Il turco in Italia, Gioachino Rossini

For the first time revived at Glyndebourne, the 2001 production by French director Mariame Clément is truly entertaining and very enjoyable. The concept of the piece revolves around a contemporary writer, Prosdocimo, suffering from writer’s block, who flips through a travel magazine and creates all sorts of characters and situations from it. Seated at his desk, he writes as the words appear behind him on a large flipchart. As he makes changes, they are reflected on the chart. But his partner also intervenes, making changes that seem to come from a female rather than a male perspective. Cleverly, the characters, the scenery, and the props transform as these adjustments are made to the story. The role is performed with both humour and a touch of naivety by the up-and-coming British baritone, Ross Ramgobin.

From the overture, this idea is introduced during a book signing by the author. He is accompanied by a flirtatious, attention-seeking girlfriend, whom he abandons for a more sensible assistant. When the curtain rises, the author is at his desk, and the assistant becomes his partner, the one who constantly changes the story.

The first half of the production takes place in the author’s study, where characters appear as he writes his novel. This also means that the props (such as gypsy caravans, a 19th-century room, and later, a 21st-century gas station) slide on and off stage. The characters also have to keep changing depending on the novel’s shifts. Thus, the Turk transforms from traditional costume to jeans and a leather jacket, while the flirtatious wife swaps her 19th-century attire for a 1950s outfit, and so on.

Russian soprano Inna Demenkova seemed genuinely surprised by the warmth of the Glyndebourne audience’s reception. She really shouldn’t be. She sings the role of Fiorilla with not only great charm and a flair for Rossini’s demands but also an appealing acting style. The same can be said for her husband, Don Geronio, played by Fabio Capitanucci, and the dashing, beautifully voiced Turk Selime, sung by Michael Mofidian. The Scottish singer has a marvellous voice.

These three singers never stopped delighting the audience. They took all the dramatic demands in stride, including the complex choreography. There was also sparkling singing from Grace Durham as Zaida, who plays the down-to-earth rival for the affections of the amorous Turk. Her scenes with the crystal ball, for instance, and the “catfight” between Fiorilla and Zaida, were full of wit and very amusing. The odd love interest is rounded off by a young man, Don Narciso, sung with fervor by Agustín Gómez.

Conductor Olivia Clarke kept up a lively pace with Rossini’s vibrant score, full of Mozartian influences.

Everything is handled with so much humour that there’s little chance racial or cultural stereotypes would offend. It’s primarily a battle of the sexes, featuring different archetypes of men and women. At least, that’s one way to justify it!

Until 30 October

https://www.glyndebourne.com/events/il-turco-in-italia/

© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photographer: Tristram Kenton