The lady of dicks, by Piotr Ilich Chaikovski ★★★★
Performers: Escolania de la Mare de Déu dels Desparatas. Director: L. Garrido. Meus Juntes Choral School. Dir.: R. Gabaldó Lerma. C. of the Generalitat Valenciana. Dir.: F. Perales. Valencian O.C. Musical direction: J. Gaffigan. Stage direction.: R. Jones. Production by Welsh Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Den Norske Opera and Canadian Opera Company. Place and date: Palau de les Arts de Valencia (1/X/2023)
Russian soul in its purest artistic distillation thanks to the Lady of Spades, based on Pushkin's novel adapted by an inspired Tchaikovsky, an opera that has inaugurated the 23/24 season of the Palau de Les Arts de València with pleasant results. Director James Gaffigan seemed amenable to a pure Slavic romantic fantasy score. The orchestra responded brilliantly, with special mention of the morbid brass in the supernatural accents of the libretto. The beautiful Mozartian writing of the wooden instruments highlighted the decadent lyricism of the opera, reinforced by strings that overflowed with melancholy.
The production, with a régie by Richard Jones, skillfully combines a simple set design that alternates with a room with a ghostly and dreamlike touch for an aesthetic result. The sum of the choirs of young voices, children and the main choir of the house provided the necessary degree of choral excellence. The vocal cast recreated the lyrical magic that beats in spurts; For many, the best opera of its author.
The Armenian tenor Arsen Soghomonyan exploited his complicated particella without embarrassment, with firm trebles and notable emission, although somewhat sparse on an expressive level. The Lisa of the Russian soprano Elena Guseva showed off a full lyrical voice, intense accents and notable phrasing together with the attractive Polina of the mezzo Elena Maximova, with a honeyed timbre and dark color, both of them matched perfectly.
Always in style, with a firm singing with a peculiar emission typical of the Slavic technique, the Tomski of the Ukrainian baritone Andrei Kymach. The Russian baritone Nikolay Zemlianskikh embellished his aria as Yeletski, supported by a smooth delivery and notable care for the articulation and colors of the phrasing.
The rest of the cast is impeccable, with mention of the promising young Galician bass Alejandro Baliñas as Surin, the timbral adaptation of the Russian tenor Vasily Efimov (Chekalinski), as well as the British tenor Joel Williams (Chapalitski) or the veteran of the German mezzo Doris Soffel, sinuous and decadent Countess.
