The event. Orfila was Scarpia

PalmAn event. Simón Orfila was Scarpia, following in the footsteps of Joan Pons. It's not a dispute. There's no competition, although operatic comparisons are a constant, as common as they are lacking in rigor. What happened this time is simply a fine tribute to his fellow countryman, undoubtedly one of the best Scarpias in history. Therefore, a day to remember and write down in bold: Tosca inaugurates the 40th Opera Season at the Teatro Principal, and Simón Orfila made his debut as Scarpia. The rest is pure anecdote, of course, with many other elements worthy of mention. Yolanda Auyanet's Floria Tosca displayed a high and clear register, breath and color, with which her interpretation of the famous Art Visa, A marginal note at the request of Maria Jeritza, can only be described as remarkable. An aria, transformed into a pivotal moment of the greatest, which arises just before the story's climax, with the death of the perfidious, in addition to all the derogatory adjectives one might want to add, Baro Scarpia. He is the great character of the story that Victorien Sardou wrote for Sarah Bernhardt and of whom Orfila has given a more elegant reading than usual, but no less efficient. Rame Lahaj, for his part, was dramatically an adequate Caravadossi, with a robust voice but a limited projection, even strange.

If the Art Visa It is the culminating musical moment for the soprano, what corresponds to the baritone is the impetuous Te Deum, which unleashed the most vibrant applause of the evening, not without the help of a heart that, although somewhat lacking, completed its work with great precision. And if the heart worked throughout, the members of the Balearic Islands Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Matteo Beltrami, were the ideal complement to it all, and although the number of professors was fewer than advisable, this did not diminish the intensity of the story.

For his part, Tomeu Bibiloni gave us a memorable Sagrestano, signed with a very appropriate dramatic register, without needing to pamper the character, as we have seen on so many occasions, which turns him into a poor and ridiculous caricature. The rest of the local contributions were by José Manuel Sánchez as Spoletta and Sebastià Serra, who had plenty of virtues for this small role as the jailer.

As for the staging, very classic, at the service of history, as required by the historical moment it represents, with elegance, effectiveness and charm, with a Principal Theatre packed to the rafters.