Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Issue 2 The Elixir of Love

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 31 the bel canto repertoire. If we fail to perform early nineteenth-century operas correctly, we can’t do German Romantic opera well. We know from Wagner’s writings that he appreciated the purity of Bellini’s melodic lines. THE STEREOTYPE OF THE BEL CANTO ORCHESTRA IS THAT IT SERVES AS LITTLE MORE THAN BLAND ACCOMPANIMENT FOR THE SINGERS. It’s not true that the orchestra is a mere accompanimental tool in bel canto opera; it has a very important harmonic and structural role. As an example of the former, you need only observe how Bellini uses the orchestra in the famous aria “Casta diva” from Norma . The melodic line is supported by a simple arpeggio that con rms the harmonic spectrum in which the soprano is singing. The orchestration here is so minimalistic that you could imagine it was written by Philip Glass! Shifts between tonic and dominant chords allow the singers and audience to feel comfortable with this steady harmonic pattern. A single note in the arpeggio can change the harmony or suggest to the singer that they have to be very careful at the end of the phrase. BEL CANTO SINGERS OF THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY ENJOYED MUCH MORE LATITUDE WITH RESPECT TO INTERPRETING WHAT’S IN THE SCORE THAN SINGERS TODAY. HOW MUCH INTERPRETATIVE FREEDOM SHOULD A CONDUCTOR ALLOW TODAY’S ARTISTS, WITHOUT SURRENDERING NECESSARY CONTROL FROM THE PODIUM? I have a theory I’ve put into practice that has become my “signature” when conducting bel canto repertoire. On the rst day of rehearsal, I explain to my singers that because the role of the opera conductor was not yet fully established during the bel canto era, the real conductor of the arias was the singer; they were responsible for providing the orchestra, and even the chorus, with stable tempi. In modern times, that responsibility has passed on to the conductor. In The Elixir of Love , when I conduct Nemorino’s famous aria “Una furtiva lagrima,” I have to offer the tenor a “safe” steadiness of tempo— a structure within which he can explore a certain elasticity of phrasing. When a journalist writes, “Mazzola is delivering a very modern view of bel canto,” I just smile, because actually my style is to revert to the original way of reading bel canto! Kyle Flubacker LEGATO SINGING, WHICH IS THE ABILITY TO CONNECT SUNG WORDS INTO SEAMLESS LYRICAL LINES, IS BASIC TO THE ART OF BEL CANTO. Legato also is a characteristic of how the Italian language is spoken, so it was no accident that opera was born in Italy and remained completely Italian for at least for two centuries. We probably could not have had bel canto if opera had been born in another language. Why? In Italian, we have a syllabic system of vowels interspersed with consonants, as in the word amore . A , o , and e tend to be linked by the two consonants m and r ; the consonants create a connection between the vowels. All of this has to be used by the voice. THE ELIXIR OF LOVE, ALONG WITH A HANDFUL OF OTHER BEL CANTO COMEDIES, SUCH AS DONIZETTI’S DON PASQUALE AND ROSSINI’S THE BARBER OF SEVILLE , HAS REMAINED IN THE REPERTOIRE WHILE OTHERS OF THAT GENRE HAVE FADED. ELIXIR IS A PERFECT MASTERPIECE FILLED WITH INSPIRED MUSIC, ENDEARING CHARACTERS, AND A HAPPY ENDING. WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE? Donizetti’s comedies actually represent an exception rather than a rule. The Elixir of Love and Don Pasqual e really are the last examples of opera buffa , Italian comic opera. Neither is really an opera buffa in the sense of Rossini’s masterpieces in that genre. When I conduct them, I tend to consider them serious comedies; there is no need to underline the buffa elements. As a matter of fact, “Una furtiva lagrima” would t perfectly well in a serious opera. With Donizetti, we take a step from opera buffa to romantic comedy. Mazzola during the lming of“ Attila : Highlights in Concert” in Lyric’s 2020/21 Season.