Joan of Arc

Giovanna D'Arco is static in terms of story, but whatever the state of the story you can always rely on Verdi to boast a good score and Giovanna D'Arco while not one of his best has that(more in the solos this said rather than the choruses). Generally, this 2008 production from Parma is strong, though the 1989 Werner Herzog production is slightly superior and holds a little more interest value(especially in the imagery). It is let down by a weak performance by Evan Bowers as Carlo, his tone is sweet but rather underpowered, and as an actor he is stiff and doesn't seem to be engaging with the audience or the music at all. Svetla Vassileva fares much better as Giovanna(Joan), mainly because she is a great actress being lively, heroic and thrillingly intense when she needs to be, a very committed performance and one where she's living the character. Her vocal production however is uneven and not very pleasant, especially at the top where it's tight and shrill, with the middle and bottom registers it's a nicer sound but they don't always project.

The most consistent of the three leads is Renato Bruson, his top is unsteady and somewhat constricted but there is evidence of some vocal richness and robustness if not as velvety and powerful as in the 80s. He is the best actor of the three, bringing great authority and dignity to Giacomo. The production does look striking, every set and costume is beautifully designed, the lighting is appropriate to the mood and the colours are generally lavish, apart from a few moments of where the visuals can have a bare look to them. The coronation scene stood out as did the forest set in the scene 2 prologue. The stage direction is compelling enough, there are static moments especially with Carlo and the chorus but the story can share the blame on that front, but the final scene is stirring and poignant and the production does do a great job with characterising Giovanna, making her a girl/woman of ambiguities and conflict. Musically, with the exceptions of Bowers and some vocal inconsistency with Vassileva, the production is outstanding. The orchestra play beautifully and with the right amounts of energy and power. The chorus are rather static dramatically but sound vibrant and well-rehearsed. The conducting of Bruno Bartoletti, still going strong at 82 at time of performance, helps enormously, a highly musical, singing-and-drama-accommodating and rhythmically driven reading. In conclusion, a strong production though could have been better with in particular a better tenor lead. 7/10 Bethany Cox