Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich, 17 July 2025
Giuseppe Verdi: I masnadieri
Verdi’s eleventh opera I masnadieri remains something of a mystery for me. Based on Friedrich Schiller’s powerful drama Die Räuber (The Robbers), it had all the makings of a Verdi classic. Normally, Verdi was a master at boiling down complex plays into tight, two-hour operas – extracting their emotional core without losing depth. But with I masnadieri – and I say this with all due respect – it always feels like something’s missing. The ending, for one, with its oddly cheerful major chord, feels out of place in a story so dark.
Verdi was famously demanding with his librettists, often bombarding them with letters until he got exactly what he wanted. With I masnadieri, though, things were different. The libretto was written by his close friend, the poet Andrea Maffei, and it’s likely that Verdi let some things slide out of loyalty. This was also Verdi’s first major international commission. It premiered in London, at Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1847, with the Swedish soprano Jenny Lind as Amalia. Verdi wasn’t feeling great at the time – the gloomy London weather didn’t help – and the pressure of rehearsals may have left him too drained to fully shape the libretto.
Fast forward to March 2020, just before the pandemic shut everything down: Johannes Erath’s production of I masnadieri had its premiere at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. Now five years later, it returned to the stage once again for the Opernfestspiele. Erath’s concept focuses on the mother of the two brothers, Carlo and Francesco, whose death is shown during the overture – written almost like the first movement of a cello concerto. The cello stands in for her absence, and the entire opera becomes a kind of emotional response to that early loss. It’s an intriguing idea, but dramatically it falls flat. The staging loses intensity, and the direction of the characters suffers – especially in ensemble scenes. Kaspar Glarner’s set is visually stunning, but ultimately too static.
The musical quality is somewhat mixed. Alfredo Daza has a voice that is big and powerful enough for the role of Francesco but his singing is overly monotonous, and his interpretation lacks the necessary sinister edge. Soprano Lisette Oropesa has an agile and secure voice that is always perfectly on pitch, however, it is quite striking that the role of Amalia does not really suit her. Her middle register often sounds strained, and her high notes are sometimes too sharp. Tenor Charles Castronovo sings Carlo with passion and determination, although his tone – pushed too far back in the throat – sounds overly forced, and sometimes unnatural. Erwin Schrott, as Massimiliano, delivers a commanding performance with a deep, resonant bass – definitely the standout among the soloists.
The Bavarian State Orchestra and chorus give a strong performance under Antonio Fogliani’s baton. The true highlight of the evening is the beautifully melancholic overture, with special praise due to the solo cellist for a deeply expressive performance.