VERONA, ITALY — The present times are often permeated with a wave of prosaic music styles coming from all over the world, but Italians continuously seem to have a particular affection for opera and scores of classical nature.
In Verona, Carl Orff’s highly revered arrangement of early music poems (known as Carmina Burana) was originally meant to be staged, even though it conveyed the striking mashup of Christian symbolism and medieval mindset.
Arena di Verona Opera Festival
With a mix of brilliance and decadence, gloom and romance, the work was intended to have the wildest appeal possible. It comes as a surprise, then, that l’Arena di Verona’s poised production had the choir and soloists perform in a spare setting: flanked by a wealth of singers wearing black attire from head to toes. As a celebration of life, the voices did justice to Off’s vision. Yet, despite the lack of fizz in production, the whole affair failed to charm in its entirety.
Arena di Verona Opera Festival
This was in part due to a poor sound mix, which would have let down a two-piece pop band, let alone L’Arena’s orchestra at full stretch. For all their technique, prowess, and energy, the soloists and choir tried to fill the space: the soprano soared easily through the high Cs, while the countertenor’s falsetto didn’t quite hit the mark, especially in crescendos and within the passages of quavers.
The symphonic moments, on the contrary, were of sublime quality and grace: from the strings to the wind band, there was a winsome charm that epitomised their sections and added a delightful sense of unison and blend to the ensemble.
All in all, in a venue so geared to mass and rapturous spectacle, the live action of the arena seemed somewhat disconnected and yearned for furtherance and interest. Indeed, there was fun, and it might have been the best resistance.
by Chidozie Obasi