Vivaldi - Ercole su'l Termodonte / Il Complesso Barocco, Curtis (Spoleto Festival 2006)
by John Pascoe
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alan Curtis, Laura Cherici, Luca Dordolo, Mary-Ellen Nesi, Zachary StainsDirector: John Pascoe
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled); Italian (Original Language)
Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 136 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-06-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Dynamic
Movie Reviews of Vivaldi - Ercole su'l Termodonte / Il Complesso Barocco, Curtis (Spoleto Festival 2006)
Movie Review: Greek Theatre
Summary: 5 Stars
I find this recording of Vivaldi's long lost, newly reconstructed ERCOLE absolutely brilliant. The combination of piece, performance and production make for a wonderful entertainment, and ultimately thought provoking musical theatre.
The performance is outstanding, a very high level of virtuoso singing and dramatic commitment. For my taste, the cast boasts three artists who by virtue of vocal authority and command of the stage give world class stellar performances; Laura Cherici, Mary-Ellen Nesi and Zachary Stains.
Listening to Laura Cherici's coloratura is like seeing an explosion of diamonds. Her perfect trill seems as natural as breathing!
It is a delight to witness Mary-Ellen Nesi's proud, fiercly intentioned Antiope as she digs into her thirst for vengence arias and flings them into the house.
ERCOLE - Zachary Stains, This man's sound has been added to my small list of those that give full satisfaction. His first aria, which sits rather low in the voice shows an almost baritonal snarl that aptly expresses the rage of this out of control character. His second, 'non fia la mia vittoria' is THE SOUND, youthfully heroic, warm, agile, masculine. His final scene as the civilized ERCOLE-cum-18th century nobleman is pure golden honey. This particular color makes me eageer for his Don Ottavio {and to see what internal fire he might bring to that usually bland character.} Add to the voice the fact that the guy is a total stage animal and we have some one to pay attention to.
Vivaldi's score is all elegant sound infused with Italian light; 18th century grace and balance aligned to a remarkable forward momentum. Within the da capo aria structure there is a wonderful variety of emotional tone, dramatic intent, orchestral color, humor, rage and rhythmic pulse. An altogether lovely piece.
But it is a lovely piece made potent by John Pascoe's bold, even audacious, production. The battle of the sexes, so clearly spoken in the libretto and so at the heart of the ancient Greek myth/history, is vividly set up in the opera's opening scenes. The bosom proud Amazons live in nature, silver moonlight bathing an olive grove with gentle rays, diaphanus, flowing dress, nurturing feminine embraces. Set on the island of Delos, Mr. Pascoe makes great use of the famous truncated phalli at the temple of Dionysus. As the first threat seen by the Greeks on their arrival, the broken statuary are perfect tinder for ERCOLE'S rage. And that arrival shows the Greek's polar opposite to the Amazons. The male contingent enters with miltary might, muscle, leather breast plates, sweaty virility in the heat of the late afternoon sun, capped by ERCOLE'S spectacular entrance, heroically nude, but for his lionskin cape. The battle is on! {Jeff Davis' evocative, painterly lighting throughout is another major plus in this production.}
To me, Mr. Pascoe, with complete respect for Vivaldi's words and music, boldly enlarges and deepens what this piece has to say. The generous, but no more than historically accurate, use of heroic nudity brings to the production a weight, a power which lifts this piece from its quasi opera buffa, court entertainment roots, and sets it in a context which does have the feeling tone of pagan/classical Greece. In keeping with the ethos of that time and place Pascoe joins force with Plato and Aristotle in reminding us that there is no inherent reason to separate the things of the mind from those of the body. Thus in the opera's pivotal moment, when ERCOLE learns of compassion and let's go his savagery, he drops even the lion's skin and begins his aria utterly naked, standing in white light purity. the effect is sublime.
Beautiful opera, wonderful singing, stunning production.
robert corrick
san francisco, ca
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