Verdi: La Forza Del Destino – Alastair Miles

   in Opera Now (Mar, 2018)
Two filmed performances provide valuable legacies of Italian singers sadly cut down in their prime. First is tenor Salvatore Licitra (1968-2011) as Don Alvaro in La forza del destino, caught in Vienna 10 years ago. His singing is admirably clear and clean, his tone noble. Alongside him, Nina Stemme is a gutsy Leonora, assiduously following the score’s markings, Carlos Álvarez an outstanding Don Carlo, Alistair Miles a firm and cleanly-sung Padre Guardiano. Nadia Krasteva copes admirably with Preziosilla’s sexy cowgirl routines. And there, as you may guess, lies the rub. David Pountney’s production pairs the overture with a video of the fatal bullet’s trajectory – subtlety isn’t a strong point …