A resounding reception met the final curtain of this first opera production at Salzburg’s 2014 “Rossinissimo!” Whitsun Festival – the third under the artistic direction of Cecilia Bartoli.

The production honors fell to Damiano Michieletto and his set designer, Paolo Fantin (both familiar in Salzburg for their co-operation in the 2012 La bohème and last year’s Falstaff) for an updated staging concept, while Jean-Christophe Spinosi and his Ensemble Matheus remained authentic and traditional with period instruments in the pit. 

An extravagant set-within-a-set, combined with highly imaginative effects (Videodesign, Rocafilm) augmented well-defined protagonists and guaranteed for non-stop entertainment value throughout the evening.

Here, Angelina slaves in a shabby self-service buffet. Her stepsisters (quirky-voiced and nicely contrasted here by Lynette Tapia as Clorinda and Hilary Summers as Tisbe) empty their cantankerous Father’s cash box to go shopping for clothes and trinkets. The Prince’s palace is a mirror image of the opening set, but with a sweeping bar, illuminated Perspex stairs and luscious red leather sofas to replace the greasy-spoon café tables and chairs of Angelina’s buffet.

In the overture Alidoro (deftly portrayed by Ugo Guagliardo) descends from a cloud in the heavens with a suitcase full of duties to fulfill in a rather Puck-like figure.

Bartoli nicely slips into one of her acclaimed Rossini roles (Angelina), with her low register richly-resonant and the voice generally responding to the composer’s fearsome demands. Occasional notes approaching the upper stave lose sheen, and the extreme top risks sharpness in pitch, but (as ever) Bartoli’s stage work, personality, and sheer ebullience win the day.

Her Prince (Don Ramiro) Javier Camarena, captivated the audience with his rounded tenore leggiero, polished flexibility and a thrilling upper range which extended on this evening to a solid top D. Less impressive were his stage presence and acting ability, which - when compared to some of his colleagues - proved a distinct disadvantage.

Enzo Capuano was a vocally stylish and solid Don Manifico. As Dandini, Nicola Alaimo opened rather tentatively, but settled vocally during the course of the evening and made much of his generous physique in filling-out the role of the guileful valet.
 
Angelina’s yellow rubber gloves (which during the course of the action place a Leitmotiv-like stamp upon her social and family standing) make a surprising entrance in the finale when – with her betrothal to the Prince - Angelina presents all the other protagonists boxed gifts of reconciliation and forgiveness …each containing a pair of yellow rubber gloves!

In the pit, Spinosi’s Ensemble Matheus produced a highly polished , if somewhat understated, reading.

The Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus
was in fine fettle, and to round off the evening the orchestra and ensemble broke into “Happy Birthday” for the diva, who could hardly have wished for a finer gift than this premiere’s triumph.