La Forza del Destino

In this 2008 mounting from the Vienna Staatsoper, Zubin Mehta conducts a propulsive but smooth rendition of Verdi's 1862 tragedy, working from the 1869 revised score. In a libretto that is farfetched even by operatic standards, Alvaro accidentally kills the father of his lover, Leonora, after which the two flee but become separated. Disguising herself as a man, Leonora happens upon her brother Carlo, who vows vengeance on his father's killers—which prompts her to become a hermit. Meanwhile, Alvaro joins the army and winds up saving Carlo, but when the latter discovers the former's identity, Alvaro enters a monastery that just happens to be next to Leonora's hermitage. Carlo returns to challenge Alvaro, who fatally wounds Carlo and seeks absolution from Leonora. As Carlo is dying, he kills Leonora, who has come to console him, and Alvaro is left despondent. While not elegant, the vocalism by Nina Stemme (Leonora), Salvatore Licitra (Alvaro), and Carlos Álvarez (Carlo) is emotionally engaged, and the supporting cast and chorus are strong. But this is poorly and incoherently staged by director David Pountney, with sets that are sparse and shabby, and costuming that makes it impossible to tell where and when the action is supposed to be happening—some men wear modern suits, others are in period garb, and the crowd at the local inn are dressed as cowboys and cowgirls! Presented in DTS 5.0 (DTS-HD 5.0 on the Blu-ray release) and PCM stereo, this is inferior to the more traditional 2007 Florence staging also conducted by Mehta (VL-5/09). Optional. (F. Swietek)