Some of the opera performances of recent times, even in the main halls of the world, transfer historical settings and characters to contemporary or futuristic issues.
Many times, on the limits of extravagance. Thus the recent version of “The Force of Destiny” produced by the Met in New York and which could be seen simultaneously in broadcasts around the world, received criticism: the drama of religion and revenge that Verdi imagined in Spain and Italy in the 20th century. XVIII is now set in a dystopian society of the 21st century.
When the unfortunate Leonora retreats to a convent in search of peace and solace, the scene is set in an abandoned subway station, where the heroine is carrying a supermarket shopping cart. A transition of eras that arises from the beginning, when the original marquis is presented as a fascist dictator, or the palace becomes a nightclub (Hotel Calatrava).
The general direction is by the French-Canadian Yannick Nézet-Yeguin (also the musical director of the hall), the scenery by Mariusz Trelinski and for the role of Leonora they summoned one of the most acclaimed sopranos of today, the Norwegian Lise Davidsen.
In the specialized magazine Scherzo, Patrick Dillon summarized that “in his attempts to bring the drama closer to today's audiences, Trelinski only manages to distance us further from it. "The more 'La Forza' is known, the more strange the inventions of the Polish stage director seem."
In Opera World they noted that “Trelinski is known for his strange readings of librettos and for montages that explore the semantic limits of music. Unfortunately for the Met and for Verdi's opera, on this occasion the stage director moves on the wrong side of these limits. However, most critics highlighted the musical values of the opera and The New York Times noted that “a soprano consolidates her stardom. "There are very few artists in the world who sing with as much generosity, sensitivity and visceral impact as Lise Davidsen."
The curse
The “bad reputation” of this opera spread from a misfortune, the death of the baritone Leonard Warren when he was singing “Urna banesta” at the beginning of the third act. It happened on March 4, 1960, at the Met. He collapsed on the stage.
However, in other works throughout the history of the genre, similar circumstances occurred.
They began to attribute “cursed influences” to La Forza del Destino. A ridiculousness. Although it is true that stars like Pavarotti never wanted to address it, we should look at artistic and stylistic issues rather than get carried away by superstition or absurd spiritualism.
The origins
When they try to add Giuseppe Verdi himself to the saga of “misfortunes” of La Forza… it is an implausible proposition. He faced multiple problems, but no more nor less than most of those presented in any of the great works.
Already considered one of the most notable composers of his time, in 1861, Verdi signed a contract with the Imperial Theater of Saint Petersburg to move there, compose and stage an opera. His proposal was “Ruy Blas”, a drama by Victor Hugo that was rejected: the poetic message was clear, the aristocracy is vile and the future belongs to the people. Instead, they accepted the Spanish drama “Don Alvaro o la Fuerza del Sino”, written by Angel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas, and premiered in 1835.
Verdi traveled during the winter, taking advantage of the brand new train line that linked Paris to Saint Petersburg. He composed “The Force of Destiny” and rehearsals began, but the illness of the soprano Caroline Barbot and the lack of a suitable substitute caused the suspension of the premiere. In February 1862, Verdi returned to the West. “Here I am in Berlin, after a trip without any sinister events except the terrible cold, sometimes 33 below zero. There was a moment when I thought I felt all the swords of the Russian army on my head,” he wrote to a friend. The carriages were not heated and the drink froze.
Buenos Aires, pioneer
The work finally premiered on November 10, 1862 with the soprano Barbot at the Bolshoi Kaminy Theater, now Mariinsky. George Martin, in his biography of Verdi, notes that “he was successful in St. Petersburg, but Verdi felt dissatisfied. During the following seven years, he only allowed one performance in Italy, with moderate success and with the title of Don Alvaro.
However, around that same time La Forza del Destino took the stage in New York, London, Vienna... and Buenos Aires (1866).
Tsar Alexander II – a “liberal” in some respects within the autocratic tradition of Russian hierarchs – attended one of the first performances in St. Petersburg and decorated Verdi with the Imperial Order of St. Stanislaus. Almost two decades later, Alexander was assassinated by a bomb carried out by a group of revolutionaries in Saint Petersburg.
Verdi introduced several changes to his libretto, with respect to the premiere in Russia, with the collaboration of Antonio Ghislanzoni to replace Francesco Piave, the original librettist, who was already ill. And he revived it in 1869, at La Scala in Milan. But – as the biographer describes – “the music is extraordinary, especially in aspects that are unusual for Verdi such as the religious themes and the sense of humor. And it has a fantastic melodic richness. As in Ernani or Il Trovatore, the Spanish theme particularly inspired Verdi. In the Spanish pieces, Verdi simply reacted by attaching to his harsh and elemental passion an equally passionate and direct melody."
The Marquis of Calatrava, in his last words of love before his fateful end, addresses his daughter: “The pure air of the countryside will fill your heart with peace. You have freed yourself from that foreigner unworthy of you. Let me worry about the future now. Trust your father who loves you so much.” Always moving.