Back to the magnificent Teatro Real, which I last wrote about here, for the final opera of the season.
Daniel Catán's Il Postino is based on the film of the same name, a tribute to Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, one of my favourites. It tells the story of the poet’s spell living on a southern Italian island whilst in exile from Chile in the 1950s, and of his relationship with the villagers. He befriends the young postman and teaches him about love and poetry, all against a backdrop of post-war political uncertainty.
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| Projections of Neruda's scribbles of poetry |
The part of Pablo Neruda was written for Plácido Domingo, one of Madrid's most famous sons, who traditionally sings every year in the closing production of the Teatro Real's season. This year Domingo withdrew during rehearsals due to health reasons. The role is associated so strongly with him that the audience nearly revolted, but having never seen the opera before, or even the film, I went along with an open mind.
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| Vicente Ombuena steps in as Neruda (photo: Javier del Real) |
The staging was absolutely beautiful; covered in blue and white Mediterranean tiles, the stage often became the sea, a focus of Neruda's poetry whilst on the island. As the two main characters discuss or write poetry together, their words are projected onto the constantly changing backdrop, bringing it to life. The libretto is sung in Spanish; it's curiously pleasing to hear snippets of Neruda's poetry faithfully reproduced in his own language.
It had mixed reviews from the Madrid audience, almost entirely due to the lack of their favourite star. But the music was entrancing, it was sung beautifully and the performance was visually stunning: one of the best operas I've been to. Domingo or no Domingo.
