La Forza del Destino

The 22nd volume in the Tutto Verdi series, this 2011 mounting from the Teatro Regio di Parma features the standard 1869 revision of the composer's dark romantic 1862 drama, an absurdly complicated story in which Leonora and Alvaro's love is derailed by his accidental shooting of her disapproving father, leading her to take refuge in a hermitage. Meanwhile Alvaro, having joined the army, rescues Leonora's wounded brother, Carlo, who's sworn to take vengeance on the killer. After an inconclusive duel, Alvaro himself decides to enter a monastery that just happens to be near Leonora, and when Carlo pursues him, tragedy inevitably follows. This production is a mixed bag. Gianluigi Gelmetti's conducting shows the expertise one would expect of a veteran Verdi specialist, and the orchestra plays well, but the vocalism isn't first-rate. As Leonora, soprano Dimitra Theodossiou turns shrill and wobbly in the upper register, while tenor Aquiles Machado as Alvaro displays little luster. And although Vladimir Stoyanov is impressive as Carlo, the rest of the supporting cast is mediocre, at best. To make matters worse, Stefano Poda's staging is static, with drab sets and costumes. Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray release) and LPCM stereo, extras include an intro to the opera. A better choice here would be Zubin Mehta's 2007 version (VL-5/09), although those collecting the Tutto Verdi series will want to consider this one, which is a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)