It’s not very subtle and not at all PC. It requires three brilliant bel canto voices from actors with a wicked amount of comic ability, not to mention a brilliant chorus. It recycled half of the composer’s good tunes from an earlier opera and cheerfully discarded all the established forms of opera comique.
Yet it’s far less dramatically coherent than Barber; arguably the worst plot Rossini worked with (saying something, since we’ve seen Italiana and also Viaggio!) It is adorned with all the themes in the attack about the powerlessness of women in opera. The crass story line from a medieval ballad offers even less character development than the Cinderella myth and a message hard to swallow with the most brilliant music. It's a loose amalgamation of “Il Viaggio a Reims,” and a one-act vaudeville play about a wicked young nobleman and his band of knights, who trick their way into a French convent during the Crusades. Dressed as (bearded) nuns, of course. And of course, unsuspected, until... Short synopsis here.
There's a splendid discussion here of why this is often seen as Rossini's best opera. And a very full synopsis!
It's another challenge for the women in opera discussion. The only suspicion of danger is expressed by the male page of the count (who is in love with the countess and by the way is played in a trouser role by a woman.)
‘Only the farcical context of the story line rendered its “sexual politics” tolerable in 1828, and today its total reliance on the idea that seduction of the innocent is not just tolerable but uproariously funny means that even the most delicately contrived staging is going to exude the lingering odor of long-used locker rooms.’ Read on here for a scathing critique of Lindy Hume’s production for Seattle.
How to succeed in opera...
Yet it was a raging success then and is still a favourite. One obvious reason is the music, (never mind that you’ve heard half of it in Viaggio.) Berlioz declared it “a collection of diverse beauties which, if divided up ingeniously, would suffice to make the fortune of not one, but two or three operas.”
A second reason is the nature of the comedy. Then and now it seems to have triumphed by novelty, and by the technical brilliance of a few highlights. Critics find it hard to condemn. ‘Ory is one of Rossini’s most enchanting works, a wry comedy without babbling buffo types, elegant music in a very French style, tunes galore, and superb – and difficult – writing for voices.'
Another reason it triumphed is that then (and now) it was a watershed for opera, that challenged the established forms of opera comique. 'Revolutionary' is not a usual description for an opera, but often used for this one - with emphasis on its heavy orchestration, demanding vocal writing, and use of recitative in the service of a comedic libretto.
‘Popular short lyric numbers and spoken dialogue had been unconventionally expanded into highly developed arias and choruses accompanied by recitative. We are the lucky beneficiaries of these moving and delightful advances.' Read more in the review of our production here.
More detail here in Wikipedia. 'Le Comte Ory consists of highly developed, even massive musical forms linked by accompanied recitative. Although the opera contains some of Rossini's most colorful orchestral writing, the quaint, brief overture is oddly restrained and unassuming, ending with a whisper of pizzicato strings.'
And of course, it was different because it was very French. The comparison with Viaggio is dramatic. With this opera, Rossini departed (forever) Italian style. It seemed wittier, more sophisticated, more delightful for being French. Less lavish vocal ornamentation than those Italian operas. Larger and more elaborate orchestration, especially for the chorus.
That music – and those characters
Cecilia Bartoli puts it simply: 'If you can sing Rossini in your career you will have a long one, and your instrument will stay healthy. This is because with Rossini you need to keep your voice agile. Extension is very important, plus agility, breath control, legato, and you have to sing with coloratura, as well as being able to sustain long beautiful phrases without coloratura! All this is what you really need to be a good singer! Why doesn't everyone sing Rossini? Because Rossini is difficult!'
But it's to the wicked Count that Rossini gifts the most brilliant singing.
The tenor is the hero, his character set to music that's laughing and dominating even in chorus scenes. Listen for the high C's. (And note that in the bizarre final trio the music for the Comte tells us that, despite the titillation and humor of the situation, the Comte’s feelings for the Comtesse are real).
Here are Diana Damrau and Juan Diego Florez doing the trio with Joyce DiDonato as the page and third in the triangle.
Our production
Enough Florez - we have a Zurich production with Javier Camarena as d’Ory, seen here at entry as the adored holy man with a healing caravan. Review here.
Cecilia Bartoli's attitude to the opera is wonderfully expressed in her comments on that final trio:
'The trio is probably the most beautiful moment in the opera, but it's also the most ambiguous. Because the count expects to find the countess in her room but in fact he ends up lying beside the young page Isolier! So in this scene there are three characters, it's all very ambiguous, and sensual at the same time! Besides, the countess' part here is quite difficult to sing, difficult but beautiful – I'd say it's 'magic'!'
Just wanting the music? Once you've figured out the plot, there's a well done full opera recording from Glyndebourne here - but no subtitles!
Lyn, 13/8/23
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