The second home video release of Mozart’s youthful, rarely performed opera seria to appear in recent months, this solid 2017 production from the Teatro Real in Madrid does not quite match the 2015 mounting from Milan’s La Scala (VL-5/18). The plot focuses on the machinations of the title character—Roman dictator Lucio Silla (Kurt Streit)—to woo the beautiful Giunia (Patricia Petibon), whose intended, Cecilio (Silvia Tro Santafé), has reportedly died in exile. But Cecilio is very much alive and has actually returned to Rome to assassinate Silla, while the dictator’s sister Celia (María José Moreno) and her lover Cinna (Inga Kalna) are also plotting against Silla. In the end, Silla suddenly turns somewhat implausibly benevolent, forgiving everyone and allowing the happy couples to wed. Ivor Bolton conducts smartly, but without the verve of Milan’s Marc Minkowski, and the singing, while good, is a shade inferior as well (even Kalna, repeating her role as Cinna, is not quite as impressive here). A few textual differences are found between the two productions, such as the restoration of the role of Silla’s friend Aufidio (Kenneth Tarver), which was cut at La Scala, but the major contrast is visual: Marshall Pynkoski’s Milan staging, in 18th-century style, was classically elegant, while director Claus Guth here strives for a heavily dramatic tone, reflected in a huge modernist set and stark costumes. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray, this staging—while not equal to the slightly superior Milan production—is still recommended. (F. Swietek)
Lucio Silla
(2017) 180 min. In Italian w/English subtitles. DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Bel Air Classiques (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 33, Issue 5
Lucio Silla
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