★★★★ Anna Netrebko, the great diva of the operatic scene in these first decades of the 21st century, had her first encounter with the Argentine public in 2018, when she made her debut at the Colón with a concert with her husband, the tenor Yusif Eyvazov. With that indelible memory still fresh in the memory of the spectators, she Netrebko returned to impersonate another diva, as she is the protagonist of “Tosca”.
From her first appearance, the soprano confirmed her status as an undisputed star. Her unmistakable voice, her imposing and sumptuous voice, is for her an instrument, masterfully mastered, at the service of the drama. With a song full of expressiveness, the soprano admirably transmitted the edges of her character, that jealous, passionate, temperamental artist and capable of taking justice into her own hands. In her celebrated aria “Vissi d’arte,” she gave a performance that was as dazzling as it was moving.
Inevitably, the great figure of the show was Netrebko, but the cast rose to the occasion. Yusif Eyvazov, the soprano’s partner in life and in opera, was a Cavaradossi with a powerful voice, who knew how to find the exact nuances until arriving at a shocking version of “E lucevan le stelle”. As the villainous Scarpia, the baritone Fabián Veloz gave a memorable performance. With his mannerisms and with his remarkable vocal qualities, he brought out all the cynicism and wickedness of his character.
“Tosca” is almost a musical thriller with a cinematographic rhythm, which doesn’t take a breather. The leading trio is essential, but each little character counts in the dramatic gear of this brilliant creation by Puccini. In this production of the Columbus there were no fissures. Gustavo Gibert (Sacristán), Emiliano Bulacios (Angelotti) and Darío Schmunck (Spoletta) had solid performances, while the Stable Choir and the Children’s Choir excelled in the first act. Michelangelo Mazza’s concerted task was notable, highlighting the richness of the score and achieving a stupendous performance by the Stable Orchestra.
The staging was a revival of the 1992 Roberto Oswald production, directed by Aníbal Lápiz, faithful in every detail to what the script proposes and with lavish costumes. A correct framework for this impeccable closing of the lyrical season of the Colón.
