La gioconda, 21st November 1999

 

Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra

 

Suntory Hall, Tokyo

 

Chieko Shimohara (Gioconda), Kei Fukui (Enzo), Masato Makino (Barnaba), Naomi Nagata (Laura), Peng Kang-liang (Alvise), Misato Iwamori (Cieca)

 

Japan Shinsei Symphony Orchestra, Japan Shinsei Symphony and Fujiwara Choruses, Yoshinori Kikuchi (Conductor)

 

 

The history of La gioconda in Japan is not well known. The local promoters of the National Opera of Sofia that come with a production (with Ghena Dimitrova) in December 2000 are claiming a premiere. However it was first performed in Tokyo on 16 March 1925 by a visiting Italian company at the Imperial Theatre.

 

On this occasion the audience, or at least those of us who came in just before the start, met with the surprising sight of 200-odd singers occupying the rear section of the hall. Had the programme been changed? Mahler's 8th? The Messiah? No, there was no change. It was La gioconda with a chorus of 200, 150 of whom were women: the Japan Shinsei Symphony Chorus plus a few professional singers from the Fujiwara Chorus.

 

The mercurial maestro Yoshinori Kikuchi has excellent credentials for La gioconda. Fresh from his triumph at the New National Theatre (with Manon Lescaut with the Tokyo Philharmonic), Kikuchi probably understands the Italian repertory as well as any other local conductor. He rose suitably to this occasion guiding his powerful forces up to some brilliant and very loud climaxes, even though the orchestra was much less polished than the other one he conducted the week before.

 

A very competent and professional team of soloists were placed between the orchestra and the huge chorus. Not withstanding the fine acoustics of Suntory Hall, it was quite clear that their job was to sing as loudly, and emote as volubly, as humanly possible.

 

This challenge was relished by Masato Makino, the big-voiced baritone singing Barnaba. He sang powerfully while maintaining a beautiful unforced tone. Notoriously clumsy on stage, he was at his best on this occasion up to and including the final maniacal laugh that closes the opera.

 

Chieko Shimohara is Japan's leading Italian-opera dramatic soprano. Having sung Tosca, Turandot, Lady Macbeth and Abigaille , Gioconda was a logical enough role. Results were mixed. She produced an impressive volume of sound but, as in the past, her intonation was sometimes unattractive and the words swallowed up. However she is singing with more assurance, and with an almost velvety texture not previously in evidence. The voice is maturing.

 

Kei Fukui is one of Tokyo's finest lyric tenors but he had trouble producing the necessary volume for Enzo. The role is probably too heavy for him anyway. In the adverse circumstances he was clearly straining. 

 

Simon Holledge