Riccardo, which isn’t a whole lot given that he is a douchebag and literally every other character (including the chorus) hates him and Verdi doesn’t give him much more in the way of development or sympathy. (Instead, we get the two leading ladies teaming up against him because he fucked them both over...it doesn’t work but we love the sisterhood.)

Highlights include Oberto and Leonora’s Act I duet, their Act I trio with Cuniza, the Act I finale, Oberto’s Act II scene, Riccardo’s aria, and Leonora’s mad scene/the final scene.

Stay tuned for more!

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

coming up tonight:

let’s start at the Verdi beginning, a Verdi good place to start...

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Oberto (Parma, 2007): Reactions, Part II

NICE SLAY HIM CUNIZA

okay the dresses are all pretty (especially because this one does not seem to have the barrel puffs for Cuniza)

*applause* and make sure he doesn’t betray her again

and that’s on that

first badass Verdi mezzo role

you know what? I fully support platonic Cuniza and Leonora

whatcha doin’ there

Cuniza is awesome send tweet

REVEEEEEEEEEEEENGE (also this cabaletta slaps)

COWARD

YEAAAAAAAAAAAH

NO ONE CARES

Leonora honey you deserve better

Cuniza is my favorite please marry me if Leonora won’t run off with you

awwwwwwwwwwww

“Jesus fans aren’t following what the OG said”

and now for the obligatory Italian Unity PSA

YOU KILLED HER DAD TOO SHEESH YOU REALLY SUCK

poor Cuniza also why is the stage so DARK like did they hire a “lighting designer” from Vienna

LEONORA NO DON’T SAY THAT

can he just go away and never interact with anyone else in this opera again

if your name is Leonora and you’re in a Verdi opera then at some point you resolve to go join a religious order

tis Verdi Opera Law

she deserved better :(

also that aria slapped

nice work, Verdi. a very good beginning indeed.