Product: Donizetti - Roberto Devereux / Rudel, Sills, Alexander, New York City Opera (1975)
Rating: 5.0
The Dramatic Fire And Fury Of Roberto Devereux
In 1975, about four or five years after Beverly Sills first performed the feisty Queen Elizabeth in New York City's Opera, she once again dazzled audiences at the Wolf Trap Festival. Performing with her that night was John Alexander in the tenor role of Robert Devereux, Susan Marsee in the mezzo-dramatic role of the Duchess Sara and Richard Fredricks in the baritone role of Nottingham. Julius Rudel conducts. He is an esteemed and long-time conductor, who has worked with Beverly Sills before in such operas as Anna Bolena, Manon and La Traviata. Julius Rudel has excellent power as a conductor, with thoughtful precision and dynamics that fuel the orchestra to dramatic heights. From 1969-1975 Beverly Sills was busy expanding her originally light lyric repertoire to the dramatic intensity of such operas as Roberto Devereux, Lucrezia Borgia ands Bellini's Norma. Many opera critics note how Beverly's transformation from light "head" voice to the heavy "chest voice" cost her career to be shortened. But Beverly has herself admitted that it was worth it. And this Roberto Devereux performance proves that it was indeed worth it.Susan Marsee has worked with Beverly Sills before. There are studio recordings of Offenbach's Tales Of Hoffman, one of Beverly's favorite operas, in which Susan Marsee sings the role of Nicklause and the Muse. Susan Marsee is primarily a mezzo soprano but shows signs of soprano lyricism. As the Duchess Sara, the secret rival to Queen Elizabeth - they are both in love with the same man Roberto Devereux, Susan Marsee potrays an anguished and long suffering Elizabethan lady of the court. She has been married out of sheer convenience to Nottingham and her love for Devereux we assume has never been consumated. Susan Marsee's first aria, sung in unison with the chorus of ladies of the court is heavy with sorrow and suffering.Beverly's first aria, the Queen's "L'amor suo me fe beata" follows the same kind of tender romance, as the Queen is hopeful that Devereux loves her. She is a lot more festive in spirit in the coloratura showcase "A ritorno qual ti spera". When Devereux first makes his apperance, John Alexander kneels before the Queen who makes it quite clear she loves him. Note the slow string section which plays, further enhanced in their duet "Un tenero core". Their relationship, nonetheless, is a rocky one, for the Queen suspects Devereux loves another woman. Although she point-blank asks him if he loves another, he lies to her by saying he does not. The intensity of the fast-paced duet "Un lampo orribile" is very indicative of the tense, dramatic chemistry between Queen Elizabeth and Devereux, which is the real fire in the opera.I feel sadly that John Alexander is not suited in this performance for the role of Devereux. Originally, Placido Domingo sang the role. He created a standard that most tenors tackle. Domingo has the perfect romantic heroism and the voice. Not that John Alexander does not have "the voice" for Devereux but he simply puts little effort into his performance and his effiminate, Cowardly Lion looks make him inappropriate as Roberto Devereux, who should come off as very masculine but tormented and torn between duty and love. Also the prison scene is very generic and unsatisfying. Baritone Richard Fredricks is also very wooden in this performance and does not provide much of the drama. He is supposed to play a villain. He betrays his best friend Devereux and practically carries out the execution himself once he discovers it is Devereux whom his wife Sara truly loves.The reason for getting this is Beverly Sill's powerful performance as Queen Elizabeth. In white make-up, heavy Elizabethan regial wardrobe, imperious poses and in her dramatic soprano voice, Beverly became the real Queen Elizabeth in what could pass for an Oscar winning opera performance. She landed a cover in Time magazine in November of 1971. From her facial contortions, raging screams (mostly expressing her fury in Act 2), pointig her finger in accusation at Devereux, slapping Devereux and her grief and torture after learning he has been executed in the final act (at one point even pushing Nottingham after learning that he is most responsible for Devereux' death "Spietato Cor!" "Heartless man!"). This is Beverly Sills at her best, surpassing all the sopranos who have dared to take on the role of the commanding Queen Elizabeth - Leyla Gencer who started the tradition back in World War II days, Montserrat Caballe who sang the Queen in the 60's and Edita Gruberova in the 80's. Even today's sopranos who take up the challenge of performing as the Queen fail to deliver the same power and majesty with which Beverly Sills infused her unrivaled performance.