Opera Chic

The Two Foscaris? You Only Need One, With Leo Nucci: "I Due Foscari" @ la Scala

There are artists -- very few of them, unfortunately, but their being such rare wonders is also a large part of their appeal -- who set standards for all the rest, who show you how it's done; Michael Jordan dunking, Tiger Woods swinging, Paul Newman smiling, Marilyn Monroe walking in high heels.

Not only it's a clichè to say that they're worth the price of admission -- it's also incorrect. They're worth more -- they're priceless (even if la Scala, with its insane -- especially in this deep recession -- price policy is approaching the literally priceless level, in a bad way -- but we'll discuss this in another post).

Because the other night's premiere of I Due Foscari at la Scala was an example of this phenomenon. The playbill read like this:

Francesco Foscari: Leo Nucci
Jacopo Foscari: Fabio Sartori
Lucrezia Contarini: Manon Feubel
Jacopo Loredano: Marco Spotti
Barbarigo: Luca Casalin
Pisana: Alina Zinovjeva
Fante: Ramtin Ghazavi
Servo del Doge: Ernesto Panariello

Direttore: Stefano Ranzani

        Regia: Cesare Lievi

etc.

Opera Chic had bought her ticket for this underwhelming Verdi opera randomly in the middle of Scala's disappointing 2008/09 season essentially to have the privilege, once again, to hear Leo Nucci sing. By far the best Italian opera baritone since maestro Cappuccilli's retirement, Nucci, past 60, still has the control, the power, the sheer dramatic understanding of the role that make him a unique artist.

Even in a far from perfect production such as this one -- the recycled from a few seasons ago Lievi staging, a cast that kept changing, with original conductor Carlo Montanaro replaced by Nello Santi who pulled out in weird circumstances, and finally, Ranzani; soprano Svetla Vassileva replaced by Manon Feubel.

But then we had Nucci.

Read the rest of the review by clicking below!

No Nello Santi For La Scala's "I Due Foscari" Next Month

One, two, three!

La Scala's "I Due Foscari" that opens on March 24 was supposed to have IMG's Carlo Montanaro as the conductor; but Montanaro won't be there next month, though (Opera Chic leaves to the reader the answer to the question whether the fiasco of his Traviata last season at la Scala has anything to do with this).

La Scala then announced Nello Santi as Montanaro's replacement; and as of today they still have Santi as the conductor on their website page for I Due Foscari. The choice made OC very happy -- Maestro Santi is a seasoned, excellent Verdi conductor.

But Opera Chic bets her new Costume National stilettos that Maestro Santi won't be there on March 24. Apparently due to "creative differences" over the choice, of all people, of the second-cast soprano to relieve lead Svetla Vassileva of her duties for a couple nights.

Opera Chic would never suggest that the young soprano in question also has a father who is a seasoned, excellent Verdi conductor.

Whatevs!

Anyway: another Italian conductor, younger than Santi, Opera Chic bets, will replace the replacement in that august pit.

(the photo above: Lee Friedlander's "New York", 1963)

+++update+++

La Scala miracolously -- and discreetly -- sent out a press release in the early evening, Stefano Ranzani replaces Nello Santi, no reason given.