I love opera and Verdi, and while Simon Boccanegra is not the master's best it is an underrated. While the story is convoluted, the titular character is complex, very memorable and out of all the Verdi baritone characters Boccanegra is probably the one I can identify most with and while the music isn't quite instant classic status it is still wonderful with the standouts being Plebe Patrizi, the final scene and Fiesco's big aria while Orfanella in Tetto Umile is one of my favourite ever Verdi moments.
This 1991 production is most excellent. Prior to this, I saw four others- the 1978 La Scala production which is my favourite of them all not just for Piero Capuccilli's beautifully sung Boccanegra and Mirella Freni's alluring Amelia but especially also for Nicolai Ghiaurov's superb Fiesco; the 1984 Met production which has a truly touching Orfanella in Tetto Umile, my favourite Amelia in Anna Tomowa-Sintow and while Sherrill Milnes is not perfect vocally having suffered a vocal crisis he nonetheless for me remains the most well acted and most complex Boccanegra; the 1995 production which has my personal favourite Gabriele in Placido Domingo and Vladmir Chernov is the Boccanegra with the most striking tone colour; and the 2010 production which has Domingo surprisingly effective as Boccanegra and a brilliant Ferrucio Furlanetto.
This production I think is better than the 2010 production, but I do think the 1978, 1984 and 1995 productions are slightly superior. What I loved most about this Simon Boccanegra was how lavishly produced it was. I love productions with excellent video directing, beautiful costumes and sumptuous settings and this Simon Boccanegra is no exception. The music is wonderful of course, and is performed beautifully by the orchestra complete with a firm and no-nonsense approach from Georg Solti.
The performances are exceptional, the best being Kiri Te Kanawa's radiant Amelia and Alexandru Augache's powerful Boccanegra, and these two are just wonderful together. Michael Sylvester is a youthful and ardent Gabriele(my second personal favourite after Domingo), Roberto Scanduizzi is a fine Fiesco,his big aria is beautifully and musically sung and the big scene with Augache is perfection across the board, and I don't think I have seen or heard a Paolo this good or repellent in quite some time.
Overall, truly excellent. 9/10 Bethany Cox
