A review by Albert G. Storace for the Easter Sunday salon evening held as part of Gaulitana: A Festival of Music. The concert Puccini & Verdi: The Art Songs, featured Stephanie Portelli alongside Maria Elena Farrugia.
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After Giuseppe Verdi’s long reign as unchallenged King of Italian opera, his widely recognised successor was Giacomo Puccini.
In many (uninformed) minds these two giants are pigeon-holed simply as great composers of opera: which they ARE. Unfortunately their output of salon music has generally been overlooked except for the rare inclusion of such a piece as an encore after a concert or recital.
It was therefore a great idea for Gaulitana Festival to dedicate a whole event to a soprano and piano recital of music by Puccini and Verdi. The choice of venue, the main bar of Hotel Ta’ CenC was ideal. It provided a typically intimate atmosphere where the bar still functioned very discreetly while members of the audience could sip their drinks equally discreetly.
The concert very nearly did not happen because Stephanie Portelli was indisposed for quite a while. However she recovered well enough to sing, and very well she did sing! There was no change of programme and she sang all 13 pieces as planned and published.
I had heard the young singer with pleasure when singing occasional solo pieces as member of the Gaulitanus Choir. This was the first time I heard her in a full solo recital.
Accompanying Stephanie was the formidable, supportive and fully empathic pianist Maria Elena Farrugia. She is a rock of full rapport whenever she is at work.
The concert was introduced by Festival Artistic Director Colin Attard who at regular intervals provided some background information to pieces which to many present had been completely unknown to them.
It started with Puccini with the first sing Terra e Mare (1902) to lyrics by the poet Enrico Panzacchi (1840-1904). This beautiful song lauding the beauty of nature was sung in a smooth flow and montage of any kind of vocal strain. It was followed by Avanti Urania! (1899), lyrics by Renato Fucini (1843-1921) and marking the launching of a ship called “Urania”.
The third song was Sole e Amore, (1888), a “mattinata” briskly sung to lyrics by an anonymous poet. This was the only such case
in the whole programme. The lyrics to Morire (1917/8) are by Giuseppe Adami (1843-1926), Puccini’s librettist of La Rondine, Il Tabarro and Turandot. The song is one of reflection and was beautifully rendered.
Another song to lyrics by Renato Fucini was È l’uccellino(1884), a beautiful work during which the piano hinted at a bird’s chirping. Inno a Diana (1889) plays lip-service to Puccini’s well-known passion for hunting and shooting. A Carlo Beniacar (?-?), yes, dates unknown, collaborated with poet Fausto Salvatori (1870-1829) on the lyrics.
This half of the concert was concluded with a lovely interpretation of Sogno d’Or (1912), literally “golden dream”, a lullaby set to lyrics by Carlo Marsili (1884-1946).
Verdi’s turn came in the second half of the concert. I must also note that in both halves one realised how some themes were re-used by the composers in later (operatic) works. In Puccini’s one could recognise themes used in La Bohème and La Rondine. I wondered (silently) why Puccini’s very brief Piccolo Valzer, which eventually ended up as Musetta’s Waltz in 1896 was not included as a solo piano interlude.
The first Verdi piece was La Seduzione (1839) to lyrics by the composer, penned in the same year as his first opera Oberto. The second work was Stornello, (1869) also to lyrics by Verdi. It is based on a folk song genre popular in many parts of Italy.
Much earlier (1838) Verdi compose Sei Romanze one of which, Non ti accostare all’urna is of an elegiac nature. The lyrics are by Jacopo Vittorelli (1749-1835) sung with full consideration to the theme. The same poet’s lyrics were set by Verdi in another romanza from this set, In solitaria stanza. The mood is certainly a morose, sorrowful one and finely interpreted. Even more touching and tragic was Perduta ho la pace from the same set. The lyrics by Goethe (1749-1832) were translated into Italian by L. Balestra. A recurring theme in it appeared 15 years later in a famous soprano aria from Act 1 scene 2 of IL Trovatore b(Rome, 1853).
The final and earliest song was Brindisi (1st version ?1835) was to lyrics by Andrea Maffei (1798-1885). A jolly way to end the concert after which the enthusiastic audience insisted on an encore – Stephanie and Maria Elena conceded two of them: Puccini’s very brief “hymn” to his house, Casa Mia and Verdi’s Stornello.
Very well done for tenacious commitment and dedication of both musicians.
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