Bellini’s “I Capuleti e I Montecchi” has long been ignored in the New York tri-state area. Even though the work has had several performances in New York City, first in 1848, then in 1958 in Carnegie Hall, and later in 1999 with the Opera Orchestra of New York, the work has remained absent from major theaters like the Metropolitan Opera. It’s one of those mysteries given that the work has been performed by many of the greatest singers in the world and even today remains popular in Europe.

Now many years after its last New York performance, Teatro Nuovo, a company dedicated to bringing light to neglected Bel Canto works, brought Bellini’s masterwork back.

Unfortunately, the results were mixed.

Too Many Fireworks

The bel canto repertoire is known for allowing singers to explore their vocal bravura with coloratura and interpolations. It allows the singer to show their mastery and virtuosity but on this night, Bellini’s music was disturbed by too many variations. Perhaps this is a cause of Teatro Nuovo’s approach to bringing informed performing styles and orchestral instruments of the era to each performance. But a score of such delicacy and dramatic depth does not need so many special effects to be, well, effective.

The singer whose performance was perhaps most affected by the overuse of coloratura was Alina Tamborini’s interpretation of Giulietta. From her opening aria, “Oh! quante volte,” Tamborini employed variations that felt awkward in the haunting melody, and during her cadenza, the variations were so lengthy that it seemed out of place to conclude the piece. Then in her ensuing duet with Stephanie Doche, Tamborini once again inserted an overabundance of fioritura in her recitative moments “Ah! Romeo! Per me la terra” that the music simply transformed into something completely different from what Bellini originally wrote. Moreover, it blocked the forward momentum inherent in the music.

Perhaps the most problematic display of overornamenting was during her second act double aria, “Morte io non temo il sai” and “Deh! padre mio, deh padre mio!” The tempi may have matched period style, but the interpretation felt somewhat stale in execution. The text got lost in the coloratura variations, the high notes came off forced, and all in all there never seemed like Tamborini or the orchestra were comfortable in this exploration of Giulietta’s torment. Tamborini’s performance was also not helped by her lack of fluid legato, especially in the aforementioned second act.

That said, she did have outstanding moments like her duet with Doche in which the voices melded beautifully together. “Ah! crudel! che mai facesti,” even with an overextended “Ah!,” showcased Tamborini’s emotional core as she caressed the phrases and expressed all of Giulietta’s turmoil. There were also so delicate moments in her opening “Oh! Quante Volte,” especially the opening crescendo. What was significant about these stand-out moments was that she sang the music straight without any interpolations and it was more effective.

The role of Tebaldo, which is the only other major role of the opera has been performed by many of the great tenors in their youth. It features a double aria and a duet, as well as an ensemble. But it does give the tenor moments to shine. On this evening the role was assigned to Robert Kleinertz.

Kleinertz’s stage presence came off as tentative, lacking the assertive qualities of Tebaldo. Vocally, he has a big resonant voice with a bright timbre. But it is not helped by a shaky vibrato that seems to get the best of his instrument. His opening aria, “E serbato a questo acciaro” was delivered with forcefulness as he held on to notes for long periods, but the legato phrases lacked polish. In the cabaletta “L’amo tanto, e m’è si care,” he cut through the orchestra and chorus with ease but the repeat didn’t have any dynamic variations and he lacked flexibility as he transitioned from his middle voice into his high notes, causing a very present strain. His coloratura  lacked fluidity.

That being said Kleinertz improved in the second act during his duet “Vieni: io ti sprezzo, ti sprezzo” as he forcefully sang through the dramatic music and was a great support for Doche.

In the small, but crucial roles of Lorenzo and Capellio, Micheal Leyte Vidal and Kyle Oliver gave able if sometimes underwhelming performances. Vidal’s voice sometimes hollowed out as he attempted to go into his lower depths, while Oliver had an uneven though promising voice.

Energy, Forward Movement & Balance Issues  

Leading the orchestra on this evening was Jakob Lehmann who led a a swiftly paced reading with the music always having a forward propulsion. Lehmann balanced the more intimate scenes with subtle and nuanced dynamics and tempi and then there was the explosive moments in the more dramatic scenes as the Act one ensemble and the Act two duet with Tebaldo and Romeo. The overture was also thrilling, getting the opera off to an energetic start.

Some of the solo moments in the orchestra also stood out, especially the clarinetist Marye Legault, who in a prelude to the final scene played with fluid and rich legato that showcased the true spirit of Bel Canto.

But not everything was precise, especially the horn solo before Giulietta’s opening aria, which had many tentative moments and shoddy intonation, and the cellist that opened the second act also overdid the portamenti, causing noticeable intonation issues. Then there was the concern of balance. In the Act one ensemble, the orchestra’s crescendo threatened to cover the entire vocal ensemble and in the aforementioned Act two duet, Doche’s mezzo got overpowered in many moments.

Still, it was a thrilling reading that gave the opera suspense and unpredictability, and was always willing to take risks.

The Star

In the role of Romeo, Stephanie Doche was simply on another level this evening. She showed scenic and vocal confidence from the moment she came on stage. Her opening aria “Ascolta. Se Romeo t’uccise un figlio” was sung with a gorgeous legato line. The flexibility of the vocal line was coupled with gorgeous roulades. Her cabaletta, “La tremenda ultrice spada,” was sung with a robust sound that displayed virtuosic high notes but also the fiery nature of this Romeo. Her repeat was filled with virtuosic roulades which sometimes meant she cut some of the high notes but it did work well with the musical line.

In the duet with Tamborini, Doche began with a fierce “Si, fuggire: a noi non resta” singing with forward momentum and an attack on the vocal line. In the legato portion “Ah, crudel, d’onor ragioni,” her voice bloomed with a glorious piano that blended with Tamborini to create irresistible musicality. And in the subsequent “Vieni, ah! vieni, in me riposa” her Romeo gained an ardent sound that emphasized the impulsive nature of her character and which showcased gleaming high notes. That same impulsive and driving force of her voice was also on display during the concertato that ended Act one.

In Act two, Doche brought many layers to her Romeo beginning with her duet which saw the mezzo sing with intensity and flexibility as she managed through the highest to the lowest depths of her voice. But it was the final scene which saw her singing at its most nuanced especially in the aria “Deh! tu, bell’anima.” Here, she caressed the line with tenderness that it almost felt like her voice was weeping. The dynamics slowly built from a piano to a forte sound only to conclude with a gorgeous decrescendo.

The performance did have some mishaps especially in the Act two duet when Doche threw in a florid on the phrase “ti sprezzo.” The fioritura was extended to the point of exaggeration that the audience giggled. The effect in my opinion gave the wrong emotion for such a dramatic phrase. But overall, this was an incredible performance.

Overall, even if there were many disappointing elements to this night, Teatro Nuovo brought back a masterpiece that should be heard more often in the tri-state area. Here’s to hoping that the theater down the street and its new stars are interested in bringing this work for an over-delayed premiere.