Edgar, Puccini’s second opera, is not as melodically pleasing as his first, Le Villi, and the plot has even more holes in it. Herewith: Edgar, now happy with the pure and lovely Fidelia, was involved with the demonic, lusty Tigrana, who is now loved by Frank, Fidelia’s brother, though she does not return his love and in fact wants Edgar back. While the villagers pray, Tigrana sings a mocking song and they tell her to leave the village. She retreats to Edgar’s house and he protects her–and inexplicably sets fire to the house. Frank and Edgar duel and Frank is injured as Edgar and Tigrana leave. By Act 2, Tannhäuser-like, Edgar is tired of Tigrana and wants his old life back. Tigrana almost re-seduces him but he hears a platoon of soldiers and enlists. Frank is the captain and the two men are reconciled. Tigrana begs Edgar to stay, and when he does not, she swears vengeance. Act 3 opens at Edgar’s funeral; he has died in battle and his body is clad in full armor. Frank and a strange monk are among the mourners and the monk speaks out against the dead Edgar. The townspeople curse Edgar but Fidelia claims he was innocent of any wrongdoing. Tigrana enters and Frank and the monk bribe her into reluctantly saying that Edgar was a traitor. Soldiers rush the body angrily but discover empty armor. Then the monk reveals himself to be Edgar, cured of Tigrana and in love with Fidelia–and just as all seems as if it will end well, Tigrana comes forward and stabs Fidelia to death as everyone gasps in horror. Curtain.
And it isn’t just the plot outline that’s bad, but the individual lines are even worse. No wonder Puccini went through five (or more) librettists for his next opera, Manon Lescaut. At any rate, looking at Edgar from a Puccini-in-context point of view, we can hear the composer he was to turn into, and that alone makes it worthwhile. Vocal lines are expressive, the orchestral and choral parts are rich, an interest in portraying characters in music is already evident, and arias move nicely into ensembles. In other words, Edgar bears the Puccinian stamp.
This live production from Radio France features very good performances. The opera has only one piece of competition–a 1977 live recording from Sony, with Renata Scotto and Carlo Bergonzi, led by Eve Queler. Here, Julia Varady, as Fidelia, sings beautifully, with melting soft passages and great expression; Scotto’s unique brand of passion and involvement is quite different. Carl Tanner, as Edgar, is secure and pays attention to the text; his voice is bigger than Bergonzi’s (and he sounds younger) but lacks a real “ping” on the top notes. Mary Ann McCormick’s Tigrana is suitably vicious and the rest of the cast is fine. What we miss in the Radio France singers is an Italianate sound; there’s none anywhere. Conductor Yoel Levi almost makes up for that lack, however, with his earthy leadership; he leads the ridiculous situations to big-boned, exciting conclusions. Puccinians will need this, especially if they don’t own the Sony.
