The choir during the performance of the opera ‘Nabucco’ at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires Máximo parpagnoli / Teatro Colón
On March 12, 2020, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires scheduled the penultimate rehearsal of Nabucco, the opera by Giuseppe Verdi with which he was to open the lyrical season five days later. The costumes were already in the dressing rooms and behind the curtain the white and majestic backdrop awaited. But this rehearsal did not take place and the futuristic production by the Italian Stefano Poda was suspended on stage for seven months. The government-ordered cessation of activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic forced the premiere by more than two years.
Finally, on May 31, the new production of Nabucco made its debut at the Colón under the musical direction of Carlos Vieu. Presented to the public was the huge stage of the Argentine Lyrical Colosseum, which was transformed into an austere cube through which Hebrews and Assyrians walked on a rotating platform in constant motion. The Jews, dressed in white and made up; the Babylonian king Nabucco and his daughters Fenena and Abigaille, in black.
Poda, who was also responsible for the costumes, lighting and choreography, chose to move away from the script’s more religious references and offer an abstract stage show, very different from the last Nabucco, which took place at the Colón under directed by Roberto Oswald was released in 1991.
The great visual beauty of some scenes, especially those where the light was filtered through the translucent fabrics of the extras, was accentuated by the appearance of large scenographic elements such as a Möbius strip, a symbol of infinity, suspended above the choir when he that famous “Va pensiero” sings.
Among the soloists, the deep voices stood out. Romanian baritone Sebastian Catana performed his role with flying colors, while Polish bassist Rafal Siwek, as Zaccaria, admired the audience for his vocal and stage authority in one of the most challenging bass roles in all of Italian repertoire. Slovenian soprano Rebeka Lokar, on the other hand, sounded unbalanced, with excessive vibrato marring her interpretation of the difficult role of Abigaille. The impeccable performance of mezzo-soprano Guadalupe was greeted with strong applause, although not as much as the chorus, the real protagonist of the work, and Vieu, who conducted the orchestra masterfully.
‘Nabucco’ at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, directed by the Italian Stefano Poda. Arnaldo Colombaroli / Teatro Colon
In limbo
In the span of time between the date the premiere was scheduled and the date it took place, Nabucco was still there. While the main auditorium of the theater was in darkness during the first months of the strict quarantine, the sets, made in the Colón’s designated workshops, hung from the ceiling, waiting in the blink of an eye for the action to begin.
It was a long rehearsal period to be so close to discovering the effect the opera would have on the hearts of the audience. That unsatisfied desire prompted the stable orchestra musicians to salvage a 1988 recording of the opening of this early Verdi work to make a video of their homes and share it on the internet as a reminder that Nabucco was still waiting .
The home stretch for the premiere last May was unusual. Performers and musicians returned to rehearse a work they already knew perfectly. The sets were put back on stage and the costumes uploaded from the tailoring closets. The touch-ups needed were minimal, such as the wig that was made for Lokar as it was not possible to bleach his hair as planned in the original production. With the curtain up, the jubilation and uncertainty of two years returned.
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