Review

Don Pasquale, Glyndebourne: 'A black comedy that leaves a sour taste in the mouth'

Gaetano Donizetti's Don Pasquale at Glyndebourne
Gaetano Donizetti's Don Pasquale at Glyndebourne Credit: Getty Images

Mocking the infirmities of old age has long been a stock theme of comedy, but seldom does it leave such a sour taste as it does in Donizettii’s Don Pasquale, where a doddery old fool is ruthlessly humiliated and cheated out of his money by a pair of amoral young schemers who think the whole thing is just a great laugh.

The strength of Mariame Clément’s 2011 production is that it avoids none of the scenario’s unpleasantness, even going so far as to imply that the schemers, who pass themselves off as brother and sister, are involved in an incestuous sexual relationship. A chorus of chattering servants becomes an audience of supine spectators, watching the situation unfold with sceptical amusement; the merry ending in which Don Pasquale suddenly forgives and forgets and cheers up hardly rings true.

All this takes place in a dark domestic environment of the Dickensian 19th-century, its different spaces revealed via a revolving stage and some malfunctioning curtains. But although Clément has returned to supervise this revival, the concept now seems rather heavy-handed – the black comedy has lost its sly charm and a new cast fails to strike the necessary balance between witty menace and sentimental pathos. What should be devilish and piquant seems merely depressingly downbeat.

Renato Girolami as Don Pasquale in Gaetano Donizetti's Don Pasquale
Renato Girolami as Don Pasquale in Gaetano Donizetti's Don Pasquale Credit: Getty

In the title-role, Renato Girolami is extremely touching, but he needs to do more to suggest the character’s bustling self-importance and farcical self-delusion: here he is merely the passive victim of the situation who consumes all our sympathy. In contrast, as his nemesis Dr Malatesta, Andrey Zhilikovsky - a generically competent baritone from Moldova - seems coldly robotic rather than one of those seductive teases and opportunists who always grab the upper hand. Their big patter duet lacked energy, sparkle, fun.

The lyrical challenges of the score fall to the tenor and soprano. Andrew Stimson was, I guess, suffering from something: his Ernesto – presented as a stroppy teenager with an untidy bedroom – sounded tonally constricted, and the serenade lacked sweetness and grace. More impressive was Lisette Oropesa as the minx Norina. Although a trace of vinegar flavoured her slender soubrette soprano and she over-acted at times, she performed with a vivid sense of character and made hay with the coloratura.

Giacomo Sagripanti conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Searching for subtleties, he fussed it up a bit at the cost of overall drive.

Until 23 August, in repertory with La Traviata and La Clemenza di Tito. Tickets: 01273 815000; www.glyndebourne.com

 

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