Once again, we want to thank Wiener Staatsoper, OPERA Charm Magazine’s newest friend, for hosting us on this special night! We felt and proud to be able to attend this performance of Tosca performance on the February 28th, staring the tenor VITTORIO GRIGÒLO, the Russian soprano ELENA STIKHINA and the baritone ROBERTO F RONTALI – a performance concluded with a very touching moment, an example of artists that put their artistry in the service of the world, an example of solidarity!
The success of Margarethe Wallmann’s production, with Nicola Benois’ sets and costumes, has stood the test of time since 1958 and it was a delight to watch it in an almost full theater, finally, after Wiener Staatsoper has finally lifted the restrictions regarding the health situation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic situation for its audience. The staging that has garnered interest on account of its symbolic allure, of the impressive number of renowned artistic personalities who have appeared in front of the Viennese audience in this production and of the gorgeous costumes, continued now, in this February-March 2022 series of performances, its outstanding nights with the presence of the tenor VITTORIO GRIGÒLO & the Russian soprano ELENA STIKHINA in her Viennese role debut.
VITTORIO GRIGÒLO, full of energy, pathos, as sparkly as ever in one of his signature roles, Mario Cavaradossi – a role that suits better than repertoire range that the tenor is about to reach by debuting Don José on the same stage, the one of the Wiener Staatsoper on April 1st, a performance that we’re very much looking forward to seeing! Grigòlo is always a certainty of beautiful singing – a bit out of norms at times, but it that’s part of his charm, isn’t it? – and great stage involvement, acting skills and charisma. And the Viennese public enjoyed this temperament of the tenor fully, considering the over 10 minutes standing ovation!
ELENA STIKHINA, acclaimed on the stages of the Metropolitan Opera in New York and Royal Opera House, among many other important theaters in the world. proved herself to be a wonderful Tosca for her 2nd performance ever on the stage of the Wiener Staatsoper. In the first act, lovely, almost naive and delicate, but very precise in her singing, Stikhina showed the entire range of colours her voice is capable of across the third acts, slicing through the orchestra with ease in the most dramatic moments of the opera. Bravissima Tosca, definitely one of the best ones of our times!
Regarding Scarpia, ROBERTO FRONTALI could have brought more of the character feature on stage, his cynicism & cruelty, considering the generous score that the composer puts in the service of the villan, but there’s nothing we can say about Frontali’s singing – well centred, confident, persuasive, as the baritone is a veteran of this role. Frontali avoids many of the interpretative cliché, a choice that I personally admire.
Completing the cast, there were MARTIN HÄßLER (Angelotti), WOLFGANG BANKL (Mesner), ANDREA GIOVANNINI (Spoletta), ATTILA MOKUS (Sciarrone), ILJA KAZAKOV (Un carceriere). On the podium, the great M° MARCO ARMILIATO guided the magnificent orchestra of Wiener Staatsoper, one of the best orchestral ensembles in the world, managing to take good care of the unleashed Grigòlo and his very passional singing!
For the standing ovations, Grigòlo showed up in front of his public wearing a T-Shirt with the message NO WAR, both with the flags of Ukraine and Russia. He hugged Stikhina, one of the very few Russian singer still performing in Europe after Russia’s attacks towards Ukraine, visibly overwhelmed by emotion. Wiener Staatsoper changed its lighting system on its facade, writing PEACE instead of the usual titles of the operas performed or of the special guests. So, from the very first step into the opera house we felt embraced by this energy. The words E non ho amato mai tanto la vita! of Cavatadossi’s aria have never been louder and clearer for any of us.
This is the aim of the art, of the live performance!