Catan: Il Postino (LA Opera)

Like most operas, this one is a heartbreaker. "Il Postino," (The Postman) is a modern day opera by Mexican composer Daniel Catan. It's set on an island in Italy and based on the 1994 foreign film of the same name by Michael Radford and from the book "Ardiente Paciencia" (Burning Patience) by Antonio Skarmata. The lyrics are sung in Spanish. Subtitles can be added on screen in English or Spanish.Two great tenors are required to make this opera a success and this production from Los Angeles Opera has them in Placido Domingo as the famous real-life Nobelist poet Pablo Neruda and Charles Castronovo as the cheeky postman. The final moments of the duet between these two artists is incomparable as they blend their voices in absolute perfection.Daniel Catan's score is melodic and in the genre of Giacomo Puccini's "La Rondine" (The Swallow). The story touches the heart and Catan uses it like a Stradivarius in the telling.The seemingly idyllic life that Pablo Neruda leads in Italy during his exile there from his native Chile, masks the peril inherent in his political assertiveness and expressive freedoms. Romantic impulses prompt the postman to wish to become a poet. Neruda complies by teaching Mario about metaphors. When Neruda recites a poem to him, the postman describes feeling strangely seasick as the rhythm of the words move him like a boat on the sea. The poet exclaims "Mario, Do you know what you have made? A metaphor." The transformation begins.The postman wins his lady love through poetry but the price of emulating Neruda is steep. Shortly before their son is born, Mario Ruoppolo's life is taken in a martyr's death. He is shot while reading a poem he wrote when a riot spontaneously erupts at a political rally.It is not mentioned in the opera, but I read in the March 6, 2013, issue of The Philadelphia Inquirer that the body of Pablo Neruda is to be exhumed in Chile to determine whether he was murdered by lethal injection. He died there in 1983, just twelve days after a political rival came into power.The opera concludes with Pablo Neruda reading from the postman's journal about the poem he wrote of the sea and dedicated to Neruda in gratitude. As the poet laments, the phantom of Mario Ruoppolo appears. This incredible moment crowns the opera and makes the DVD a collector's item. It's hard to imagine two other tenors blending their voices so beautifully to sound as one in the closing duet. This DVD is a keeper.

... of the 21st Century! With "Il Postino," Mexican composer Daniel Catán has crafted an opera closer in both music and drama to the operas of Puccini than to those of Stravinsky, Berg, or Prokofiev, not to mention Glass or Adams! It's not post-modern; it's as if modernism never happened! And guess what? It works! It's a moving piece of narrative theater, made powerful by the brilliant ACTING of Plácido Domingo as Pablo Neruda and Charles Castronovo as the rural postman Mario. The Spanish-language libretto stays quite close to the Italian cinema Il Postino, but the character portrayals in the opera are even better than those in the film. I almost forgot that the singing poet on stage wasn't really Neruda, so well did Domingo capture his affect both in music and in "figura." The poignant tragedy of the narrative left Domingo visibly crying during his curtain calls. No applause could be adequate for the character performance of Castronovo as the Little Postman; he's as innocent, as tongue-tied, and as genuinely passionate as the role demands, and he sings as well as his obvious idol Neruda/Domingo.The music! Of course it's the music that matters most, and it's such music as allows both Domingo and Castronovo to soar vocally. The supporting roles, especially the Postman's Beatrice sung by Amanda Squitieri, are acted and sung with equal excellence. There are delightful minor highlights, musically and theatrically, enough to supercharge the central melodrama of this opera. Take note, for instance, of the surprise 'blessing' sung by Mario's Father (Gabriel Osuna); it's a musically authentic Corsican-style chant.All of this is sustained by very capable stage business -- good sets, good costuming, good lighting, etc. -- and excellent camerawork for this DVD. Il Postino is an opera that should find a niche in the scheduling of opera companies around the world for at least the next generation.One painful footnote: composer Daniel Catán died at age 52 in 2011, just months after the LA premiere of Il Postino.

This is the LA Opera production of a relatively modern opera by a Mexican composer. It's essentially a two man tenor show (although the supporting cast is excellent). Charles Castronovo is fabulous in one of his rare US performances. The music is actually lovely, although not filled with memorable arias. The real treat is to see two great actor-singers play off each other. The set is innovative with lots of use of projected images that really enhance the story, which is very very introspective. The whole plot is an homage to poetry and the arts in the service of both love and social justice. The final scene with Domingo and Castronovo moved me (and Domingo) to tears. It's going to be among my go-to performances.

A very touching opera reminiscent of Puccini’s, of Fanciulla in particular. The libretto is based on a fictional story taken from the movie of the same name. Pablo Neruda, the Chilean Nobel Prize winner, is real, as well as some of the poem excerpts used in the libretto, but the story is fictional, it never happened. Domingo as Neruda is perfect for the role. In fact Catan composed this opera for Domingo as commissioned by the Los Angeles Opera. The production is just perfect, using some very effective technologies like projections and the like. A pleasure to watch. The real hero of this production is Charles Castronove as Mario, the Il Postino (the mail man). His acting and singing are beautiful and he really gets into his character. Puccini was known for his tragic while adorable female characters, like Mimi, Cio-Cio San and Manon. Catan’s Mario falls into the same category.The music is very melodic, a surprise for a modern opera premiered in 2010. It fits perfect with the characters and their emotions. Very touching.Note, Il Postino is sung in Spanish. The poetic lyrics may lose some into English translation.Highly recommended.

This is a 21st century opera written by the Mexican composer Daniel Catan who sadly died unexpectedly in 2011 shortly after this world premier performance at the Los Angeles opera in 2010. Though written so recently and with modern attitudes and allusions this is still a highly approachable and melodious opera, very much in the style of the early operas of the 20th century. It is particularly reminiscent of Puccini in both its reality and glorious melodic lines. This is the best new opera that I have seen for as long as I can remember.The performance is also stunningly good. The cast is superb. Headed, of course, by the veteran Placido Domingo who gives a masterly performance in the role of the Nobel-prize winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. He is somewhat larger now than we are used to seeing him in his prime but the voice is still in glorious form and he gives a great performance both dramatically and vocally. The real star, however, is the young tenor Charles Castronovo. He first came to my attention in the recent recording of Gounod's 'Mireille' from the Opera national de Paris, in which he was outstandingly good. Here he is even better. He is absolutely perfect in the title role of 'Il Postino', vocally brilliant and also a fabulous actor and he looks perfect in the role of the young romantic and dramatic lead. The rest of the cast is also truly great, even having the veteran Vladimir Chernov in the relatively minor role of Gorgio, the friend of Mario, Il Postino.The ladies are also extremely well cast and great singers. Another international star, Cristina Gallardo-Domas, is ideal in the role of Matilde Neruda and has some fabulous duets with Placido Domingo, especially the truly memorable 'popular song' Comprendo, which they sing as if they are singing along to a recording - very effective dramatically and just a great song and singing. There are also lovely duets for Amanda Squitieri and Charles Castronovo. Amanda Squitieri plays Beatrice Russo who is the young lover and eventually wife of Mario, Il Postino. She has a powerful voice but is also capable of very beautiful singing in the fine duets she has with Castrononvo. The duets are one of the great strengths of this opera and the times when I was most strongly reminded of Puccini. This opera is not at all derivative, however, and has real individuality and character drawing on Catan's Latin-American roots. It is a really welcome addition to the opera repertoire and a truly enjoyable experience.The opera is sung in Spanish and there are subtitles in English and Spanish.

This opera was unknown to me before and I needed to watch twice before I really appreciated it. Once I understood the story I could concentrate on the music and the whole came together beautifully. The rapport between Placido Domingo and Charles Castronovo was palpable and the great man's generosity to his younger, very talented, co-star was a joy to see. So many top flight singers think only of their own importance, but this was a true partnership.

A1

This was for my mum for mothers day and she likes it very much. The music, the acting combined with the voice of Placido Domingo is great as always. It met my mothers expectations in every way

Placido Domingo in a role written for him. He excels as always. The production, though 'modern' suits him and he plays the character to perfection.