The 'Revolutionary' 'Maria Stuarda' Arrives at the Teatro Real

José Miguel Pérez-Sierra remarked this morning that there is a line of succession from Gioachino Rossini to Giuseppe Verdi, which necessarily passes through Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848). "Donizetti is a fundamental element. I always say that without him, Verdi would have been Giacomo Meyerbeer, who somewhat inherits the serious Rossini as he left it. Donizetti reworks that serious opera left by Rossini, avoids the large-format French opera of three, four, and even five hours, and decides, with that musical and theatrical heritage, to condense everything, and that is what shapes the Italian melodrama of the 19th century, much more human, direct, and less abstract, and from there comes the serious Verdi."

From the prolific Italian composer - who wrote 70 operas throughout his short and eventful life - 'Maria Stuarda' (1835) will be performed from December 14 to 30 at the Teatro Real in Madrid, in a new production that will later be presented at the co-producing theatres: the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo, La Monnaie in Brussels, and the Finnish National Opera.

Ten performances will be staged in the capital of this duel of queens, Elizabeth I of England and Mary I of Scotland, who fight for the same throne and the same love, both victims of political and religious forces that manipulate their destinies from childhood in the underbelly of the fierce power struggles that involve and transcend them. Based on Friedrich von Schiller's play, distanced from the true story of the Catholic Scottish queen, for whom he takes sides against her Anglican rival, Donizetti created a score of great melodic flights and abrupt contrasts that highlights the psychological profile of the protagonists, trapped by a suffocating web of dysfunctional and toxic relationships.

Behind the staging is director David McVicar, also responsible for 'Adriana Lecouvreur', the opera that opened the current season at the Madrid venue. McVicar sets the action in a conceptual and symbolic space designed by Hannah Postlethwaite, which gives all the prominence to bel canto and highlights the conflicts, feelings, and passions of the characters, dressed in the spectacular Renaissance costumes designed by Brigitte Reiffenstuel. "Schiller's work is fascinating because it is a romanticized version of the true story of these two queens," commented the stage director. "He represents Mary's figure in a political context and in a world strongly polarized between sectarian Catholic and Protestant beliefs. Schiller creates this love story, which is not a real love story, between the Earl of Leicester and Queen Mary, but gives Leicester's character this political actor role who must struggle between his own personal ambitions and the need to balance the context between these two queens," noted McVicar, who believes this opera is "almost revolutionary" for "its vision, the bravery of the score, and the characterization of the two characters."

Although both Donizetti and librettist Giuseppe Bardari had to soften the political aspects of the work, McVicar considers that "they are still very present." Precisely, the first rehearsal of this new production took place just the day after the US elections. "That led us to reflect on the great polarization that exists in today's world, equivalent to what could exist in the 16th century, which is the era in which these two women lived," explained the stage director. "We talk about a Europe divided between Catholic and Protestant sentiment and the political consequences this implies, and this is the reason why these two women cannot coexist. Elizabeth was right, but so was Mary, and both were unable to understand each other's point of view," he continued. It is the second time that McVicar, of Scottish origin, stages this opera: "It is the story of my country, and what surprises me is that my country continues to live with the political consequences of that sectarian division between Catholics and Protestants. I realize that in the 400 years that have passed, we have not progressed at all," he lamented.

Two casts of great singers, featuring sopranos Lisette Oropesa and Yolanda Auyanet (Maria Stuarda), mezzosopranos Aigul Akhmetshina and Silvia Tro Santafé (Elizabeth), tenors Ismael Jordi and Airam Hernández (Roberto, Earl of Leicester), and basses Roberto Tagliavini and Krzysztof Bączyk (Giorgio Talbot), will give voice to the protagonists, who will perform alongside the Teatro Real's Resident Choir and Orchestra.

Regarding her role, Oropesa explained that she is a woman "very proud, who suffered a lot and was rejected by many people but was not an innocent white dove either." She is the one who, at one point in the play, addressing Elizabeth, utters two of the most impactful words of the opera: vile bastard. In this sense, facing Maria Stuarda has meant for the soprano to search within herself, her body, her face, and her movement for the shadows. "Of all the Donizetti roles I have done, this is the first that has a great darkness and that frequently emerges, so I have had to search because my voice is solar, tends to clarity, and I had to find other motivations with which to sing without hurting myself, without pushing, without shouting, although there are moments when I have to shout because it is either that or nothing," she reflected.

Beside her, Akhmetshina commented that she hopes "to be able to convey to the audience some empathy towards Elizabeth, so that her point of view can be understood, who is still a human being pushed by her duty and by the demands of the various dictators surrounding her and telling her what to do." She said of Elizabeth that she is "very difficult to sing because she has a vocality that requires a soprano range, but at the same time the intensity of a mezzo-soprano."

For his part, Jordi once again steps into the shoes of the Earl of Leicester, a role that, he recalled, has accompanied him throughout almost his entire career. It is a "thankless and difficult" character, he confessed, "but this is the time I am enjoying it the most." The reason? "You sing a lot and then they don't applaud you," he said half-jokingly. "It's the vocality, how it's written, it's unsympathetic, and you spend the whole night without sleeping. And then there's how stage directors usually treat him, who always overlook him," he analyzed. In this case, McVicar is giving him stage presence: "He gives me ideas to create a character. He is a political man, with many ambitions... But in the end, I sing more than she does, and the audience seems to be asleep, and it gives you courage," he said, pointing to Akhmetshina and provoking laughter from those present.

As a curiosity for this production of 'Maria Stuarda', the 'Milan Overture' has been incorporated, which was the original overture that Donizetti planned for the work but was forced to modify due to censorship for its premiere in Naples. "It won't be the world premiere, as there is a recording that can be found out there, but I think it's a magnificent overture, and like 90% of overtures, it serves to anticipate those musical themes that the composer wanted to draw our attention to," concluded José Miguel Pérez-Sierra.