Spain Moreno Torroba, Luisa Fernanda: Refrain of the Teatro de la Zarzuela, Comunidad de Madrid Orchestra / Miguel Gómez Martínez (conductor). Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, 23 and 24.6.2023. (JMI)

Manufacturing:
Director – Davide Livermore
Units – Giò Forma
Costumes – Mariana Fracasso
Lighting – Antonio Castro
Choreography – Nuria Castejón

Solid:
Luisa Fernanda – Carmen Artaza / Amparo Navarro
Vidal Hernando – Juan Jesús Rodríguez / Rubén Amorett
Javier Moreno – Ismael Jordi / Alejandro del Cerro
Duquesa Carolina – Sabina Puértolas / Rocío Ignacio
Doña Mariana – María José Suárez
El Saboyano – Francisco José Pardo
Luis Nogales – Antonio Torres
Aníbal – Didier Otaola
Rosita – Nuria García Arrés

Luisa Fernanda is likely one of the hottest zarzuelas, and one which continues to attraction significantly to the general public, as evidenced by the truth that all performances right here have been offered out months prematurely. It premiered in Madrid in 1932 and was very profitable, and it has not misplaced any reputation. Suffice it to say that eleven totally different productions have occupied the stage on the Teatro de la Zarzuela since that premiere.

Teatro de la Zarzuela premiered the present manufacturing of Luisa Fernanda a few years in the past, however had the unhealthy luck of coinciding with the Covid pandemic, and the performances thus weren’t as profitable as anticipated. Now it’s being staged once more, and one can virtually take into account this to be its premiere.

Teatro de la Zarzuela made a major effort to get one in all in the present day’s most prestigious stage administrators to take cost – Davide Livermore – however I didn’t discover his work convincing. Livermore focuses on the 1932 premiere of Luisa Fernanda and what film theatres meant in these days, changing cinema into the protagonist of the manufacturing. In Act I, he reproduces the façade of Cine Doré in Madrid, well-known on the time, the place pictures of spectators arriving are projected onto a display screen in the back of the stage. The zarzuela characters transfer about and sing on the entrance whereas the pictures proceed to be projected on the again. All of that is considerably complicated.

In Act II, a big arch from the Doré cinema seems; the motion continues on the entrance of the stage with pictures nonetheless projected within the background. The plot is narrated nicely, regardless of the quite odd units, and the costumes correspond to the Thirties. There’s a dance group within the well-known mazurka of the umbrellas, and within the closing act.

The musical path was within the fingers of Miguel Gómez Martínez, who provided a great studying. The most effective of his conducting occurred in Act III, the place he managed any extra sound from the orchestra; it was an issue at occasions within the first two acts. We missed the Madrid Group Orchestra’s typical high-quality sound. The refrain of the Teatro de la Zarzuela was positive.

Luisa Fernanda was to have been interpreted by mezzo-soprano María José Montiel, however she canceled just a few days in the past. Her place was taken by the younger Carmen Artaza, who was passable within the position however not significantly sensible. The second Luisa Fernanda was soprano Amparo Navarro, whose efficiency was not convincing. Her voice is tight on the excessive notes and doesn’t have a lot attraction. In my view, she fell beneath Carmen Artaza within the first forged.

Vidal Hernando was sung by Juan Jesús Rodríguez, one of the crucial necessary baritone voices in the present day. He has the strongest voice of the quartet of protagonists, however he provided extra voice than emotion. Within the second forged, Vidal Hernando was performed by Rubén Amoretti. He was a tenor years in the past, however bodily issues made him change his voice, and in recent times his presence as bass has been fixed. Right here he sang a baritone half, and he did nicely in each side.

Tenor Ismael Jordi as Javier Moreno gave a great efficiency. He is a superb singer, though his voice doesn’t have a timbre that excites. Within the second forged, Alejandro del Cerro’s voice had no issues reaching all through the auditorium, however he isn’t a paragon in his singing method.

Duchess Carolina was interpreted by soprano Sabina Puértolas, who was excellent – she has a voice suited to the position and sang with gusto. Within the second forged, I discovered soprano Rocío Ignacio rather more erratic in her supply than on earlier events.

The secondary characters have been lined properly. Amongst them, I might level out tenor Francisco José Pardo as El Saboyano, who sang the ‘Soldadito’ with which the zarzuela opens.

José M. Irurzun