Don Pasquale - full of charm, clever ideas and musical discoveries (Royal Opera House, 06/05/2022)

I really liked and enjoyed this production of Donizetti's Don Pasquale and I think it was really thought through. Damiano Michieletto’s production connected with the audience by pointing out how relevant and contemporary the main characters (their problems and behaviour) still are. The scene was simple yet very effective: there was a frame of Don Pasquale’s house with some furniture in it and an old car in front of it.The house's frame consisted of neon lights, which gave the scene different mood each time they changed colours. In a second scene, when Norina appeared for the first time, a green screen was added and very cleverly used throughout the rest of the performance: initially for a photo-shooting scene as a context of introducing Norina, later on for capturing the main heroes with the camera and projecting them on the big screen to enhance their facial expressions or to set them up into different backgrounds (for example when Norina and Ernesto appeared in the wood without having to physically change anything). It was also used for the puppets' scene (three puppets were representing the three main characters), illustrating a narrative and comical situations, while the singers were singing.

The evening I went to see this opera, Norina was sang by Pretty Yende. Her portrait of Norina - this charming, yet witty young lady - was very vivid and believable. It suited Pretty Yende very much as she was evidently at ease with this character. Her voice was clear and her singing controlled and beautifully projected, respecting the bel canto style with all its runs, thrills and musical ornaments. The only thing that I was missing a little bit, were the longer-sustained high notes. She treated us to a few high notes during the performance but I’d have liked her to hold them for a bit longer. In these virtuoso bel canto arias, (for example the last Norina's aria), the long-held high notes give the important (and much expected) peak, and I was missing that. Yende's high notes very clear, but short. She was also sometimes overtaken by the orchestra and we couldn't hear her properly. Nevertheless, she was a real delight.

Don Pasquale should have been sand by Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, however he was replaced by Lucio Gallo. Gallo’s Don Pasquale was enjoyable, well sang and well played. He has managed the quick passages and difficult duets admirably. Sometimes - maybe due to the frequent moving on the scene - he was overtaken by the orchestra and his voice got lost.

Malatesto of Andrej Filonczyk was (as all the others) theatrically and musically convincing. His voice was very appropriate for this role and he navigated through difficult passages with ease.

The biggest surprise (for me personally) of this performance was young Spanish singer Xabier Anduaga, who sang the role of Ernesto. I was astonished from the first moment he started to sing - a beautiful, powerful and well-projected voice with excellent resonance and vocal technique. Xabier was also very eloquent on the scene and natural in this role and a first class musician. I can’t wait to see more of him in some other bel canto role.