5/18/2023 0 Comments Vivaldi bajazet opera![]() ![]() Molly O’Cathain’s set is basically a box made from slabs of glowing sandstone, and it loves the voices, especially that of the sweet-toned countertenor Eric Jurenas as the hapless go-between Andronico. The ensuing story mainly milks the baroque opera tropes of love, betrayal and disguise, but it’s a credit to Thomas’s insightful direction and to the six-strong cast that we remain invested in it, rooting for Gianluca Margheri’s noble-sounding Bajazet and wondering what James Laing’s thuggish, volatile Tamerlano will do next. Thomas adds a bit of helpful context with an opening monologue giving the story so far, introducing the title character as “the Thunderbolt of Allah” and his captor, Tamerlano, is a warlord descended from Genghis Khan. Bajazet is the first Vivaldi opera to be staged under the Royal Opera House’s roof, and if anyone needs persuading that this is a good idea then Adele Thomas’s production, a collaboration with Irish National Opera that has already toured Ireland for two weeks, should do the trick. Two decades ago the operas began to appear in earnest on disc now, with audiences ready to look beyond Handel for a baroque opera fix, they are reaching the stage. T hirty-odd years ago everyone was too busy listening to Vivaldi’s concertos to bother about his 90 or so operas.
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