Opera review: Bajazet at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, by Irish National Opera
The scene at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, for Bajazet, by Irish National Opera.
Antonio Vivaldi, best known for his violin concertos, is enjoying a renaissance in the opera world lately. After their success with Griselda, Irish National Opera has returned to the vault to revive a second helping of the ‘Red Priest’s’ operatic ouevre.
Bajazet is a ‘pasticcio’, the 18th century equivalent of a jukebox musical, a compilation of arias by Vivaldi and borrowings from his Neapolitan rivals. The plot picks up the story following the 15th century Battle of Ankara when the Turkish sultan, Bajazet has been defeated by the Mongolian warlord, Tamerlano aided by Greek prince, Andronicus. There are conflicts of loyalty, complicated love triangles, a murder plot, a suicide and reconciliations to round it all off.
Irish National Opera have assembled an outstanding cast of six singers. It’s tricky stuff with an abundance of high-energy, rapid coloratura arias and meltingly languid largos. Florentine bass baritone, Gianluca Margheri is mesmerising in the title role. To hear one countertenor would be thrilling enough but we had the luxury of two of this rare voice fach.
James Laing is delightfully odious as a swaggering Tamerlano. Eric Jurenas as Andronicus was clear as a bell in the acoustic of the gothic stone vaulted space. Irish singer Aoife Miskelly sang Idaspe and Niamh O'Sullivan, a Cork native was suitably regal as Princess Asteria. British soprano Claire Booth as jilted fiancé, Princess Irene oozed ire and pathos in her vocal fireworks. So effective were the cast in portraying their characters that I didn’t find the concert format limiting to having a clear sense of the drama.
The Irish Baroque Orchestra under Peter Whelan matched the firepower of the cast and it all rattles along with brio. If I had to choose one moment, I loved Asteria’s aria in Act 2, La Cervetta timidetta with solo violin accompaniment and continuo.
In a precarious time for opera, it was a special thrill to hear these outstanding performers sing this rare work in this wonderful venue. Catch it if you can.
