Sunday, October 30, 2011

There are no words - Love of the Nightgale

There are no words.

Seriously, there are no words. Just like the Thracian women repeatedly tell both Procne, and later Philomele, there are no words, to describe how a new theatrical piece invokes responses in you, and to try to describe the performance, there are no words to adequately describe what you have seen. And yet, we must. We must get out the truths of what we have seen and ensure that others want to see them also.

For those that have missed the whole "Love of the Nightingale" story and are wondering what I am talking about, OperaAustralia have just mounted the glorious Richard Mills opera, based on the story by Ovid in his Metamorphoses concerning the sisters Procne and Philomele and the Thracian king Tereus, whom Procne marries, and who then, while collecting Philomele to bring her to spend time in Thrace with her sister Procne, rapes and brutalises her.

That is the basics of the story. And, I will be honest, it does sound like a pretty grim night at the opera. Modern opera, based on a bloodthirsty tale of outrageous behaviour. And yes, it does live up to being a confronting night of theatre. Seeing someone have their tongue cut out is pretty gruesome, even if you know that it is not real. Especially when it is presented in such a way that you imagine it more than you see it.

But this is also a production with a lot of humour. I frequently was laughing out loud in the first act, which I was not expecting. Granted there was less humour in the second act, but then the plot does turn very ugly, so that was no surprise.

And, with the humour and the vivid characterisations, you did care about these characters. Most of them in fact, although I do not recommend getting to attached to lead tenor roles in this opera.

As the sisters, Emma Matthews and Anke Hoeppner have the sort of roles that singers dream about. And, fill them well they do. Emma is probably the finest singer we have in Australia at the moment, and once again, she showed us why. Her sweet coloratura filled the theatre throughout the night, with no risk of being overwhelmed, and always in control. Now, granted, this is her second time singing this role (she created the role in its first production) but this is one of those cases of a role that seem a gift to the singer. In fact, I am pretty sure that Richard Mills wrote the role around her originally. What a gift for her!

Anke was something of a surprise for me. I admit, the times before I have heard her, I have been underwhelmed. I would never have thought of her voice as beautiful. Powerful yes, but a tendency to be wayward, and harsh, not one I would rush off to hear again. As Procne, she held her own, as Philomele's older, though not wiser, sister, who marries the brutish Tereus. She left me realising that I need to reconsider her as a singer to investigate further, as she never fell into Emma's shadow, despite being on stage together for a large chunk of her role. I guess this is what happens when you only know performers from recorded performances.

As Tereus, Richard Anderson was the hulking brute he needed to be. He was the sort of man you could believe would do the things he did, if he did not get his own way. His voice was similar, powerful and intimidating, if not making beautiful sounds. This was of course, more a reflection on the music and the character he was portraying, rather than any lack on his part. He remains a singer I often wonder why he does not get better roles that show off his voice, but then maybe this is his choice too.

Elizabeth Campbell in her multiple roles, showed us why she remains one of Australia's pre-eminent oratorio singers. Her big mezzo voice was a model of clarity, making singing in English seem so easy. She was the only singer I could consistently understand, without ever needing the surtitles. Yes, she may have come across a bit less in character at times, but, with her roles I was not going to complain when every word was so clear.

David Corcoran sang with his usual ringy tenor voice. He seemed more confident than I have heard him before, but at the same time, I really do not think English is a good language for him. To my ear, he is all ping, with not enough body to his voice. This could be just me, but I like a fuller tenor voice than his. However, he was impressive as the captain of the ship that Philomele falls for, causing Tereus fits of jealousy.

Also, Taryn Fiebig sang a suitably radiant (if surprisingly vindictive) Aphrodite. Much of the blame for what happened gets sheeted home to her, yet, at best, she could only be said to be encouraging others to act out on their desires, rather than making those desires happen.

The music you ask? Well, I would probably describe it as fitting into a Britten-ish sound world. So, mostly tonal, with melody more likely to happen in snatches than full out arias. At the same time, there are exerptable solo moments of considerable beauty, and some quite powerful ensemble sections, making for a score that really demands multiple listenings to get a deeper appreciation for it. (Not to mention, the showstopping "Song of the Nightingale" at the end) It also reflects a keen ear for how to set words for voices, which considering the composer's long involvement with WA Opera, is not unsurprising.

The staging was initially annoying, till I adjusted to it. Having a series of platforms that roll around on stage to indicate different locations seems annoying at first, but it was made to work. You forgot it was just staging, and it became the locations, be they the palace at Athens, the boat, the beach or the palace in Thrace. It also enabled some quite difficult scenes of violence and outrageous behaviour to take place, without loss of believability, which was quite something.

Now, I have to say, for some, the moralising of some of the characters towards the end was annoying. For me, it was not, mainly because it fitted in with the whole Greek chorus thing that was happening. After all, ancient Greek theatre relied on the chorus to moralise, and ask the hard questions. Having said that it did go on for quite some time, to drum the point home, that we must ask questions, and we must never be afraid to speak out, lest we too lose the ability to do so.

But ultimately, the ending, with the gloriously over the top vocalise sung by Emma as the nightingale of the title was a fitting ending. It was an indication that we all had to find the way to say what we had no words for, to express the inexpressible. After all, what else is opera for?

Sunday, October 09, 2011

The Scottish Opera

Well, I finally got to see "The Scottish Opera" yesterday - you know, the one based on a play by Shakespeare that you are not allowed to say the name of, lest some of the witches' curse comes to haunt you. Live at the Sydney Opera House, with an impressive cast of singers that could do justice to Verdi's music.

And what a show it is! Sometimes, it really does take seeing a staged performance to really love and understand the music of an opera. That definitely applies here. Some of the things that may seem weak in the music on CD, really come to life when you understand what is happening, and can see it played out on stage. But ultimately, it demonstrates yet again, just what a master Verdi is at writing music to for dramatic purposes. No one wrote for chorus quite like he did, though ask me how he makes it work every time, and I scratch my head, it just does. And of course, the tunes!!! He instinctively had an ear for the tuneful, but was not afraid to write ugly music when the story called for it, its just his ugly makes many other composers seem like crows next to his nightingale.

So, what was today's performance (the last) like you say? Well, funny you should ask that…

Personally, I found a lot to love, and a little to dislike.

I am going to start with the dislike first. With a caveat. I rarely ever like Peter Coleman-Wright as a singer. There is something about his voice that irritates me. I think it is something weird he is doing technically, that I can't work out, but he never sounds vocally "all there" to me. It is as if he is swallowing his vowels or something, it just never sounds as forward and as ringy as it should, especially if you are sitting towards the back of the theatre. This day, I have to say, he was worse than normal vocally. Now, don't get me wrong, as a performer, he is quite absorbing to watch, but I would never buy a CD of his, and normally would avoid going to something he is in, but this was a production I have been eagerly awaiting, so he was not stopping me.

So, as Macbeth he was the consummate performer, tearing up the scenery as required, as the ambitious scheming Macbeth whose grip on reality begins to slip as the story progresses. The scene where he sees the ghost of Banquo demonstrates just what a powerful actor he is, with a performance that would not be out of place in a performance of the play.

As his wife, Elizabeth Whitehouse was the rock that the production revolved around. Her magnificent voice shone throughout the performance, tossing off Verdi's difficult music, if not with ease, certainly with confidence and flair, showing while she may be known more for Germanic roles, she certainly can sing Verdi Spinto/dramatic roles well. This is a singer in command of a big voice, who knows how to use it to great effect. Frequently while listening to her voice, I realised I would love to hear her sing Abigaille from Nabucco, as the vocal demands seem similar when you listen to them. Having said that, early in the opera, I was worried listening to some of her high notes. They sounded wayward, not in pitch, but tonally, as if she was struggling to get them out, not singing with the ease and clarity of her lower and middle range. Thankfully this cleared up as the opera continued, which makes me suspect she was feeling less than 100% at the start, or was not warmed up fully.

But of course, any Lady Macbeth stands or falls on her Sleepwalking scene, that mad scene for dramatic voices. Verdi himself was more concerned about believability than beautiful tones in his original Lady Macbeth, and you can sort of see why, she really is not a nice character, but a manipulative, amoral cold blooded killer, who thinks nothing of goading Macbeth into other murders.While I would never call Elizabeth's voice harsh, or ugly, there were definitely times when she sounded ugly and harsh, making her beautiful voice serve the drama, demonstrating the ugliness at the heart of Lady Macbeth.

As Banquo, Daniel Sumegi was mostly what you expected. Solid voice (seemed to be less full and rich than I remembered in the lower register, but that could just have been the day) with a big dark sound that carried well. He portrayed the solid friend who becomes progressively fearful of his friend as well as he is able in the limited time he had before he succumbed to Macbeth's murderous behaviour.

The big surprise for me was Rosario La Spina as Macduff. It is not a big role, but wow, that is a real tenor!!! When someone in a small role gets such a huge applause, you know either the rest of the cast are hopeless (which they were not!!) or that the small role was ideal for the performer and they really shone. In his aria just before the sleepwalking scene, La Spina showed how to sing Verdi's passionate, heart on sleeve music, and the audience went nuts with applause. As they should.

Everyone else sang well, but few stood out, except maybe Richard Anderson, wasted as the Doctor, as indeed, he is so often, with his powerful voice reduced to being a commentator as Lady Macbeth did her sleepwalking routine. I was also very impressed with the chorus, I have not heard them sounding so good in a long time.

Now, having said all that, I do have to take my hat off to the lighting designer. Etienne Boucher (restudied for the Sydney Opera House stage by Nigel Levings) worked wonders with lighting. He made us forget that we were dealing with a unitary set, and instead see different places, be it the witches scenes, the castle, or the forest. The lighting took the scene and made you see different things. Even after the forest scene, when there was snow falling on the rebels, I was thinking how were they going to clean it up, without closing the curtain before the next scene. With the change of lighting from outside, into the nighttime castle scene for the sleepwalking, the lighting changed such that the "snow" disappeared altogether. He both picked up mood changes and environmental factors, weaving them into a cohesive whole, in a way few lighting directors seem to be able to.

As to the production generally, while I do not like as a rule unitary sets, this one was made to work. As I said, this had a lot to do with the lighting, but also by the range of places on the set, that were all utilised at different times, in different ways.

On the other hand, the costumes were less successful. I started out annoyed at the twentieth century dress styles and lack of kilts (the men all started in great coats that looked more Germanic than anything), by the end I was not really concerned about how the various people were dressed. I assumed that there was some message intended by the modern dress, but it was not clear to me. Personally, I just thought of it as someone attempting to keep something accessible by making the costumes seem like what you might see in the streets today, but at some points the clothing looked definitely early twentieth century not current, which does tend to defeat the purpose…

But ultimately, this was a fairly traditional production of a standard opera, albeit one we rarely see in Australia. It was mostly beautifully sung, and only one person sounded out of place or miscast. Many sounded like luxury casting. And really, in the end, opera is about the singing, to my mind. And in this performance, I knew I had got my money's worth, and then some, with moments of pure magic. Can we really ask for more?

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Thoughts on OA's next season

Right. Here we go again. That time of the year when we find out what the Opera Company have for us for next year, when we start thinking about what we want to go and see.

Now, before I start, I have to say, when you are unsure of the health of the economy and what is going to happen, playing it safe is always a good thing to do. And I applaud any artistic company that does that while still working to keep standards high.

(Yes, I know you can hear the buts already!!!)

Here is the list, in the order in the brochure: The Magic Flute; Turandot; Marriage of Figaro; Cosi Fan Tutte; Die Tote Stadt; The Pearlfishers; Aida; South Pacific; Madama butterfly; Lucia di Lammermoor; Salome; La Traviata (the open air, on the water spectacular)

Already I hear the grumbling, right? Yes, I hear it in my head too.. 3 Mozarts? All the big names, not even a lesser known, like Idomeneo, or Abduction. And yes, it does look like Carmen and Boheme belong there too, doesn't it?

But, as I said before, they went for safety in uncertain times. Almost all of those productions are safe crowd pullers in Australia. Personally, I think we can do without Pearlfishers, although, I guess, putting a different French opera in that will pull the crowds that is not Carmen (done this year) is a bit of a challenge, although why not some Offenbach?

But having griped, there are two things I was not expecting to see done here in a hurry (Die Tote Stadt & Salome) that I would love to go and see (and probably will), along with a selection I want to see. Some I want to see for the casting, some because I just love them.

And yes, there is that crazy Traviata on the water. Why, if you are doing an outdoor production, can you not pick a big opera, that deserves a big production, rather than an intimate story about a lovers quarrel? Why not make Aida, or Turandot, (for 2 from next season) or say, William Tell if you want to make an impact? But no, we got La Trav, which is about as unspectacular as you can get while still using a chorus and a decent number of soloists.

I should also not gripe about the casting. Yes, it is a bit Cheryl heavy, and while I like her, I do not think she is vocally big enough for Salome. Hell, I had reservations about her in Capriccio, and she is cast as Salome? On the other hand, I would go see Lucia (which I would rather not) just to hear Emma Matthews continue to stake her claim as the best soprano of the current generation from Australia. Yes, she is that good. Oh, and who would not want to see the lavish Turandot we know and love?

So, all up? For me, it is a season that is appropriate for next year. Yes, I find some of it strange, but at the same time, it is a safe season, which, with the new AD at the head of the company, and my knowledge of him, is a very welcome surprise.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Thoughts on OA's Capriccio

Ok…

I have had a day to cogitate, and to recover the lack of sleep, so now it must be time to start thinking/talking about Capriccio.

Ok, first things first. This is not the sort of opera you go to for beautiful sweeping melodies and glorious arias. Yes, there are some truly fabulous solo passages, but they are not really arias, in the way that say Verdi wrote arias, much less say Mozart. That is not to say there are no beautiful parts, but most of them are ensembles. There was some truly beautiful moments in this opera, but most of them are just that, moments, that reach that point, then move on to something else.

Next, I also have to say, I am not a fan of Richard Strauss operas. Sure, I can admire the genius of the writing, and he clearly loved the art form, but really? I rarely find him moving. I am happy to admit, that is probably more to do with me than Strauss. I always find him a bit like a Wagner, without Wagner's ability to pull a great melody out of nowhere, or to effortlessly take you to an unexpected place musically and make it work. To my ear, Strauss often seems to be journeyman to Wagner's master. Not bad per se, just failing to reach the visceral emotional response that a good Wagner performance will bring out. Then again, maybe that is precisely the point. Strauss's operas could just be too detached and academic for me, while Wagner, for all his musical innovation, still reached out and grabs you, demanding your heart, not just your mind. Well, that is how it works for me.

Also, this has to be said. I have never come across such a meta opera before. Deciding towards the end to sit down and write an opera about the events we have just watched on stage? Any literature theorist would have a field day!

Yet, having said all that, I have made this opera sound like a pretentious piece of intellectual snobbery, which it definitely isn't. To be sure, both Strauss and Clemmens Krauss the librettist, are playing intellectual games in this piece all the time. But, at the same time, they do invite us to join in the fun. An opera about ideas, but at the same time, ideas that only matter to a select few seems dull. But it is anything but.

This is, I have to admit, a hilarious opera, well served, with a hilarious staging. The laughs come thick and fast throughout the opera. Sure, many of them are in jokes, but far more of them work whether or not you know opera. The actress rolling her eyes (Clairon, played by Tania Ferris in a delectable piece of acting) on realising she is dealing with an amateur with no idea of acting other than going over the top with everything. The Italian singers who were clearly sending up numerous famous singers (Pavarotti for one) with their ridiculous flamboyance, and then drunkenness. And the Impressario, who wanted to make everything into a giant spectacle, yet longed to leave his mark on his art.

But, what about the singing, did I hear you say? Well, first off, let me congratulate Conal Coad as La Roche. Is there a better comic bass in Australia? I cannot think of one. He took this role and owned it. His powerful resonant voice did not put a foot wrong, and carried off the acting demands with aplomb. He took the demanding thankless role of the curmudgeon, and made it special. Vocally, he would be the person I would go back to hear again in this opera.

The lovers? Well, to my mind, Andrew Brunsdon seemed under powered. Not that he was lost amongst the orchestra, just he seemed to be lacking in the power to make his characterisation something truly special, because, do not get me wrong, he sang beautifully with a clear ringing sound, just the role did not seem right for him. Maybe in ten years, his voice will have grown into this role, but in the theatre, I frequently found myself wishing for a bigger voice.

Michael Lewis as the poet on the other hand, sounded more like i would have expected. He had the vocal heft for the role, but somehow he seemed lacking somewhat. Why the Countess would think him an equal to the Flamand of Brunsdon I could not work out. He never really made me want him to win her hand, which for him to be believable, you needed at least some of the time. I did not get that from him, but I did get impressive singing, which I was happy with.

Clairon as I mentioned earlier was sung By Tania Ferris. In her initial scene I was underwhelmed by her voice, but she soon settled into the role and her voice opened up to reveal a mezzo of more size and expression than I expected. She brought humanity to the role, even as it was played for laughs.

As the man in love with her, Christopher Tonkin was an attractive Count. Possibly a little too knowing and not in the moment enough for me, but he was able to bring lots of laughs with his role. The fact that he sang well, and looked the handsome, layabout no good nobleman did not hurt either…

The Italian Singers as I mentioned earlier where quite hilarious. I did not mention they also sang beautifully, and were clearly having a ball as the guests that end up hanging around for longer than you want, but can't quite work out how to get rid of. And yes, they sent up a number of famous singers, and generally were a roaring success.

Now, normally, I have to admit I am not a fan of Graeme MacFarlane. To me, he was an over promoted character tenor who was never really all that. As the prompter, he seems to have found his niche. A gnome like character who was deliberately unattractive, yet ends up being all the more real for it? It certainly worked for him, and, I have never heard him sing so well either. I would never describe his voice as beautiful, but it was clear and rang out through the house, indeed, he was a model of how to make a little go a long way!!

I have left the star of the show to the end. I say star, because ultimately Capriccio is about the Countess, and her role is pivotal to everything that happens. And yet, despite the undeniable beauty of her voice, and her on stage presence, to me, Cheryl Barker has not convinced me as the Countess. For most of the opera, she seems underpowered, as if a bigger voice would suit the role better. Her voice really does not seem to bloom till the end with her long monologue. Then you get to see what her Countess could (and should) be. Which makes me wonder if it is a concern about stamina, making her hold back, rather than a lack of power to sing through that I am hearing. This would not be surprising, as it is a big role to sing, and the most demanding and most important singing is at the end of the opera.

Having said that, apart from the vocal concerns, I found hers an impressive performance. She was a convincing focus for the show, just I found myself wishing for someone with the voice of say Dame Kiri, or similar. A bigger voice, who could spin those lines and make them into pure gold for the whole show, something sadly Cheryl Barker was not able to do on the night I was there. I can only hope she will grow into this more as the season progresses.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Kill da wabbit....

For those who get the reference, well done. For those who don't, it is from Warner Brothers' "Whats opera doc?" that awesome cartoon which has Bugs and Elmer Fudd making fun of Wagner's Ring Cycle. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQlmXU1zqfc&feature=related )

So, this afternoon, a small handful of us went to the cinema to see another "Live from the Met in HD" opera recording (which was only about a month late!) This time, it was the second part of The Met's new Ring Cycle, Die Walkure, featuring a great cast and "the machine"

First, a bias. Part of me had been hoping in the lead up to the recording, that the Siegmund was going to be unable to sing on the day and the Australian tenor Stuart Skelton, his understudy, would get to sing. Sadly, this was not to be. However, having heard Jonas Kaufmann (and watched him as well) I certainly am not going to complain. Jonas is an outstanding singer, and cute to boot. His Siegmund was a masculine, virile presence who certainly was believable from the word go as the outcast who had spent his life fighting with his sword, till he collapsed totally exhausted. Not to mention, he sang outstandingly, and was convincing as the tortured soul that he played.

As his love interest/twin sister (yes, there is incest in opera, not just in Game of Thrones),
Eva-Marie Westbroek was also suitably impressive. She, too, sang beautifully, and her transformation from abused wife, to woman in love, to woman in fear of what was to happen next was totally believable..

Her husband in this was performed by someone I have not come across before, a singer I hope to hear again in the future. And once again, it was a villain who I wanted to hear singing Wotan, for his sheer vocal power, and his ability to act with his singing, without losing the quality of his sound.
Hans-Peter Konig (who sang Hunding) is definitely worth investigating further.

As Fricka, Stephanie Blythe proved why she is one of the US's most sort after dramatic singers. She only had one scene, but it is pivotal. She is the one who convinces her husband Wotan to go against his plans, and Blythe is convincing. She has a big powerful voice, and a physical presence that she uses to dominate the scene. Doing that against Bryn Terfel is no mean feat.

As Wotan, Terfel is much more at ease this time, than he was in Rheingold. He just sounded more at ease, and seemed much more in command of his performance. He was of course, as is required by the role, much more troubled by doubts and fears, but he carried that off in spades.

Which brings us to Deborah Voigt as Brunnhilde. I think we can say that in Deb we have found the next great Brunnhilde. She was convincing from the first notes. As the performance progressed you saw her change from the carefree, girlish figure who is the favourite of her father Wotan, into a woman making her own choices and learning to live with the consequences, even if it means becoming mortal. Her bright silvery tones rang out clearly, making the role seem easy, even though we know it not to be the case. She did not sound tired even by the end, after that long last act where she sings constantly.

Which brings us to the production, and The Machine, that piece of staging that dominates this Ring cycle, in a way no other set would. Unlike the first opera, this time I did not feel like there were times when it was used because they wanted to show of the toy, rather than because it was a good choice. Hunding's hut was cleverly created, as were the various forest scenes. The rocky crags that feature prominently in this opera also worked well. Perhaps less well was using the machine to provide the horses, but I personally liked that, even though others felt it was a bit too "cutesy" It certainly was a better solution than having horses on stage with all the risks that come with them. My only real complaint about the machine was the ending when Brunnhilde ends up surrounded by fire. Somehow I cannot see Wotan leaving his favourite daughter upside down when he leaves her for the future hero to come. Also, call me old fashion, but if it calls for fire in the script, I want it to look convincingly firelike. It took for a long time before the magic fire looked convincing. Surely, if it were magic, it would look convincing from the word go? A minor quibble, but considering this was at the end, and what people were going to walk out of the theatre with, this matters.

So, in the end, I am left with this. A great cast, mostly served well by the production, but not all the time...

I will settle for a great cast anytime, myself..


Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Some people are special

Yes, I guess that title is fairly obvious. But, I was at a loss to explain what I needed to write about any other way. Because some people ARE special.

This came up because today, while heading home, I found out via Facebook (of all places) that someone who I have never met, but count as a friend, had been in a horrific traffic accident (along with her husband) and had been airlifted to hospital to undergo emergency surgery. This hit me in the pit of my stomach. I was almost in tears.

Why you ask? Well, Susan Eichhorn Young IS special.

She is one of the most generous people I have come across online. She is a singing teacher based in New York (or just out of it) who regularly also travels to other places to give lessons as well. She also runs group classes on performing, writes a regular blog about issues associated with singing, as well as regularly posting on various message boards, helping others to develop their vocal potential, because that is what she loves.

She has also been generous to me at times too, knowing the crap I have been through, and happy just to connect to have a chat.

She also has a hilarious sense of humour, and truly enjoys life. I would feel privileged to be compared to her, and I know many people who know her in person feel the same way.

So, to the lovely Susan, hang in there love! Do not allow your voice to be silenced. Sing out, and stand up to the world as you long have. We need more people like you who make a difference in the world.

Sunday, June 05, 2011

La Nozze di Figaro in cinema extravaganza

Ok, before I start this, allow me to make a few disclaimers.


1) This was a free ticket. I won mine, and my companions also won tickets, so we were very happy to be seeing something for free.


2) I admit to being somewhat biased about Opera Australia. When they get it right, they are up the with the best. Not that they always do of course, but they CAN do...


3) I love funny Mozart productions, and this was very funny.


4) I have competed in an eisteddfod against at least one, and I suspect 2 of the leads in this show many years ago, and am always really pleased to see them doing well.


5) There was a problem with the sound not being totally in sync with the visuals. At times this was annoying, other times you barely noticed it, but it was there. Why? I have no idea, but it needs to be fixed for future productions.



Okay, now to the meat and potatoes, as it were.


First, let me say that I was not entirely convinced by the production design of this show. It did not really strike me as a convincing country residence of a wealthy aristocracy member. The first act set was a nondescript brownish fabric backdrop, which was draped rather than hung. There was an opening in it for the door, and doors on either side of the stage which were fixed in place for all acts of the opera, and looked the worse for wear, being plain wood, not the sort of thing you would expect to see in a count's bedroom, for example, or in his 2 highly placed and respected servants, whose marriage the opera revolves around. The following acts also featured scenery that did not entirely match what was required, or what was referred to, which is annoying.


The set also frequently featured things that were totally out of place, deliberately so. In Figaro and Susanna's bedroom, there was a red vinyl reclining rocker chair, and a steam iron that Susanna is using at the start, on a wooden folding ironing board, that, if it had a metal frame would look at home in a modern home. The ironing board was the subject of much amusing business, with people getting bent over on it, or in one case, having it wind him rather painfully. There was also a hairdryer on a stand in the Countess's bedroom, the sort you see in hairdressers that cover your whole head (?) These incongruities were both amusing and confusing, leading to “why were they there” thoughts.


The business in the first act, with first Cherubino hiding, then the Count hiding, with the chair was handled very well, if a touch unbelievably. It was also hilarious, because you could see what was coming, yet the reveal of the hidden characters was farcical in the true sense of the word, not corny or hackneyed. This was also one of those moments where a more true to life setting would have worked better, with more places to hide as the characters moved around the room. On the other hand, the final aria of the first act, where Figaro sings about Cherubino joining the army was probably over played. It was funny, but you would have expected Figaro to show a bit more sympathy to Cherubino, rather than making him suffer quite so much. It was funny, but it felt a bit forced as it got more over the top. On the other hand, the interplay between Marcelina and Susanna was priceless. The frostiness between them as they tried to get the other to leave first was both real AND funny, just like most of this production.


The Countess's bedroom scene also was played for laughs. Apart from the very affecting opening aria Porgi amor, the comedy came fast and furious. Rachelle Durkin sang a very beautiful Countess, all too real, and both driven to distraction by her husband's behaviour, and longing to get him back, to return to the days when he was affectionate and loving. Her's is a high sounding soprano with a faster vibrato than is common these days, but with a strong powerful sound, which made a clear distinction to Taryn Fiebig's more darker sound. The interplay between them worked very well both musically, as well as their acting, the years of having sung together showed. They were totally believable as the lady and her maid, who knew all her secrets. Both sang beautifully throughout, and shon in the glorious solo music they both get.


Sian Pendry as Cherubino is one of those cases of great casting. She is believable as a boy. She plays the boy in the control of his hormones very well, and totally looks the part. Indeed, if it was not for the voice, you would think she WAS a boy. But, no, this mezzo sings with a clarity, putting all the enthusiasm required for this gift of a role to it's service.


As Marcelina, Jacquie Dark is surprisingly sexy. Yes, she is old enough to have been around and seen and done most of it. Yes, she is that stereotyped bitch that her character is meant to be. But she was more. From the start, there was the human warmth behind her, so that the Act 3 sudden change was not so much "Oh my God!" but a natural and logical reaction for someone who has previously been crushed by her life, but saw a chance to redefine herself. In short, she was a real person, and a walking, singing demonstration of the adage, there are no small roles, only small performers.


Kaneen Breen also was very strong as the music master. He was every bit the fussy prissy nasty gossip the story makes him out, the butt of many jokes. He also grabbed the role with both hands and made it his own, with lots of minor scene stealing moments that made his character more than just a figure of fun. In fact, he was clearly having enormous fun being the figure of fun..


I have not really said much about Figaro and the Count yet. Having Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Peter Coleman Wright in the same show really is a gift to any audience. Teddy with his undeniable physical charms, as well as a virile baritonal sound really makes the former barber turned manservant role his own. He is convincing as well as funny, and from the opening duet, you know he is well cast in this role.


Likewise Peter Coleman Wright as the Count is everything you would expect from this experienced performer. He plays him for his faults, and works to bring the humour out. If he is not the natural comic that TTR appears, that also works, because the Count is supposed to be a serious figure, with very obvious flaws. That he manages to humanise him says much about his skill as a performer.


And yet, for all the obvious strengths of the male cast members, the things that remain for me as I write this, is just how amazing the women were in this. They really were the heart of this performance. Taryn and Rachelle were the glue that made everything stick. Their Sull' aria duet was the music that stuck in your head afterwards (and this is an opera full of great tunes). Not because it was staged funny or something unexpected happened, but rather because they allowed the beauty of the music to express the emotions of the characters, and the closeness between them. Not to mention, they sang it beautifully. I went with 2 others who also have sung in opera, and knew this opera quite well. Each of us, after leaving the cinema sang snatches of sull' aria as we headed off. Somehow, it seemed to sum up the production. And, I guess in an opera about relationships and their difficulties, that is probably a good thing.