I have about 10,000 things to say about this production — so I hope you love Verdi and stories, because if that’s the case, you’re in the right place, at the right time, with the right person on the other side of your screen.
Just a few weeks after Tosca and its five-star cast, it was time for La Forza del Destino and another extraordinary lineup. Honestly, just hearing the name Netrebko announced in a theater is enough to make me want to camp outside 24 hours before opening night to make sure I don’t miss the show!
The evening started before the curtain even rose — with four young women, probably 18 or 20 years old, waving Ukrainian flags and urging the Swiss audience not to attend the performance because of the prima donna’s nationality. As you probably know me by now… I couldn’t care less. I won’t debate this here — it’s endless.
I had also heard a lot of negative things about the production before the show, opinions that I completely disagree with. Sure, some things were a little strange or hard to understand, but honestly? I was never bored. Time flew by — there was always something happening on stage: constant set changes, action, surprises. That’s live theater!
Special mention for the scene staged in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva, mixing real and recreated flags — a bold idea. Though I’ll admit, the beginning of Act IV dragged a bit with all the extras walking onstage under drone surveillance… well, yeah. Let’s just say it wasn’t my favorite moment.
Now, what can I say about the greatest soprano of our time? Anna Netrebko — pure charisma, endless applause, and notes held longer than you’d think humanly possible. She’s here, she’s alive, and Verdi is still brilliantly represented 200 years after his birth by a soprano who has kept the world’s theaters alive for over two decades.
As for Yusif Eyvazov, this was without a doubt the best performance I’ve ever heard from him. Over the past five years, I’ve found him to be more and more comfortable, more confident, and stronger on stage. Last night was, I think, my favorite moment in his entire career. Don Alvaro is an incredibly demanding role — full of love, vengeance, pain — and Yusif gave it everything. The Zurich audience rewarded him with thunderous applause.
But if anyone moved me even more — both through the ears and the heart — it was George Petean. Known as a genuinely kind and down-to-earth guy offstage, he becomes absolutely diabolical on stage. A special mention for his solo aria at the start of the second half: I loved him already last year in Un Ballo in Maschera alongside Charles Castronovo, but this time, his new partner in crime was Yusif Eyvazov, and the chemistry between them was perfect — from friendship to betrayal, the illusion was flawless.
And then, the maestro’s divine music also shines a beautiful light on the mezzo-soprano Annalisa Stroppa. If you’re a fan of rich voices and emotional depth, Zurich was the place to be that Wednesday night. This is actually one of my favorite mezzo roles in all of opera — playful, moving, sometimes dark — and Stroppa brought it all together beautifully. Her performance in “Rataplan” was full of energy and charm; her voice, her presence, and her radiant smile added the perfect touch of lightness to Verdi’s otherwise dark masterpiece.
Let’s stay in Italy for a moment to talk about two crucial supporting roles: Michele Pertusi — one of the most famous voices in the Italian repertoire — and Roberto Frontali. I’d seen Pertusi in La Forza del Destino in Lyon back in March, and I was eager to see him again in a larger, more fitting theater. (In the meantime, I’d also seen him in Norma at La Scala — not too bad, right?) The duo he formed with Frontali worked perfectly — comic timing, chemistry, and beautiful contrast between two great Italian voices.
I’d like to finish with a word about the Zurich Opera Chorus, which might just be the most impressive I’ve ever heard in a theater. Precision, unity, and power — these three words could easily be written into every chorister’s contract at Opernhaus Zürich.
A heartfelt thank you once again to the entire Zurich Opera team for their warm welcome, and to Loredana W., always responsive and managing press relations with such elegance.
More than ever: Viva la Forza, Viva Verdi!
© Monika Rittershaus
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CAST
Il Marchese di Calatrava – Stanislva Vorobyov
Donna Leonora – Anna Netrebko
Don Carlo di Vargas – George Petean
Don Alvaro – Yusif Eyvasof
Peziosilla – Annalisa Stroppa
Padre Guardiano – Michele Pertusi
Brother Melitone – Roberto Frontali
Curra – Natalia Tuznik
Un Alcade – Lobel Barun
Un Chirurgo – Max Bell
