Dec 5, 2009

L’ELISIR D’AMORE (Nemorino)

(München Bayerische Staatsoper)

“With a special love presented is Nemorino, whose polished role concept meets an extraordinary cast with the tenor Giuseppe Filianoti. This character is staged as a mixture of Charlie Chaplin and a pubescent boy, languishing Adina at times and then keeping her in suspense… Filianoti’s acting talent is flourishing and also his vocal performance is absolutely worth listening to, when down from a telephone pole he is adoring Adina with ‘Una furtiva lagrima’.”

A.U., Online Musik Magazin, 2009

“Nemorino found in the physically very agile Giuseppe Filianoti a vocally high, respectable and stunningly brilliant acting interpretation. In this ideal mixture he left nothing to be desired and could celebrate, receiving rightfully overwhelming cheers; one of the most impressive house debuts in the last years. With his clownish melancholy and posing like Charlie Chaplin, the young Italian showed all facets of his coming talent. He delivered the romance ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ audaciously by using all his muscular power, appearing to be completely free from dizziness at lofty heights on a lamp post. As dreamy and having lost the ground under his feet, this mega-hit has never been performed before.”

A.U., Das Opernglas, 2009

“Tenors are nice people. They are prepared to join in everything. So too is the excellent Giuseppe Filianoti, who is forced by the regie to climb a lamp-post for the most famous aria of this opera: He sang ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ from lofty heights admirably… (He) made the shy lover as a brother of Charlie Chaplin: wide, torn trousers, the typical awkward movements, charming, clumsy, lovable.”

Stefan Dosch, Abendzeitung December 3, 2009

“Regisseur Bösch presents this Nemorino from appearance and acting in a way that he seems to be an anticipation of Rolando Villazon, who will take over this role in July. But the gorgeous looking Giuseppe Filianoti performs the miracle of making people forget any promise of Villazon. Everything he shows is not copy, but a lovably lively filled ideal. And how difficult it is to make such a naive dreamer authentic. Filianoti’s voice has, without sobbing, the necessary melancholy; it is light, agile, beautifully timbered, led almost effortlessly.”

Reinhard J. Brembeck, Süddeutsche Zeitung, December, 3, 2009

“The biggest applause went to the two hindered lovers: Giuseppe Filianoti, who during his aria ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ has to perform acrobatics on a lamppost. However, he acts wonderfully naturally and proves to be strong in all coloratura and positions.”

Matthias Bieber, Tz, December 3, 2009

“This L’elisir is the evening of Giuseppe Filianoti.

How Filianoti plays this and supports himself with his emphatic tenor reveals him as an enchanting performer, who – thanks to David Bösch – is having his outing as an actor.”

Markus Thiel, Münchner Merkur, December 3, 2009

“Convincing as an actor is Giuseppe Filianoti as Nemorino: a sad fool, touching by his helpless, unconditional love. His lyric tenor has the necessary chest volume and dark colour, which make it possible to give also the melancholy side of the role.”

A.U., Augsburger Allgemeine, 2009

“This love-drunk Nemorino… conquers this evening… according to the… Munich audience.

A reason for this is certainly the ecstatic production, but even more the main performer Giuseppe Filianoti, who shows Nemorino with gentle determination, a happy fool…

Nobody can escape the charm of this Italian singer.

What remains is a lightness of being, a smile of love. And the certainty that with Giuseppe Filianoti a new magical being enriches the National Theater München.

Of course: Filianoti is highly acclaimed. An evening with magic.”

A.U., Sueddeutsche.de, 2009

“David Bösch makes the audience of the Bayerische Staatsoper happy with a playful production of Donizetti’s opera L’elisir d’amore. Among the soloists shines Giuseppe Filianoti as Nemorino.

The soloists give an excellent example to show that idiomatic perfect singers exist in the Italian repertoire, which at the same time can play so well that even singing close to the forestage looks like an intentional wink of the eye. It is not difficult to state that Giuseppe Filianoti as Nemorino in this production has established himself already directly in the heaven of opera.”

A.U., InFranken.de, 2009

“It is also the overwhelming joy in the playing and singing of Filianoti, who has internalized a lot of Charlie Chaplin movies, that is more than worth the evening. Splendidly comical…”

A.U., Klassikinfo.de, 2009

“Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Bayerische Staatsoper with the sensational Giuseppe Filianoti as Nemorino…

Closer to the sky and at the same time dangerously close to the abyss probably no tenor has ever sung this aria, as the sensational Giuseppe Filianoti in the Münchner National Theater  – five meters above the ground, acrobatically doing gymnastics on a lamp post.

Filianoti gives the dreamy tramp à la Charlie Chaplin… with flexible lyrical voice, a tenor for pure enjoyment.”

A.U., Suedwest-aktiv.de, 2009

“The same with Giuseppe Filianoti as Nemorino: Who is able to perform the feat, at dizzying height, clinging to a telephone pole, to sing the famous aria ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ with so much sweetness and tenorial fervour deserves the highest praise.”

Barbara Angerer-Winterstetter, Crescendo, December 3, 2009

“Giuseppe Filianoti as playful lover Nemorino gives a flexible Donizetti sound. Hanging from a lamp post he delights the audience of the premiere with the eternally young hit ‘Una furtiva lagrima’.”

Egon Bezold, Nürnberger Zeitung, December 3, 2009

“And there is also Giuseppe Filianoti as a likable, naive young peasant having become rich by inheritance, as a Charlie-Chaplin-double. The famous aria ‘Una furtiva lagrima’, sung with ardent and velvety tenor voice is bel canto from the finest.”

Hannes S. Macher, Passauer Neue Presse, December 3, 2009