Simon Boccanegra

The Tutto Verdi project's 20th volume is this 2010 production from the Teatro Regio in Parma of the composer's 1857 “melodrama,” presented here in the 1881 revision that has become the repertory standard. The title figure is a 14th-century corsair raised to rule Venice but haunted by an affair with a nobleman's daughter that ended in the woman's death and the disappearance of their child, Amelia. Twenty-five years later, the aged Boccanegra finds that Amelia is still alive and in love with one of his political enemies. Their touching reunion coincides with a plot against Boccanegra, which results in his succumbing to poison, but not before he defeats the conspirators and names Amelia's fiancé as his successor. While never one of Verdi's more popular operas, this somber work has fared surprisingly well on home video, most recently in a 2010 La Scala production (VL-7/12) conducted by Daniel Barenboim. In the lead role Leo Nucci is in excellent form, as are Tamar Iveri as Amelia and Francesco Meli as her lover, Gabriele. While the sets are minimalist, the period costumes are impressive. Presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray release) and PCM stereo, extras include an intro to the opera. Recommended. (F. Swietek)