Rachel – Natalie Aroyan
Eleazar – Diego Torre
Leopold (Samuel) – Francisco
Brito
Princess Eudoxie – Esther
Song
Cardinal de Brogni – David
Parker
Conductor – Carlo Montenaro
Here is a rare opportunity to
see a 19th century Paris opera masterpiece in an enjoyable and
original production with an exceptional cast.
Like a score of other composers this was one magnificent success out of
many other failures (40 according to one source I read).
Although there is much, much
more, opera fans must wait four acts to finally hear the famed tenor aria “Rachel,
quand du Seigneur” in which Eleazar laments that after devoting his life to
Rachel from the cradle he now he must deliver her to the executioner. La Juive is a complex and harrowing story,
not as consistent or profound as Merchant of Venice but with lots of twists and
turns. More than once a Jew turns out to
be a gentile.
After big choral scenes,
Latin mass extracts and dramatic revelations, the big tenor aria was sung with
pathos and passion by Mr Torre (the short, racy but rarely performed cabaletta
was omitted). In the silence before act
5 there was a massive thump as about twenty clumps of shoes fell from height
onto the full width of the stage. It was
one of the most shocking and unexpected ‘stunts’ I have seen on stage. Due to their silvery grey colouring it was
not immediately clear what the items comprised, at least from my seats in the
front row of the circle. Yet shoes they
were, one of numerous reminders of the holocaust which was brewing in the
period of this staging in 1930s France.
This story of religious
devotion and prejudice is complex and sometimes contradictory. At least three cast members are not who they
seem to be. But this is opera and each
scene has strong characters in emotive situations with glorious lyrical vocals
from huge Christian choruses to intimate farewells.
One reason this opera is so
rarely performed is that there are two soprano parts, one dramatic and one
coloratura. Although written originally
with Eleazar as a bass Halevy rewrote the part for the tenor so there are two
big tenor roles as well. Prince Leopold
was ably played by Argentine Francisco Brito whose upper register rang out well
both as the Prince and when dressed up to be the Jewish painter Samuel. Local soprano Esther Song played Princess Eudoxie
admirably. David Parkin rose to the
occasion at the Cardinal with some spare resonating low notes to his
register.
Ms Aroyan, also a local, sang
and acted with distinction, honourable to her father and her religion right to
her immolation at the end when all is revealed just too late to save her (real)
father’s anguish. But this is
opera. As Bugs Bunny says: “Did you
really expect a happy ending?” What’s Opera Doc on Vimeo
Comments by Andrew Byrne ..
Aria y
Cabaletta de Eleazar: Rachel quand du seigneur. - YouTube
Neil Shicoff, tenor. Simone Young, conductor. Vienna 1999. [cabaletta: ‘Dieu m’eclaire,
fille chère’]