Ialcic, Roman - Bass-Baritone

 

Doch es muss gesagt werden: Diese Tosca lebt sehr von ihrem Bösewicht! Zwar tritt der Baron Scarpia erst gegen Ende des ersten Aktes auf und im dritten Akt gar nicht mehr, indes haben Puccinis Librettisten Guiseppe Giacosa und Luigi Illica mit dem sadistischen Polizeichef einen Schurken geschaffen der nur mit der Shakespear’schen Elle zu messen ist – nicht umsonst vergleicht er sich indirekt mit Iago – und der durch die Rücksichtslosigkeit und Besessenheit, mit der er die Regimegegner verfolgt und Tosca manipuliert eigentlicher Treiber der tragischen Handlung ist. Und Roman Ialcic, der schon als Philipp II. In Verdis „Carlos“ vollauf zu überzeugen vermochte (lokalo berichtete), verkörpert diesen Exponenten eines Polizeistaates der Napoleonischen Ära, durch den die Tosca so prophetisch auf die Schrecken des 20. Jahrhunderts vorausweist, perfekt, wobei ihm freilich seine imposante, stattliche Erscheinung sehr zupass kommt, durch die er schon rein physisch die Bühne dominiert.

 

 

 

Finally, I want to mention that Bryn Terfel suffered a major mishap the same day as the last performance and was replaced by Roman Ialcic, who was in Bilbao waiting to cover for Terfel if necessary. I was lucky enough to listen to him and I loved Ialcic, already known during his season in Bilbao and endowed with a beautiful voice and a great singing class, things that are not always united. He would have been a terrific starting Dutchman had it not been for the dazzling Terfel, and ABAO is likely to consider an upcoming return for a major role already. That a fatality like the one that befell Bryn Terfel is resolved in this way is noteworthy. Very good grade.

 

 

 

The performance of Román Ialcic deserves a special mention: the depth of his recording made the public experience the words of the malicious Sheriff firsthand, pitying Minnie on several occasions and enjoying, at the same time, each entrance of the Belarusian on stage, since he did not lose opportunity to highlight a clean voice, polished in all aspects (let's not forget that he even took master classes with the legendary Kurt Moll), and all the extension of his range and versatility in his vocal technique, which have allowed him to debut roles that they range from Verdi, Wagner, Rossini, Mussorgsky, von Weber and Tchaikovsky throughout his career. This, moreover, complemented perfectly with his stage presence and rigorous expressiveness that revealed a singer not only with a long career, but also with mastery of the character.

 

 

 

Moldavian bass-baritone Roman Ialcic was a commanding presence as the Dutchman. Tall and imposing in a long grey coat, Ialcic sang the monologue “Die Frist ist um” in rounded, molten tones. At times on his knees, he radiated the protagonist’s despair at his cursed existence with mesmerizing intensity. When singing softly, there was warmth, richness and depth in his superbly controlled voice.