I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Vincenzo Bellini’s adaptation of the Romeo and Juliet tale, was an immediate hit in Venice in 1830, marking a turnaround in fortune for the Sicilian composer. This was one of several successful Italian interpretations of the tragic love story—two others by Zingarelli and Vaccai were still being staged when Bellini’s opera premiered, leading to the distinctive title of Bellini’s version. Unlike Shakespeare’s play, these operas were inspired by a tragedy by Luigi Scevola, based on novellas by Luigi da Porto and Matteo Bandello.
The operas by Zingarelli and Vaccai share similarities with Bellini’s work. Zingarelli was Bellini’s composition teacher at the Naples Conservatory. Felice Romani wrote the libretto for Vaccai’s Giulietta e Romeo and adapted it for Bellini, who was working under tight deadlines. The final act of Vaccai’s opera was frequently used in Bellini’s place—especially by Maria Malibran—a practice that displeased Bellini. Although Bellini’s opera enjoyed global success, including a performance conducted by Wagner in Riga in 1835, it fell out of favour by the twentieth century.
Its first 20th-century performance was reportedly a RAI concert in 1957-58, conducted by Lorin Maazel with Fiorenza Cossotto and Antonietta Pastori (later released on CD). The opera made its way to New York in 1958 through Allen Sven Oxenburg and the American Opera Society, featuring Giulietta Simionato and Laurel Hurley. Simionato returned to the AOS in 1964 with Mary Costa as Giulietta. Despite the presence of Anna Netrebko, Joyce DiDonato, and occasionally Elina Garanca at the Metropolitan Opera, the work has not been performed there, with rumours of a production from over 20 years ago remaining unfulfilled.
I saw I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1985, featuring Cecilia Gasdia and Tatiana Troyanos in a charming production. It’s astonishing to realise that was nearly 40 years ago. In 2001, New York City Opera introduced a new production with Sarah Connolly and Mary Dunleavy, who beautifully captured the score’s allure. The Opera Orchestra of New York performed it in concert three times. Though I was too young to see Tatiana Troyanos and Ashley Putnam in 1979, I vividly recall Jennifer Larmore’s debut alongside an incandescent Mariella Devia in 1994. In 1999, Vesselina Kasarova and Annick Massis performed it for OONY at Carnegie Hall.
Eve Queler, the founder of OONY, attended a semi-staged concert presentation of I Capuleti e i Montecchi at Teatro Nuovo last night. At 93, she was warmly received by opera enthusiasts who fondly remembered her past presentations. The Glimmerglass Festival staged the opera in 2008 during a “Shakespeare” themed season (though Capuleti is not truly Shakespearean) with Sandra Piques Eddy, Emily Righter, and the exquisite Sarah Coburn. Will Crutchfield conducted the opera at Bel Canto at Caramoor in July 2012, featuring Kate Aldrich and Eglise Gutiérrez, though neither were at their best.
Teatro Nuovo operates differently from Bel Canto at Caramoor, concentrating on young singers at the start of their careers with a strong focus on bel canto training. While they do not feature stars, they emphasise style, erudition, and musicianship. Their concerts involve critical editions of scores and contemporary vocal treatises, with historical instruments used by the orchestra, and a Primo Violino e Capo d’Orchestra as conductor, accompanied by a Maestro al Cembalo on the fortepiano for recitatives (sometimes also supported by cello). Last night, Jakob Lehmann was the Primo Violino, with Maestro Crutchfield on the fortepiano.
With memories of Troyanos, Gasdia, Larmore, Devia, and Kasarova fresh in mind, it was challenging to accept the very sensitive but less vocally dazzling young artists in this vocally driven opera. However, their commitment, style, and informed phrasing compensated for the lack of vocal glamour, creating a result where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
The standout performance came from rising mezzo-soprano Stephanie Doche as Romeo. Initially, her performance seemed unpromising, with a resinous timbre reminiscent of Kate Lindsey’s but with a somewhat confined tone and some hollow notes in the lower and upper registers. By the second act, Doche’s voice appeared more warmed up and confidently used, even managing a trill in the final death scene. Her engagement with the text, dramatic phrasing, and elegant musicianship marked her as a talent to watch.
Coloratura soprano Alina Tamborini has previously appeared with Teatro Nuovo in smaller roles like Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Isoletta in La Straniera. In those parts, she seemed charming but somewhat inexperienced. As Giulietta, she delivered a mixed performance with notable caveats. Her phrasing was lovely when the voice remained steady, and she decorated the lines with a certain style. Her emotional engagement and commitment to the text were evident, particularly in her portrayal of grief and despair.
However, her voice, though high-placed, lacked solid support. A fluttery vibrato caused sharp high notes and disrupted legato singing, and middle tones occasionally failed to resonate fully. Despite a very easy and lavish trill due to the fast vibrato, the lack of firm breath support and the quivery, overly bright timbre resulted in a jittery and uneasy vocal quality. Crutchfield included the short dramatic arioso passage “Morir dovessi ancora,” added by Bellini in the 1831 La Scala production to Giulietta’s Act II duet with Lorenzo. This passage, also restored at Caramoor, adds more spirit to Giulietta, countering her tendency towards passive droopiness.
Amanda Woodbury, who performed as Amenaide in Teatro Nuovo’s Tancredi in 2018, would have been a stronger choice for Giulietta, although she has been exploring more dramatic coloratura roles. In fact, either of the 2018 Tancredi cast members—Tamara Mumford or Aleks Romano—would have excelled as Romeo. Unfortunately, Mumford has been less active this season, and Romano has transitioned to a business career, as did Laura Vlasek Nolen, another fine mezzo. Romano was a significant talent.
The rest of the cast was only functional. Tenor Robert Kleinertz, cast as Tebaldo, has mainly performed at the Boston Conservatory, where he may still be studying. His voice can either ring out brightly or sound bleaty, and he appeared stiff both vocally and physically. He will need more experience before he is ready for a principal role.
Kyle Oliver as Lorenzo sounded somewhat like a lightweight baritone Masetto, lacking the required gravitas, while Michael Leyte-Vidal as Capellio had a good, rich vocal quality but struggled with rhythmic precision, detail, and focus. However, these roles were not pivotal enough to derail the performance, which centred primarily on the young lovers, pushing the secondary characters to the periphery.
The semi-staging was intentionally minimal, featuring only a chair or bier for Giulietta and modern concert black suits for the men, evening gowns for the women, and slacks for Romeo. Rear projections on an upstage scrim displayed evocative watercolours of early 19th-century set designs by Alessandro Sanquirico, with English titles projected above. Stage director Marco Nisticò, a former buffo baritone, opted for a simple setup with the reduced chorus mainly arranged in rows beside the principals. His direction of the intimate scenes between the lovers was effective, highlighting how minimal staging can suffice when the singers are committed and the music is compelling. The interactions between the singers, atmospheric projections, and the music itself conveyed the story powerfully.
The orchestral playing was generally strong, though there were some pitch issues with the valveless horns. Maryse Legault’s solo clarinet performance in the second act received applause. The strings produced a less brilliant timbre, and the woodwinds offered a darker orchestral colour. Jakob Lehmann favoured lively, forward-moving tempos, taking time to savour the lyrical passages.
A pre-performance concert featured the Teatro Nuovo young artists, who also form the opera chorus. They performed arias and scenes from the Vaccai and Zingarelli operas, alongside a duet by Stephen Foster, “Wilt Thou Be Gone, Love?” from Shakespeare’s text, accompanied by Timothy Cheung on piano. This scene, with Romeo mourning over Juliet’s tomb, seems to have particularly inspired composers, as noted in recent features on parterre’s Chris’s Cache podcast.
Franco Fagioli sings the Zingarelli (composed by the original Romeo, Girolamo Crescentini):
Here is Vaccai with Marilyn Horne doing the “Malibran” version:
Georges Thill in the Gounod opera:
From the Zandonai opera with Miguel Fleta:
Jan de Gaetani sings the Foster duet with Leslie Guinn, baritone:
Given that New York City hasn’t experienced Bellini’s beautiful opera in over twenty years, its return was overdue, though Capuleti is no stranger to stages around the world. The opera itself took centre stage, which is fitting, as bel canto relies on “beautiful singing.” The genre needs stars to shine brightly. There are talents out there, and with Crutchfield’s expertise, there’s hope that these stars will be discovered and allowed to shine at their brightest. The resources are available to achieve this.
Photos: Steven Pisano
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