Verdi - Simon Boccanegra
Guelfi; Konstantinov; Mattila; La Scola
Chorus & Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino / Abbado
TDK DVOPSIBO

Release date January 2004

Giorgio Strehler's production of Simon Boccanegra was the jewel in the crown of Claudio Abbado's tenure at La Scala. The editor of Opera magazine declared that it was 'one of the few truly great operatic experiences of the post-war era.' In the wake of Abbado's dreadful illness, Simon was one of the scores that he particularly wished to revisit. The present film was made in Florence in 2002 in a production by Peter Stein, with whom Abbado also collaborated in the Edinburgh Parsifal. It is handsome, painterly, beautifully lit and respectful of Verdi's intentions. The Grimaldis' garden is a band of vivid cobalt, and throughout the production there are reminders of the sea, as much an ever-present background to Simon as it is to Peter Grimes. At La Scala, Abbado had a more-or-less perfect cast, later recorded in a famous DG set: Cappuccilli, Ghiaurov, van Dam, Carreras and Freni. His cast in Florence is good, without effacing memories of that marvellous recording. Guelfi is a bullish Boccanegra, affecting in his invocation to the sea. Julian Konstantinov, as the appalling Paolo, brings focused tone and a malevolent presence. The star turn is Karita Mattila's Amelia, the one singer who equals her La Scala predecessor. Abbado works miracles with the Florentine orchestra; he visibly relishes conducting this beautiful score once more. At the quiet conclusion, he holds up his hand to prevent premature applause; luckily, the audience obeys him before letting rip with a storm of bravos - Abbado's curtain call is greeted with flurries of flowers. The subtitling is generally undistracting, although sadly 'Boccanegra' is not invariably spelt correctly!

Sandy Matheson