Verdi Simon Boccanegra opera to a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and later revised by Arrigo Boito. Directed 2010 by Giorgio Gallione at the Teatro Regio di Parma Verdi Festival (with Marina Bianchi as stage director). Stars Leo Nucci (Simon Boccanegra), Roberto Scandiuzzi (Jacopo Fiesco), Simone Piazzola (Paolo Albiani), Paolo Pecchioli (Pietro), Tamar Iveri (Amelia (Maria Boccanegra)), Francesco Meli (Gabriele Adorno), Luca Casalin (Un Capitano dei Balestrieri), and Olena Kharachko (Ancella D’Amelia). Andrea Battistoni conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Regio di Parma (Chorus Master Martino Faggiani); set and costume design by Guido Fiorato; lighting design by Bruno Ciulli. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini. Sung in Italian. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+
Once again we have full-throttle Italian opera: it appears that nearly every credited artist in this production is Italian. In fact, this is the same Giorgio Gallione production that was recorded in 2007 at Teatro Comunale di Bolgona, published by Arthaus in Blu-ray, and was reviewed here earlier. So here Gallione had about 3 years to make improvements. The cast is all new with Nucci as a superstar addition. The set and costumes are the same, but with small improvements that add polish. The new stage director, Marina Bianchi, spiffed up personal direction and acting considerably. And this time around we have tried-and-true Tiziano Mancini framing the video file.
Our first screenshot is Nucci as Boccanegra:
And here’s Roberto Scandiuzzi as Jacopo Fiesco:
This shot shows attention to set and costumes that brings this show almost up to the level expected in the big opera houses:
Tamar Iveri and Francesco Meli as the young lovers Amelia and Adorno:
Some pretty good acting in the recognition scene:
The dressed up council chamber scene plus the cursing of Paolo:
The death of Boccanegra by poisoning:
The singers and the orchestra playing here are stronger than what Teatro Comunale di Bologna could muster earlier. Finally, I think the SQ better here. PQ is about the same in both our Gallione recordings, but I prefer Tiziano Mancini’s recording to the earlier version. Grade: B+
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