I have never enjoyed Chenier as much as on this video, another of the 1950s films made expressly for Italian television. In what we can now hear and see as a golden era for the performance of Italian opera, an almost ideal cast was assembled under the well-routined baton of Questa. The staging is conventional in the best sense, catching much of the frisson of the French revolutionary drama while concentrating rightly on the principals – and what principals!
Del Monaco, in his prime, is perfect casting for the title-role and conveys Chenier’s ardent, fiery nature in his acting and singing. In spite of his reputation for unremittingly forte delivery, he here tempers his stentorian outbursts – the best of which is “Si, fui soldato” before the revolution’s tribunal – with singing of a subtler hue in the romantic passages in which the part abounds. As his beloved Maddalena, Stella was also at the height of her appreciable, underrated powers, equal to all the considerable demands of her role and deeply moving in “La mamma morta”, her explanation of her plight to the complex character (most interesting in the work) of Gerard.
Their scene in Act 3 is the heart of the piece and Taddei is superb in his part of it. He gives ample profile to “Nemico della patria” and thereafter explores every facet of the role as his lust for Maddalena is sublimated into platonic affection. His warm, pliant voice is ideally employed throughout and he acts with patent sincerity – a great assumption. There’s no weakness, many strengths in the all-Italian support, with special praise due to the blind Madelon whose beseeching solo is movingly done. Sound and picture, albeit black and white, are more than adequate, apart from a couple of moments of sonic fall-out.
The 1954 L’elisir is almost as engaging. Once again the advantage of an all-Italian cast is self-evident. And what a splendid cast it is, each member adept and experienced in his or her role. Valletti makes an ideal Nemorino as actor and singer. His refined voice and technique, his pointed diction are seconded by his portrait of the awkward, infatuated village lad. Noni looks a shade mature for Adina, but sings with idiomatic tone and offers well-routined acting. Incidentally the pair here repeat a partnership heard on a roughly contemporaneous audio-only version (Cetra).
Taddei, who took the part on an EMI set under Serafin a couple of years later, is a vivid Dulcamara, acting amusingly with body and voice but never overdoing the buffo elements of the role. His is a rounded portrayal, alone worth the price of the video. Capecchi, yet another experienced performer, gives a properly preening, fatuous cut to Sergeant Belcore. Rossi conducts with spirit. The staging looks dated, but seldom gets in the way of the lively, idiomatic singing.
The three films, The Proud Valley, Jericho and One Night with You, are vehicles for their respective star singers. Of the two featuring Robeson the first is a Welsh coal drama of some moment, the second an American First World War drama of little interest. Neither has much musical significance though Robeson’s sonorous tones are always welcome as is his natural acting.
The Martini piece is more interesting, quite a witty period piece scripted by Brahms and Simon. Martini is the middle-aged hero in a comedy romance with Patricia Roc, glamour girl of the late 1940s in British films, and there are a heap of character actors of the time in support. Martini, near the end of his career, sings with sincerity and elan.AB