Louise T. Guinther

I suppose I ought to have been pleased to see a worldwide spotlight cast on the magnificent art of opera at the closing ceremonies of the Olympics from Milan, but all I could think was “Why are the musicians playing Verdi’s 19th-century Italian classic La Traviata dressed like Mozart, whose sphere was 18th-century Austria?”; “Why is a Rigoletto from Over-actors Anonymous skulking around what should be Violetta’s bedroom?”; and “Why, for pity’s sake is the poor, middle-rate Alfredo bellowing his way through the Traviata brindisi dressed as a cross between Yankee Doodle and Al Capone?” (While we are at it, why does spell-check keep correcting Rigoletto to “Rigoberto,” whatever that may be?) 

The P.D.Q. Bach-style mishmash of operatic themes accompanying all the arch grotesquerie that opened the closing ceremony would make any true opera fan seasick. Perhaps it is Milan’s revenge on Verdi, who never liked the city or the opera house, La Scala, that hosted the openings of many of his enduring masterpieces.

In any case, it would have been nice to see Italy’s national art form treated with a little more dignity and respect. As an antidote, I offer this definitive all-Italian rendition of the brindisi. If there were an Olympics for opera singers, diva Renata Tebaldi would be a perennial gold-medalist. Her partner, tenor Giacinto Prandelli, while not quite on such an immortal scale, is certainly a worthy contender. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TetHxg9Ycfc&list=RDTetHxg9Ycfc&start_radio=1

And while we’re at it, in place of the bastardized Rigoletto snippets that accompanied our hyperactive jester, I offer a performance by the consummate singer/actor Tito Gobbi, who could have stood atop any operatic podium.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S7jP-UeFXE

The Butterfly excerpt was elegant and appropriate, but instrumental-only. Opera is about Olympian voices. Why not, for example, some actual opera music to accompany the performance of the excellent dancers from Rome Opera? Perhaps something from Catalani’s Wally, which includes such Alpine features as daredevil climbing, shooting contests, a mountaintop rescue and a bona fide avalanche. Renata Scotto, one of the all-time great Italian sopranos, was a heartbreaking Wally. 

One last suggestion: If I had been given charge of the parade of flags, it would have been accompanied by the Triumph March from Aida. Nothing can beat Verdi’s aural depiction of  celebratory pomp and circumstance — and those uniquely stirring trumpets! Now that’s glory for you!