La Forza del Destino – Opera Royal de Liege, Wallonie

Luciano Montanaro and Daniele Dessi

Under the laid back musical leadership of Paolo Arrivabeni, La Forza del Destino at the Opera Royal de Liege, Wallonie is another night for the basses and baritones. Domenico Balzani does well as the cranky Fra Melitone, and Giovanni Meoni as Don Carlo acquits himself ably, matching his tenor rival pretty much note-for-note. Best of all is Luciano Montanaro—profound, warm, pious, and reassuring as Il Padre Guardiano. Mezzo Carla Dirlikov is pretty and perky but comes across as a tame (and mature-sounding) gypsy, and Giovanni Iovino’s Trabuco just made me sad.

Cav & Pag – Together Again for the First Time (Opéra Royal de Wallonie)

Marie Kalinine and José Cura

José Cura directs and stars in this traditional double bill, and he adds a few twists. Both operas take place in the same village, with the action of I Pagliacci immediately following Cavalliera Rusticana. Most of each cast appear in both operas. The waiter in Mama Lucia’s café, whom she treats as a son, turns out to be Silvio. Oh, and both composers appear in the performance.