On October 16, 2021, the Teatro Grattacielo presented a concert of highlights from the opera “Cristoforo Colombo” by Alberto Franchetti.

Originally commissioned by the city of Genoa, birthplace of Christopher Columbus, it was created in 1892 to mark the 400 ^e anniversary of his trip to America. Well received by Italian audiences, this opera is rarely performed in American theaters. Saturday’s concert marked the first time the work has been performed in New York City, presenting the music in an intimate yet immersive setting at the Columbus Citizens Foundation.

Stellar artists

The evening’s program was opened with remarks and historical background provided by the General and Artistic Director of Teatro Grattacielo, Stefanos Koroneos. Pianist and musical director Filippo Ciabatti accompanied the artists.

The first number was Don Ximenes’ “Dormon the Agli Prore… Aria del Mostro” performed by bass Carlos Adrian Hernandez. The intro’s languid measures were greeted with a rich but terrible overture from Hernandez, as his character recounted their take on the dangers of sea travel, comparing him to a fearsome monster. As the mood built with frenzied power, audiences were quickly overwhelmed by the drama of this opening number, finely setting the mood for the rest of the concert. Hernandez displayed a wide range of expressions across the alternating moods of the aria, using softer, muted dynamics to draw audiences in, while not lacking the power to overwhelm them later with massive vocal effusion. .

The next number was the duet between baritone Bryan Murray, as Cristoforo, and soprano Sarah Rose Johnson as Queen Isabella of Aragon. As Isabella laid out her vision for what the journey could lead to, it was expressed through the sonorous and prolonged sentences spoken by Johnson, accentuated all the more by the shimmering and repetitive figures of the accompaniment. While Johnson spent much of that number on a higher, horny texture, she was still able to take it to more fervent heights as she begged Cristoforo for a response with strong repetitions of “rispondi” before. that he does not eventually join the duo. Here, Murray’s grounded phrases provided a warm undercurrent to Johnson’s rising vocality, with the two ending in close unison.

Interesting sets

Next is a duo of mezzo-soprano Shanley Horvitz, as Indigenous Princess Anacoana, and Murray providing the few lines for former conductor, Bobita. Expressing the grief of the princess, who lost her husband, the former boss, the light feeling of the accompaniment was quickly cut off by a massive and ruinous cry from Horvitz as their following sections alternated between grief and a desire for revenge. filled with power. and supported by lush, catchy tones. The piece saw Horvitz use soaring vocality, interspersed with bars where she displayed biting phrases, which were not lacking in a more thoughtful feeling as she melded and sank between those frenzied emotional states to a bitter end resembling a funeral song.

After that was the sextet, a number of the original four-act version of the opera, which underwent a number of cuts and revisions after its premiere in 1892, due to its length. This powerful number was opened by tenor Hyunho Cho as Don Fernando Guevara, who used a refined but passionate approach in his treatment of Iguamota, daughter of Anacoana, sung by Johnson. As the other soloists began to join the piece, they maintained a rich and cohesive musical texture despite the conflicting emotions and the different level of involvement; a density that made its way to a captivating conclusion and great applause.

The next duo was between Johnson as Iguamota and Cho as Guevara. The initial and dissonant numbers gave way to a tender song of Cho. After the exchange of the two romantic and lyrical phrases, it built on a more fervent rhythm that used uncomfortable tremolo, dense bass chords, and rolling arpeggios to accentuate this strange passion. These many devices eventually led to silence as the music faded and Cho delivered a loud, unaccompanied closing.

These last two issues were the epilogue, between Cristoforo and Guevara as the former mourns at Queen Isabella’s grave and prepares for his own fade in death. Here, Murray displayed a hushed, downcast quality, punctuated with vocal leaps that bore witness to his character’s remaining ardor. Cho’s Guevara attempted to console his friend, using a more compassionate approach at first, while still being able to meet him in the depths of his anguish as Murray and Cho exchanged sentences. As Cristoforo reached the end of his own journey, Murray and Ciabatti closed the concert with a demonstration of technical and dramatic skills.

Contentious but convincing

Although this was only a concert of highlights, Saturday’s program provided a fascinating and deeply touching introduction to this little-known work. The literally epic nature of the source material is certainly the material from which operas are made, and Franchetti’s composition treats it in a style that has been compared to the works of Wagner, Meyerbeer and Boito. Between the vast orchestration, the grand structure of the opera and the richness of the motivic representation, there is a lot to do for the listeners.

The story itself, however, is one that in modern times has come under scrutiny and criticism, and there are understandably many people who would be reluctant, if not outright opposed, to to see a character like Christopher Columbus treated heroically through such a spectacular opera. . This is perhaps one of the factors that explains why American theaters have been less receptive than those in Italy, with the exception of the 1913 North American premiere by the Philadelphia-Chicago Grand Opera Company.

Despite these problematic elements, the concert was very well received by the audience, with the performers being praised for their compelling performance. Personally, I would be very interested to see “Cristoforo Colombo” in a full production, where the great nature of the work could be fleshed out in its entirety. In the Teatro Grattacielo’s mission to present rarely performed works, they have undoubtedly found one that can captivate as well as challenge even today’s audiences.