born as accusation and condemnation of society in his timebut endowed (because of the very nature of the conflicts it attacks) force with no expiration date, The consulthe opera with text and music by Gian Carlo Menotti, whose Teatro Colón has just premiered a new production, has resigned himself to a present of war and pandemic.

“No one is allowed to talk to the consul. The consul is busy. “. The phrase, repeated over and over like a mantra of the secretary of the Consulate, contains the essence of the drama. John Sorel, who is being politically persecuted, seeks to flee the country, and his unprotected wife, Magda, has to appeal to that diplomatic office to meet him.

Like many more waiting there, Magda can only find bureaucratic demands that she cannot meet.. And of course the always busy consul will never show up.

A major opera in the 20th century

Twenty-three years after the recalled version with a régie by Menotti himself (who died in 2007), it was again presented by Colón, one of the major works of the 20th century, with a first level of artistic resultwhere the presentation, technical items, cast and musical direction are on the same plane of excellence.

Faced with a plot and a text of such power, stage director Rubén Szuchmacher choose the most reasonable course: do not interfere between them and the viewer of grand additions or deployments, but instead highlight them through a sober and detailed marking of the action.

The visual landscape shows only two settings defined by Menotti, the Sorel house and the Consulate waiting room, built on rotating disc in an impressive set designed by Jorge Ferrari.

Both the set and the costumes (also Ferrari’s work) are enticing in white, black and gray; this monotony is broken only in two dream scenes. Gonzalo Córdova’s lighting is impeccable, and helps create climates and nuances.

experienced baton

justin brown, an experienced conductor, manages a complex mark. The result he gets from the Stable Orchestra is superb.

Although it may be criticized that, at times, the sound balance is lost on stage (perhaps the location of the singers on the rotating disc, away from the proscenium and in a fully open range, influences this), and rhythmic imbalances are frequent, a fact that can also be related to the distance between the singer and the podium.

Definitely this version would not be the same without young Argentine soprano Carla Filipcic Holm, overwhelming in an incarnation of Magda Sorel that combines character and weakness. The character, who has a few moments off stage, is the center of the drama, and Filipcic does it himself from start to finish, with a climax that the public delights in his famous Papers! Papers!

The scenes at the Consulate were unforgettable not only because of the success of the performance but also because of the delivery of the singers.

Adriana Mastrangelo is another key element in the cast, scenically and vocally accurate to the character of the Secretary. Pablo Urban (Nika Magadoff), Rocío Arbizu (Vera Boronel), Alejandro Spies (Mr. Kofner), Marisu Pavón (Foreign Woman) and Marina Silva (Anna Gómez) make each of these paintings a world of art. hope and suffering.

Brazilian baritone Leonardo Neiva fully meets the demands of John Sorel, a short but noticeably large role. Well planted in the scene, Virginia Correa Dupuy delivers a great performance as The Mother, although its volume is sometimes lost in the orchestral rising tide. Héctor Guedes is also good as Secret Agent and Sebastián Sorrarain as Assan.

In this production, ovfeatured at the premiere of a room not as crowded as other times but warm to its reception, the Theater put together one of its most accomplished performances in a difficult time where talent and creativity emerged as the best alternative.

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The consul

Qualifications: great

Author: Gian Carlo Menotti Music direction: justin brown Stage direction: Ruben Schuchmacher Life: Teatro Colón, Tuesday, May 5. Repeat on Thursday 5, Week 8 and Tuesday 10 May.

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