Tosca – Sydney Opera House – Friday 17th Feb 2017
For the first time I can recall the national company has put
on an opera with four imported artists of international calibre. And it shows.
This is a stunning outing of the John Bell Tosca set in Nazi occupied
Rome, swastikas, straight-arm salutes, Hitler youth and all. It is dramatically intact and intense. But most importantly, we are bathed in a
tsunami of vocalism from start to finish.
Richard Anderson as Angelotti started proceedings with his
booming bass, followed by Luke Gabbedy as the adenoidal Sacristan. Spanish soprano Ainhoa Arteta and Romanian
tenor Teodor Ilincai then gave us a believable and at times funny lovers scene
followed by the stentorian Te Deum
with veteran Italian baritone Lucio Gallo and chorus almost raising the
roof. This scene with its gradual
crescendo and rhythmic beat was so penetrating that I hummed it for days.
The three main roles showed that they were star material in
their own ways. Most impressive was
after a fine rendition of Tosca’s prayer Vissi
d’arte the final note on the simple word “cosi”. This was taken beyond the score to a fine
diminuendo and then ultimately a plosive bleat with devastating effect. It makes one appreciate that Ms Arteta is
doing something novel for her money.
Just singing the notes for Cavaradossi is enough to earn his fee … yet Mr Ilincai did more than
that, looking the part and acting well.
Signore Gallo had what it takes, looking more like a gentleman than a
rapist, but that’s the part he plays in Rome of the day.
Grand opera is like international sport and without top
stars it cannot survive with seats costing over $300 each. Like the Williams sisters, Michael Jordan,
LeBron James or Michael Phelps, these exemplary singers have role models in
their field. The national company seems
to have finally realised this and we are now hearing top class singers again.
Mr Badea (the fourth imported artist) kept up the pace with
a huge ovation before act 3 for his orchestra.
The chorus, comprimario singers and boy soprano were all also
excellent.
I make a point of sitting further back than most reviewers,
about half way to the rear of the hall.
On this occasion even patrons in the most distant seats would not have
missed one note, such was the sheer power of the singing. Unlike many of this company’s opera reprises
this is certainly worth a return visit.
BTW, Nabucco live from the Met was finally shown in
Australian cinemas last weekend and was a triumph and a pleasure. Placido Domingo is near 80 years of age yet
is able to portray every emotion and sing the baritone socks off the weakened
Babylonian king. Liudmyla Monastyrska
played Abigaille (the “soprano-killer” role) while Dimtry Belosselskiy sang a
forceful Rabbi-in-charge. The staging by
John Napier and Elijah Moshinsky is simply brilliant.
This is the final production
before the opera theatre closes for major renovations. The "season" now goes into
'homeless' mode with various venues, concert performances but still some
phenomenal repertoire. Later in the year
we look forward to Thais, Verdi's Manzoni Requiem, Parsifal and Madama
Butterfly (Capitol).
Notes by Andrew Byrne ..
