Giuseppe Verdi: Giovanna D’Arco – Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia

   in Opera Now (Jun, 2016)
The temperature dips somewhat with Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco, filmed at the Valle d’Istria Festival at Martina Franca. Presumably in an attempt to provide maximum impact for minimum money everyone has a long cloak to swirl and almost everyone a large flag to carry. It must have seemed a marvellous idea until, alas, a seeming sirocco strikes and everyone has to cling on to everything for dear life: it resembles a mass of carrier bags scudding across the stage. The poor baritone deserves particular credit for coping with his parachute of a costume – he probably ended up in Albania. Rising above it all with grace is Jessica Pratt as Giovanna, on …
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