“The Love of Three Kings” Royally Produced
By Flo Mano with Wes Hessel
The Opera Festival of Chicago opened its fifth season at the Atheneum with “The Love of Three Kings” (L’amore dei tre Re) composed by Italo Montemezzi. It is an opera that has been neglected – kudos to the festival that made a bold decision to revive it. Directed by Sasha Gerritson, libretto by Sem Benelli and conductor Emanuele Andrizzi, it is a four-character opera, with a handful of minor parts, set in the Italian Dark Ages. Montemezzi tells this story with music that surges with emotional intensity.
“The Love of Three Kings” features bass Andrea Silvestrelli as King Archibaldo – commanding the stage with his voice and bigger than life presence – who conquered Atura and proclaimed himself king. He forces Flora to marry his son Manfredo, played by baritone Franco Pomponi, who is away at war. Soprano Maria Kanyova is Flora, a princess of Altura – her character is a very powerful woman. She is fearless as she is able to stand up for herself and stand by who she truly loves – prince Avito (tenor Andrew Morstein), who was betrothed to Fiora before the conquest. They love each other and are having an affair. King Archibaldo, who is blind, suspects her but is also attracted to her yet he torments her.
Manfredo comes back from war, and Flora forces herself to be with him. He leaves for the front lines again, giving her a scarf that she waves upon his departure, only to have Avito try to win her love after she decided to be faithful to her husband. The king appears accuses her, attacks her-she tries to fend him off – in his fury he strangles her with the scarf. Manfredo returns to be with her and the king tells him she has betrayed him and he killed her. Murdering her was not enough; seething, he senses that the lover will come to her funeral for an eternal last kiss, so he applies poison to her lifeless lips. Manifredo also kisses Flora and both men die – Archibaldo is now surrounded by the remnants of his own blind jealousy…
The stage design by Shane Cinal was minimalistic and worked well with the scene changes. The lighting by Mike Goebel low, the music very loud – it subdued the singers. The chorus at the end as mourners was euphonious. This production of “The Love of Three Kings” was a welcome event which showed that this opera has intriguing music, a lot of depth, and the potential to make a powerful impression as it did once upon a time. For future offerings by the Opera Festival of Chicago, please visit their website at www.operafestivalchicago.org.
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