Gioachino Rossini was just 21 when he composed his hit opera Tancredi, based on Voltaire’s tale of warring factions in the 10th century Byzantine Empire and turned into opera seria by Rossini and librettist Gaetano Rossi. Tancredi an exiled soldier returning to reclaim his land and his love Ameniade is somber opera tragique indeed, but Rossini was required to write a happier ending in the ‘heroic’ style.
The current production by Opera Philadelphia uses Rossini’s tragique scenario with one of the longest death scenes in opera and that is saying something. And it is sung majestically by mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe starring in the title role.
Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe & members of Opera Philadelphia chorus
Of course being a tragedy you don’t expect it to bloom with the orchestral esprit of, say, his Barber of Seville. However leaden Rossini’s symphonics, Tancredi was praised in its time. For contemporary audiences, it is early Rossini, derivative of Mozart and scant on those signature hooks by the composer, that break to rousing orchestral gallops. But, otherwise, Rossini’s vocal score is still powerful, dramatic and full of his trademark roulades, trills and tremolos all sung with fine technical artistry by Blythe, soprano Brenda Rae, tenor Michele Angelini, baritone Daniel Mobbs, mezzo Anastasha Sidorova and Allegra De Vita, all performing these roles for the first time.
Stage director Emilio Sagi and conductor Corrado Rovaris tackle other challenges in to contemporarize this opera, with mixed results. Sagi resets it in post WWI Italy, instead of 10th century, a dicey choice, especially from the angle that woman are property and chattel. The convoluted melodrama of Amenaide, daughter of Argirio, who is being married off to Orbazzano an officer as a bonus thrown in to seal a military alliance between warring factions.
Even though Amenaide pleads with her father that she cannot marry someone she doesn’t love, Argirio orders her to do her duty. Amenaide sends a love letter to her beloved, Tancredi, but it is intercepted and altered. Orbazzano exposes her ‘betrayal’ to him and accuses her of treason and her father agrees that she should be sentenced to death. Meanwhile Tancredi lurks in the shadows, ostensibly to save Amenaide, but the tampered with letter has him believe she has betrayed him as well another man.
Soprano Brenda Rae as Amenaide & Stephanie Blythe as Tancredi
Later on the battlefield Tancredi vanquishes Orbazzano in a duel, and Argirio forgives Amenaide, but Tancredi remains bitter almost to the end, but it is too late.
The plot grinds on, sometimes incomprehensibly, with off-stage battles raging and plot points that are told rather than shown, which leads to some heavy narrative going and long reflective solos by the principals. Sagi’s is uninventive in some of the blocking, Blythe just paces or is seated during her long solos to the point of distraction. Even Blythe can’t make all of Tancredi’s gravitas interesting, but mostly, she soars. Rossini wrote the part for a mezzo or contralto and Blythe’s lower range is particularly sonorous, without any vamping, for this ‘pants’ role.
This is a breakout role for soprano Brenda Rae and she cuts through the amped up emotional grit of the doomed daughter, bringing a much quieter intensity. Vocally Rae is inventive, powerful, and lengthy solos that emotionally are all over the place. Angelini can hit those Rossini tenor high Cs with ease, but more impressive is his fluid passagio and believable characterization who rediscovers his love and honor as a father. Daniel Mobbs’ Orbazzano is the jilted one not brute officer, and Mobbs’ steely performance is flawless.
bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs & tenor Michele Angelini in Tancredi
A handsome production design by Daniel Bianco, art nouveau marble and glass architecture that glides around, but is less affecting in the long second act. Vivid costume design by Pepa Ojanguren with the men in officer uniforms and the women in romantic embassy couture. But Blythe’s incognito field drag as Tancredi is so conspicuous it looks like a comedy costume from the Carol Burnett show.
There are some uninspired orchestral passages in this score, but Corrado Rovaris’ fine detailing and crisp tempos maintain a cohesive narrative arc. Opera Philadelphia choral master Elizabeth Braden directs an altogether triumphant all- male chorus, keeps them muscled and tenderly in vocal support, they do their duty as mighty gentlemen soldier-singers who stand by Amenaide.
Opera Philadelphia’s Tancredi runs Feb 10-19 at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia