Pearlfishers at the Sydney Opera House - ‘passable’ performance but disappointing crowd

Les Pecheurs de Perles. Sydney Opera House. Wed 4^th July 2012

This opera opening was of a fine standard overall yet the theatre was far from full for one of the most popular operas for Australian audiences. 

Andrew Jones is a fine full-throttle baritone while Henry Choo's tenor voice has lightened suitably for such French roles.  Both have clearly been working very hard on their art.  Soprano Nicole Car saved herself up for the last act and put on a balanced and stylish rendition of Leila, a very taxing role.  Basso Jud Arthur sang well as the priest.  The orchestra played well, as we have come to expect, under the baton of Maestro Guillaume Tourniaire.  Our chorus is also a credit to the company. 

The production is a blue back-dropped cardboard cut-out with clever illuminated miniatures visible at times.  It seems to ‘work’ with an Englishman as the protagonist in a white British uniform.  However, the name Zurga was a little out of place as was a foreigner being voted village chief - but THIS IS OPERA!  The ‘mateship’ or even gay interpretation all depended on the French for 'love' being almost the same as 'like'.  Zurga ends with "And I loved you" (about Nadir) implying a youthful affair-de-coeur between the men. 

My immediate neighbours in the theatre were overseas visitors, from Los Angeles and Ireland.  One couple was obviously from the Indian sub-continent so I wondered if, being new to opera, they might be insulted at the story-line set in their part of the world (albeit with a strongly European slant).  Not at all!  They commented in both intermissions how much they were enjoying their first opera. 

Now, back to the empty seats, hundreds of them.  Once upon a time this company played to near full houses most of the year, even mid-week.  By coincidence (or is it?) there is an interview with the company’s retiring marketing guru Liz Nield in this month’s OA newsletter.  She is quoted: “The skills that you need to sell opera are pretty much the same skills that you need to sell dog food.”  Yet she also said of the opera-on-the-harbour “the product sold itself”.  This is true of all quality products … although the harbourside opera was a big gamble in my view - but one that paid off on this occasion and was extremely memorable for those who went along.  The whole company could have come down with collective pneumonia had the weather been inclement. 

It is sad that the opera management is still in the clouds with self-congratulatory sentiments while the company itself lurches further and further from its former greatness.  At the height of the main winter season they will only do three opera performances for the whole of August … the rest is ‘South Pacific’.  No ‘opera’ from our premier ‘opera’ company for over three weeks!?  This is in breach of their mission statement from my reading of the document.  It is also possibly contrary to the spirit at least of their funding from the Australia Council as the country’s leading ‘opera’ provider.  There is nothing wrong with South Pacific … but opera it is not. 

It may be the first time in history that Aida is being marketed with photographs of Amneris.  This was brought to my attention by a long-time generous donor to the company who also pointed out the declining standards at our national company in recent years. 

In this Pearlfishers it was a shame that yet again, there was no serious international standard opera star to challenge and enrich the local excellent talent.  The company seems unwilling or unable to import big stars unlike in previous times.  It would be like Wimbledon happening with just English players.  ‘We have perfectly good tennis players here in England!’  And indeed we have very good opera singers in Australia … but they can never be ‘international’ unless they work with world leaders in the art.  Pearlfishers at the Sydney Opera House had Eric Cutler as tenor some years ago, a young American star ‘on the way up’.  We also had Australian baritone Michael Lewis at the peak of his powers.  Not only did these artists sing well, they had that special quality that one could not take one’s eyes off them.  There is an aura about stardom that is hard to delineate but easy to recognise when it is present.  This opera has been conducted by Richard Bonynge, a recognised world expert in French opera … and sadly another reluctant Opera Australia ‘cast-off’. 

When the new management was being sought I believed that the one essential criterion for a new artistic director was knowing the mobile number for Renee Fleming and/or some of the world’s other top opera artists. 

Dog food is one thing, but spectator sports are quite another.  I doubt that the London Olympic organisers are using the same techniques as for dog food advertising!  Opera is the Olympics of the arts in my (slightly biased) view. 

Comments by Andrew Byrne ..

Opera blog: http://andrewsopera.blogspot.com/ 

New Metropolitan Ring - Aussie connection!

The Met Ring. Cycle II starting with Rheingold Thurs 26^th April 2012 (also see separate notes on Rheingold).  Die Walkure. Saturday 28^th April 2012. 11am.  Siegfried Monday 30^th April; Gotterdamerung 3^rd April (evenings)

Why bother writing about it? 

It would be a challenge to describe what happens during the fifteen hours of vocal drama in the Lapage Ring at the Met this spring - and one I am not equal to.  I tried for Rheingold and hardly began to describe what happened in the introductory two and a half hours in my summary.  Furthermore, the operas have now all been broadcast to the cinemas of the world, mostly by direct transmission - exceptions being Japan, Australia and the Far East where delayed showings are necessary due to unfriendly time zones. 

The singers.

Apart from the novel production, the vocal high points are well known … for example The Woodbird’s songs, Ride of the Walkyries, Brunnhilde’s war cry, Wotan’s monologue, Wotan’s farewell, Wintersturme, Du bist de lenz, Gibichungs’ chorus, (de rigueur!) the ‘fat lady singing’ (Siegfried love duet) and the immolation scene, to name just a few. 

Regarding the ‘large lady’, neither Brunnhilde this year is big.  A slight Katarina Dalayman sang with great confidence, ease and beauty.  Intriguingly she omitted the high note at the end of Siegfried, despite hitting lots of other high, almost icy notes in the lead-up.  Ms Westbroek did not scream as the sword (Notung) was pulled from the (‘two-plank’) tree trunk … she did, however, collapse at that moment with a great limp fall center stage.  Her Sieglinde was exemplary.  In a second Die Walkure we heard the Brunnhilde of Deborah Voigt, now again a slender and elegant singer but no better than Ms Dalayman and perhaps less balanced in her delivery. 

There were two last minute changes, one major and one minor.  Mr Gelb came out on stage before Die Walkure and related Mr Kaufmann’s illness and the serendipitous availability of Mr van Acken, husband of Ms Westbrook (Sieglinde) in real life back in Holland.  A disappointed patron near me shouted “refund!”  It was 11am Saturday morning when few people would envisage going to an opera, let alone in these disastrous circumstances. 

The Dutch replacement tenor Mr van Acken sang creditably but was not quite in his wife’s class.  I don’t know how he learned the production in just a few hours!  And his German seemed fine.  The next performance of Die Walkure (cycle III) which I was also lucky enough to attend, had Australian tenor Stuart Skelton in the role of Siegmund and he was magnificent, even allowing for compatriotism.  The audience applause was rapturous for this consummate artist who, although also a stand-in, was amongst equals on the Met stage in this role which Placido Domingo had made his own for the past 15 years in this city. 

Having sung brilliantly in Rhinegold, Eric Owens’ illness saw Alberich played by Richard Paul Fink in the Gotterdamerung role.  The other cast members are mostly well known - and that is why they are singing at the Met.  Adam Diegel performed Froh with great dignity.  His rare and rounded tenor voice for his small part in Rheingold revealed a great talent which I would like to hear in other more major roles.  The confidence and elegance of Bryn Terfel as Wotan also warrants noting and he is now a true Wagnerian of the highest calibre in my view. 

Jay Hunter Morris has a pleasant, highly placed tenor voice with the staying power needed for Siegfried.  Stephanie Blythe is a marvel as Fricka.  The other singers in this year’s Met Ring were all of the highest calibre, too numerous to name in these superficial notes. 

“The machine” (all 48 tons of it!).

The set for all four operas consists of 24 rotatable ‘flattened’ isosceles triangles each set on a horizontal axis which can be raised and lowered from the floor level to about half way up the proscenium.  Hence one side of each ‘plank’ is flat while the other has an angle of about 150 degrees as part of the ‘cog’.  This convenient angle was used for the riverbank to great effect in the first opera as well as in perhaps a hundred other discrete and moving tableaux during the long saga ending back in the same place a full week later. 

One of the most realistic and effective uses for the planks was to form tree trunks.  The ‘planks’ are actually made of some sort of interactive self-illuminating material which, like a computer screen, can change colours and patterns, presumably controlled by some computerised cue system.  There was also highly focused projection onto them and sometimes it was not clear if the present effect was one or the other or both used together. 

The opening in Siegfried was brilliantly evocative with a depiction of the forest floor in close-up.  Then, as the set rose, the vista changed to the roots, worms and insects in crevices below the ground.  There was also real beauty in the representations of the tree bark, leaf shadows, roots, snakes, birds and other forest dwellers.  At other times one was transported to an open rural landscape, a waterfall, stormy waves breaking, snow storm and other dramatic and usually very beautiful scenes. 

The ‘machine’ makes some clicks and clunks at time, but no more than one often hears with standard stage machinery.  Those sitting in the front of the auditorium may have heard the pneumatic sounds of the centre of gravity of the planks rising which followed it by a few seconds each time.  Again, the nuisance value was modest and the benefits included being able to be as close as ever to Wagner’s specific instructions for his epic drama.  After the callisthenic displays, I was happy when the ‘machine’ stopped moving for extended periods and one could focus on the marvellous palette it had created for the drama we were experiencing. 

Some high-points of the production.

Both Rhinemaiden scenes were magnificent … the first with suspended singers/swimmers and riverbank settings.  The final one saw the ladies slipping and sliding on the most spectacular sloping rocks amid flowing water (which evocatively turned red when Gunter washed his hands of Siegfried’s blood). 

The Norns’ rope weaving scene was very cleverly and tastefully done.  Two dozen strands appeared as the curtain went up, each issuing from one of the plank ends.  These are about the only unfortunate and less-than-attractive points of the ‘machine’ … they look like temporary riveted letter boxed lined up.  The   24 suspended strands made three substantial ropes, one for each Norn.  These then joined into a major rigging which in turn shred and perished as the sorry story requires. 

The snow storm opening Walkure was indeed spectacular and immensely beautiful.  It is hard to describe the electric feeling that can be elicited by this unique orchestral introduction to the following 5 hours of glorious musical drama.  I have often complained about directors deciding to put stage events to overtures or preliminary music which were originally intended to be unaccompanied ‘symphonia’.  Lepage has here put two simple but beautiful video images to his audience, starting with constant breaking waves on a shoreline followed by a quite realistic snow storm across the screen.  Following all of this activity on stage, Hunding’s house with central tree was presented as ordered by the book. 

One of the most memorable stage tricks of all time MUST be Lepage’s serpent appearing in response to Alberich’s transmutation using the Tarnhelm … to the shock and/or hilarity of the packed Met audience, the front of a gnashing skeletal horror figure appeared on the right side of the stage with the corresponding tail flapping opposite, as if the beast went right around the theatre, town or perhaps the whole world!  Next Tarnhelm trick saw the frog as a small, slimy and sedant character, easily caught up in the net of Loge and Wotan.  Their plan was to pay off the castle Valhalla’s builders before the Giants took the agreed collateral being Freia, the goddess who grew the apples which kept all the gods from aging.  Anna Russell said at this point in the story: “I am not making this up, you know!” 

Fafner’s dragon cave was indeed impressive as was the blow-up out-sized nematode-headed beast.  To go further would be unfair on those intent on seeing this production which is bound to become a classic.  Not that everyone has to like it … but I do. 

Maestro Fabio Luisi, producer Robert Lepage and their musical and artistic colleagues deserve many accolades for this marvellous addition to the Wagner canon. This production might be the closest to Wagner’s detailed instructions for the operas, some of which are seemingly impossible to physically enact on a 'normal' stage (like the famous ship sinking in La Gioconda by Ponchielli). With the projections and moving-plank stage virtually anything is possible. There must be innumerable others who should be credited with getting this enormous undertaking realised.

Speaking of which: some criticisms.

By the end of the long act I of Gotterdamerung we had some gratuitous and pointless uses of the planks to no particular dramatic purpose.  It was as if the director was saying … ‘the opera is nearly over but look what I can do with the controls’.  At one point numerous planks were literally spinning, making some for some unpleasant noises as well as frantic movements on stage.  The opening of Act II of Gotterdamerung was immensely beautiful with a huge wall of small concentric circles of red and yellow with three niches for three statues of Wotan, Donner and Frika (these explode at the end).  However, rather than the curtain just rising to this, the team insisted on twisting and turning their machine in order to form it, taking one’s attention away from the glorious orchestral introduction. 

Erda’s ‘sermons’ were solid and well delivered by Patricia Bardon when she was woken.  In Siegfried she reappears with her long white hair wearing a full length dress make of pieces of black pietra dura, appropriate perhaps for an Earth Goddess.  If others can get away with a dress made of meat I suppose biotite mica is equally possible.  It reflected rather uncomfortably in the curtain calls and I don’t think that this heavy igneous style will take on more widely. 

It was an enormous privilege to join over 4000 people on this glorious Rhine journey … and for untold more in cinema-land.

Comments by Andrew Byrne ..

Opera blog: http://andrewsopera.blogspot.com/

Das Rheingold at the Met: complex stagecraft with great vocal story-telling.

Das Rheingold. Wagner. Met Opera NYC. Thurs 26^th April 2012.

I attended the Met Rheingold having seen this production twice before, once in the cinema in Sydney and once at its opening in the theatre in March last year.  All three were splendid performances of the radical new production by Canadian Robert Lepage and his team.  This time I was also fortunate to be in central seats up the front of the theatre so that I could see the ‘whites of their eyes’!  It was an added privilege to see the conductor side-on for the entire performance as he directed two and a half hours of incomparable continuous drama, vocalising and orchestral playing. 

In fact the performance was truly magnificent in every way.  Not one singer let the side down … they all possessed large and elegant voices.  For me the greatest pleasure of Rheingold was again hearing Stephanie Blythe in the role of Fricka.  Her voice is an acoustic flow of glorious vocal caviar, served up to a receptive and doting Met audience (as well as the world of cinema screens).  Her dramatic credulity is supreme as a mature authority figure – even though her considered advice is ignored by Wotan her ‘uncommon law’ husband. 

The surprise of the night for me was bass baritone Bryn Terfel playing Wotan the wanderer.  He had seemed ill-at-ease in this role last year but now assumes a dramatic confidence and vocal output which approaches the ideal in this challenging part (he is in the first three Ring operas).  It would seem that Mr Terfel may be completing the difficult transition from a lighter Mozart/Puccini/Verdi singer to becoming a true Wagnerian.  It might be like a sprinter becoming a marathon runner. 

Brothers Alberich (Eric Owens) and Mime (Gerhard Siegel) need to have not only pleasant voices but also ones capable of expressing anger, fear, pride and sometimes ugliness itself.  They too were perfect for the job.  The giants are again played by Messers Konig and Selig, an ideal deadly duo.  Loge was well played by Adam Klein as Stefan Margita was indisposed (nothing is easy in opera management).  Adam Diegel made a handsome Froh (spring) with a voice to match along with his partner demi-God Dwayne Croft as Donner (thunder). 

The stage effects were awesome using the new 50 tonne multiple see-saw ‘machine’.  The Rhinemaidens’ floating introduction was almost unbelievable with weightlessness, bubbles, sandy-bottom pebbles and other quasi-realisms amongst the fantastic.  The lateral twisted staircase for the journey to Neibelheim was cleverly evocative.  The rainbow bridge at the end was a vertical climb by under-weight stunt-persons with string-like technicolour projections forming the bridge itself which flattened out on the enormous set as the last strains of the opera were heard. 

Maestro Fabio Luisi, producer Robert Lepage and their artistic and musical colleagues deserve many accolades for this marvellous addition to the Wagner canon.  This production could be the closest to Wagner’s detailed instructions for the operas, some of which are seemingly impossible to physically enact on stage (like the famous ship sinking in La Gioconda).  With the projections and moving-plank stage virtually anything is possible.  No longer is there a lighting director (Etienne Boucher) working in isolation since every scene has its own cascade of video images, requiring Boris Firquet the resident Imaging Artist (done by Pedro Pires in Siegfried). 

My apologies to readers for this incomplete Ring summary … some might find it heresy.  I am trying to digest the multifarious aspects of the following two operas as well as preparing myself for Gotterdamerung.  Readers may have read that Jonas Kaufmann pulled out of Die Walkure at short notice and that subsequent events made a story in the next day’s New York Times.  Next week’s Die Walkure will see Australian Stuart Skelton again in the role of Siegmund.  

Andrew Byrne ..

Met Manon magnificent

Manon by Massenet 7.30 - 11.30pm Monday 22^nd April Metropolitan Opera, New York.

Dear Colleagues,

Notes on performances at the Met seem almost passé these days when one can listen to every performance as well as seeing the HD video transmissions beamed into remote places (even Bowral, New South Wales, where I now live half the week).

However, at the risk of bragging that “I am in New York” as well as possibly giving superfluous information I hope my few words are still amusing and/or informative. I should also describe something about the overall experience of attending this enormous opera barn, the second largest in the world and certainly the busiest. However, the Met is NOT the most expensive by any means - just look up their excellent web site - lots of good opera positions for $100 or less plus standing room for very modest sums.

This Manon outing was splendid with Ms Netrebko being ‘hot’ in every respect. She has a large and beautiful voice, stunning looks and brilliant acting abilities. She is Manon to a tee … and for five action-filled acts, one with two scenes, one being a cloister, not for Manon as originally intended by her family, but her estranged paramour the young Des Grieux.

Polish tenor Piotr Beczala sang this challenging role with great aplomb even though as this month’s Opera News points out that the ideal French tenor hardly exists today. In Manon, along with a full dramatic and vocal book, he is required to sing two phenomenally difficult and contrasting arias, ‘En fermant les yeux’ and ‘Ah! Fuyez douce image’. Beczala succeeded with style, emotion and dignity. [I heard that he also sang ‘Leve-toi soleil’ at a concert this week in California which was reported to be rapturously received.]

Pelly’s new co-production with London is quirky and eclectic with skylines of little box houses, church steeple, bridges, etc then strange leaning angles and Escher-type perspectives … very clever and very ‘different’ from the traditional productions. This is the new trend at the Met - to do new ‘takes’ on popular operas without losing the dramatic realism New York audiences seem to want. And these days there always seems to be an eye on the cinematic possibilities as these are beamed to a far wider audience that in the theatre itself.


In a very French way Pelly nearly always does the opposite of what one might expect … for example, instead of a carriage and horses in Act I we have the appearance of a large assortment of luggage. Rather than Des Grieux caressing Manon at the end of the St Suplice scene, it is Manon who practically assaults the cleric, ripping his dog’s collar and shirt half off and pulling him into the tiny bed in the priest’s quarters as the curtain drops.

The other scenes use wide ramps in opposing directions, black and grey contrasting with bright colours. There is an almost archetypical French female ballet scene with 16 immaculate white-frocked dancers in the street for Manon’s benefit (it could be Swan Lake), but she ignores Guillot’s ballet on overhearing the current abode of Des Grieux across Paris. The final scene is just a drab waterfront with some street lamps on the left and a jetty and warehouse on the right and massive expanse of blue beyond, presumably Atlantic gloom.

Baritone Paolo Szot was replaced by Michael Todd Simpson who sang creditably. The latter sang Escamillo in Sydney some years ago. The older Des Grieux was well sung by rich-voiced basso David Pittsinger. The French language seemed passable to me but some French nationals sitting nearby told me that it was often less than comprehensible, ‘fifty-fifty’ they said … except for Guillot de Monfontaine (Christophe Mortagne) who is French himself. Other roles were all acquitted well while Fabio Luisi and his orchestra received a well deserved ovation. This busy maestro will conduct Traviata on Wednesday, Rhinegold on Thursday and Die Walkure on Saturday. Some schedule!
　

Comments by Andrew Byrne ..
Opera blog: http://andrewsopera.blogspot.com/

Violetta expires after Act I, not III. But the show goes on!

La Traviata at the Met - Two Violettas for the price of one.  8.30pm Sat 21^st April 2012.  Re-visited on Wednesday 25^th April. 

Dear Colleagues,

                                          

This Salzburg production by Willy Decker promised much and delivered more at the Met.  Already known as the “clock Traviata”, Dr Grenvil lurks throughout the evening as if a portent of death.  The clock-face itself is used in many ways during the evening.  Normally just marking the minutes to midnight, its hands spin at one stage and are stopped by a distressed soprano as if to delay the inevitable while she has a good time.  The hands are removed in another instance and used by a picador in the bull fight scene.  The clock face becomes a roulette table and finally the death bed. 

On the first night under maestro Steven White Natalie Dessay sounded ill at ease, especially in the lower register which at times was almost inaudible.  She only lasted to the end of ‘Sempre libera’ (leaving out the unwritten E flat) and was replaced by Hei-Kyung Hong for the remainder of the opera.  The latter was excellent and she received a generous and well deserved ovation.  By the Wednesday performance Ms Dessay was back in good voice although it is hard to think that this is her ideal role. 

The real star of the night was Dmitri Hvorostovsky whose performance was a lesson in deportment and elegance … and who sang superbly.  A bit like Sherrill Milnes at his peak, he is now a veritable vocal institution.  On both the nights I attended there was applause even before he started singing.  In the Saturday performance under maestro White he took some alternative vocal options in the recitatives, using grace notes, alternative high notes, appoggiaturas and other ornaments … these were all omitted on the Wednesday, perhaps because of the return of chief conductor Fabio Luisi to the podium.  At all times Mr Hvorostovsky was completely in control and all the options were tasteful and relatively minor.  He not only has the vocal line fully in the voice but he also takes the drama seriously and is as credible in the role as one could imagine.  Every movement, from his feet to his hands, was carefully calculated as if it were individually choreographed for total realism. 

His main aria, ‘Di Provenza il mar il suol’ was unhurried and immensely beautiful.  Mr Hvorostovsky also sang the cabaletta following and proved to me for the first time that it DOES “fit” in the score.  Many serious opera buffs say this was one of Verdi's few mistakes.  Personally, I love it.  But the difference here was that the Met star sang it legato and not as a syncopated ‘canter’ that others often do.  He makes this rather unusual piece perfectly in character right before the end of the scene which otherwise ends abruptly with Alfredo finding the invitation and declaring his intention to seek revenge at the Paris party. 

Tenor Matthew Polenzani is more than adequate as Alfredo, a role which veteran singer Vinson Cole calls a 'killer'.  Polenzani has a large voice which could easily lose control … yet he schools the lines, colouring virtually every note individually using an elegant innate musicality.  After a lovely cabaletta 'O mio rimorso' he also pulled off the singular feat of an exposed, extended terminal high C.  For stage presence he could take some lessons from the baritone, but so could all opera singers.  I cannot imagine anyone looking more comfortable, confident and natural on stage than Mr Hvorostovsky. 

Mr Decker’s production is now well known from DVD's, cinema and possibly television.  Some like it, some don’t.  But if you cannot have the old Met Traviata production which was so lavish and grand then this is a very different and valid interpretation.  It breaks rules, pushes boundaries and can claim to have various levels of meaning with the giant clock, ever-present doctor Grenvil character, red dress, red shoes and unisex chorus.  For the second act there was the very clever use of bolts of highly coloured, black background, floral fabrics and projections above the curved set.  The lovers were both in patterned floral dressing gowns to match the other fabrics.  Scene two continues immediately without a pause as does the final act, a death scene starting in the casino.  It was rather disconcerting that a stage full of people slowly emptied by ‘slow-shuffling’ backwards as the music for the next act progressed in the pit.  One felt concerned that someone would fall over … and it served little dramatic purpose to my mind. 

Decker includes Violetta in the beginning of Act II using a hide-and-seek segment with Alfredo, causing some incongruity with the libretto … but this is the theater!  Some of the translations were changed to suit the production: ‘Did you need me?’ sings Annina, played by Maria Zifchak, rather than ‘Did you call me?’ (there was no bell as is traditional).  As the happy rustic affair sours with the arrival of Alfredo’s father the coloured fabrics are pulled off the white sofas.  Likewise, the floral projection above turns gradually to monochrome. 

The enormous hyperbolic curved set restricts the possible movements to a single entrance on the left and a gallery above the ‘dip’ of the hyperbola.  There is also a huge curved bench reminiscent of the whispering gallery in St Paul’s cathedral in London.  And true to form, at sensitive spots in this ‘amphitheatre’, there is accentuation of the voices through focused reflection of the sound into the auditorium.  On the whole it was all rather beautiful and the performances were highly enjoyable for this patron. 

Comments by Andrew Byrne .. (currently in the middle of Ring Cycle 2 at the Met along with over 100 other Aussies!)

Opera blog: http://andrewsopera.blogspot.com/

La Traviata on Sydney Harbour.

La Traviata at Mrs Macquarie’s Point on Sydney Harbour.
Wednesday 4th April 2012, 7.30pm

Dear Colleagues,

This was an unforgettable experience. After rubbishing the idea previously I weakened on hearing numerous positive reviews and decided to experience the event myself. Every aspect was enjoyable except for the ludicrous price of food and drink (eg. $15 for two tiny pieces of ordinary cheese with crackers, soft nuts, grapes and raisins). Also the hot food stopped at 7.30 and did not reopen for the single long intermission … very odd when all the eating venues were well set up and in view of the entire city, harbour, stars and all. For those who arrived late and hungry, cold pasta and rice dishes looked unappealing indeed despite the high price. These reservations notwithstanding, the site staff members were all extremely polite and obliging from box office to catering and security.

The opera was a polished piece of tasteful, novel theatre. Despite the numerous gimmicks this was still Verdi’s La Traviata. The stage was a large rectangle, raked diagonally with one low corner joining the shore and walkway. Deep right angled steps from the corners made for a nearly flat area amidships. The edges were cleverly lit by projections to represent a huge art nouveau picture frame in which the drama took place. An acquaintance described it as being like an Escher picture with intriguing perspective - I can only agree. One of the rear banks of steps hinged outward to reveal or stow the various enormous stage items as needed.

We were privileged to hear a magnificent cast headed by Emma Matthews as Violetta, Jonathan Summers as Germont senior and Gianluca Terranova as Alfredo. Each pulled operatic magic out of the bag and, along with excellent minor characters (John Boulton-Wood should be singled out for praise), chorus, dancers, actors and orchestra/conductor gave us art of a very high standard. The only thing lost to the open air venue was the direct sound of the voices and instruments which of necessity was amplified. Yet the modern sound system seemed immediate and sympathetic. At one stage I thought I heard the rattle of a train on the harbour bridge. A couple of times the wake of the Manly Ferry caused a small noise on the huge quadrangular pontoon holding the stage and orchestra. Otherwise it was a blemish-free performance with the only other distractions being city and sky.

Ms Matthews has a glorious coloratura voice in the theatre and amplification seemed to accentuate her lower register making it sound somewhat different but in no way inferior. Mr Summers, on the other hand, sounded exactly the same to me on the loud speakers as he does in the opera house - always a satisfying and distinguished delivery. Mr Terranova was new to me so I cannot comment on his voice in the flesh … his is a pleasing and even lyric tenor voice with an upper extension facility. He also acted well and I would hope to hear him again in the theatre.

It was a perfect night with Venus, Sirius, Orion and a near full moon above Sydney Harbour without wind or cloud. Gemini and Mars were also clearly visible. The beautiful helio Pleiades were just washed out by the city lights, as were a lot of inhibitions on the night. The congenial crowd arrived early and milled around eating and drinking in front of perhaps the world’s best urban view with the city skyline, opera house and harbour bridge dead front in the dusk.

There was a brief fireworks display from four off-shore barges following the brindisi ‘Libiamo’, often called the drinking song. Then we had a full-throated and full throttle ‘E strano … Ah forse lui … Sempre libera’ from Ms Matthews … it was to rival any I have heard. For the first time to my knowledge Ms Zambello had the maid stay on stage for the first part of the ‘solo’ scene, to nice effect. Now alone, Ms Matthews sang her final cadenza, including extended E-flat, in a capsule suspended below an enormous, gaudy and centrally placed chandelier. Her histrionics were perfect for the role, including the smashed wine glass with all it represents. The chandelier dominated proceedings and was a publicity coup for the company as it was floated up the harbour a few weeks ago and the project was aired on all the main TV news programs, print and electronic media.

Although it takes place some months later and far away from Paris, Act II proceeded without a break. So without any breathing space, this was yet another challenge for the cast which alternates each night. On stage the long party table was replaced by a stretch-chesterfield in silver upholstery as the main prop (also gaudy). The original lacks the dramatic unities, so why stop now?

We were not disappointed with the Italian tenor Mr Terranova who did an excellent job dramatically and vocally in both ‘De mei bollenti spiriti’ and the colossal cabaletta ‘Oh mio rimorso’ with terminal high note above a C as clear and exciting as it could have been. The amplification worked without a hitch, using concealed body microphones.

Mr Summers showed what a 'pro' he is at 65 years of age, using his creamy baritone voice and warm understated dramatic qualities to perfection. I was not sure if his words were all correct in ‘Di provenza il mar il suol’ but his delivery was superb. I don’t think there could have been a prompter on the enormous stage. The following cabaletta was left out and the act ended precipitously as a result. Purists might be pleased but I was annoyed as I love this oddly syncopated piece. Verdi knew what he was doing in my view, although others disagree. Continuing the Olympian record breakers, Ms Matthews hit a phenomenal and shattering high E-flat at the end of the casino scene. This was unwritten and probably inappropriate as the character is meant to have fainted at this stage and is hardly dominating proceedings … but like the Maria Callas Mexican Aida, to hell with good taste … it was one of the most exciting things I have ever heard in opera.

The conductor was projected onto a screen in the middle of the large ‘grandstand’ we were sitting on. He and his orchestra were out of sight and presumably somewhere beneath the floating stage in what would have been steerage class in another era.

The ballet was an excellent pink and grey mock bullfight. What was NOT traditional was that the chief and successful matador turned out to be a woman, revealed only after she had killer the bull! Just another of the many clever touches from Francesca Zambello and her brilliant production team. Design was by Brian Thomson and costumes by Tess Schofield.

The death scene was touching in all but the tasteless lone firework as our heroine perished.

An extraordinary and memorable evening on the foreshores of Sydney Harbour. A crazy gamble by the opera company, but one which thus far seems to be paying off. I was told that Friday, Saturday and Sunday were jam packed but our night had an entire flank of seats empty (one sixth of the audience). I expect this will still be a major profit item for the company.

Comments by Andrew Byrne.

Tawdry Cosi fan Tutte

Cosi fan Tutte. Mozart. Sydney Opera House. Thursday 8^th March 2012, 7.30pm

This performance of Cosi fan Tutte was so unimpressive that we left at interval.  The modern production had been made even worse since its introduction less than three years ago.  The opera is supposedly being performed for a wedding couple’s entertainment.  They sit, widely and awkwardly apart on opposite sides of the stage, watching a comedy about partner swapping!  Very clever (I don’t think!). 

Not one of the voices was worth hearing again.  The translation was passable but much altered I rather think.  Why translate it at all?  Both Come scoglio and Un aura amorosa were sung so far up the stage that we could hardly see the singers, let alone hear their voices.  Why would a serious opera director put the singer at the back of a tight narrow stage and still expect to have audience members at the rear of the auditorium hear anything at all?  This theatre does not have kind acoustics at the best of time. 

To my mind Cosi fan Tutte is not an easy opera despite it being an undoubted classic masterpiece.  However, I find the whole concept of close and devoted lovers not recognising each other because of a moustache or a mask.  It does suspend credibility beyond a moment’s glance … in fact for three long hours of dramatic shenanigans.  Despite the reputed genius scoring, I personally find some of the music trite and tedious.  Is this criticism heresy?  Will I receive a Mozartian fatwah?  Never mind. 

Comments by Andrew Byrne ..

Turandot triumph at Sydney Opera House.

Turandot - Puccini - Sydney Opera House - 7.30pm Wed 8th Feb 2012

Dear Colleagues,

This performance was extremely enjoyable in almost every respect. It is a privilege to be able to have such high quality opera again in Sydney. The company seems to have finally realised that to have international quality opera you have to use star singers (and conductors), often from overseas. On Wednesday, patrons had the bonus of two massive cruise ships on the harbour as well as a full moon. The latter could have been part of the opera!

American Susan Foster played the title role, producing a veritable torrent of vocalism with her incisive and beautiful soprano voice. ‘In questa reggia’ and the subsequent riddle scene of Act II was her tour-de-force with exemplary and exciting singing. She sneered at her suitor, only to melt and decay when he succeeded in answering the third riddle. Australian tenor Rosario La Spina was every bit her vocal equal, producing glorious singing and creditable acting in all three acts. Perhaps the opera should be called ‘Calaf’ rather than Turandot! La Spina goes from strength to strength as shown especially in his masterly rendition of Nessun dorma in Act III. As the hapless Liu Italian soprano Daria Masiero sang and acted superbly, using poise and dignity in her downfall and death, finally convincing the icy princess to yield to her prince.

With three top principal singers, the rest of the company rose to the occasion with high standards indeed. Timur was portrayed well by Jud Arthur. Ping, Pang and Pong were also well cast as Andrew Moran, David Corcoran and Graeme Macfarlane. Warwick Fyfe played an excellent town crier. This should all reassure subscribers that the company can still deliver, despite some very thin offerings at times in the recent past.

The production by Graham Murphy is full of movement, colour and clever devices, each apposite to the libretto. The score likewise contains many tricks-of-the-trade, as Puccini was still in control of his great powers of drama and composition (at least until Liu's death in the middle of Act III, at which point the composer died). Thus there are large complex choruses, children on stage, a suicide in full view, pentatonic motifs, a (very) memorable last-act aria and much more.

The chorus singing was accurate and at times very powerful, making the soaring principal voices even more exciting in this relatively small auditorium. The sublime and novel orchestration of Turandot was led by Arvo Vomer on the podium and the Opera and Ballet Orchestra responded brilliantly.

Turandot is possibly the last example of 19th century-style opera, even though it dates from 1924. Andrew Lloyd Webber, Leonard Bernstein and just about every composer since owes something to Giacomo Puccini. So do we all.


Comments by Andrew Byrne ..

PS - don't forget the cheap seats in the side "loges" at the SOH. $65 is a bargain!

Magic Flute "cut down" but "revved up" at Sydney Opera House.

The Magic Flute. Sydney Opera House. Friday 6th January 2012


I had the privilege of seeing the original complete German language version of this spectacular Julie Taymor production in New York and it is indeed a hard act to follow. The Met cast was led from behind with Kurt Moll as Sarastro and Rene Pape as The Speaker (yes, The Speaker). While the Sydney version of this ‘syndicated’ and cut-down production had all the elements of the original, albeit squeezed into our smaller stage, the singing was not quite of an international standard. The new English translation by American poet and librettist J.D. McClatchy is highly appropriate and sympathetic to the original without some of the hackneyed prose we have become used to.

Andrew Jones as Papageno was the only singer to fill the hall with both his substantial baritone voice and persona. Emma Pearson acquitted both Queen of Night arias with aplomb, a magnificent feat in itself. Stephen Bennett as The Speaker was excellent and the three ladies were well played. Mr Breen was also well cast playing a monstrous Monostatos.

However, none of the other main singers approached greatness in this cut down version of Mozart’s final comic singspiel. It may be that the company has spent so much on the production that they had to economise on fees of top class or better matched singers. Two of Australasia’s greatest operatic talents, Conal Coad and Teddy Tahu-Rhodes were employed front of house on the red carpet in the foyer greeting VIPs. Why weren’t they singing?

Some internet searching seems to indicate that about 35 minutes of the score has been cut in this version. It seems strange that one would cut not only entire vocal numbers, such as the sublime Papageno - Pamina duet in act I, but also slice the end off the Portrait aria at the beginning of the opera. The overture was another victim of the scissors, perhaps a little too heavily wielded.

The opera management has made it clear that this English language version is aimed at getting in new audiences, especially children. I don’t know how such folk are supposed to be able to afford the $300 being charged for good seats. The only empty seats on opening night were about two dozen restricted view seats in the upper decks. These are nearly always half-empty as the company has a policy of keeping prices high, even for such ordinary seating. It was in those very seats that I developed my love of opera.

The production is indeed like being at the circus. There are elements of Dr Who, macro-origami, acrobats and puppeteering. Clever lighting and projections also kept the audience engaged visually. It is just a shame that the standard of singing was so uneven. None of it was bad yet little was really grand either - with the above exceptions. And this is meant to be ‘grand opera’.

The chorus was the star of the night in my view, performing with their usual professionalism, talent and dedication against the odds. The orchestra was also in fine form under the baton of Jonathan Darlington. Maestro had to wave his handkerchief on high in acknowledgement due to the set elevation and extension in front of the pit in this extraordinary production.

Comments by Andrew Byrne .. Now relocated to Bowral but still in Sydney three days per week for work … and just ‘surfacing’ after a tumultuous house move. Wishing Happy New Year to all my readers.

Macbeth - Great opera returns to Sydney.

Macbeth. Sydney Opera House Saturday 10th September 2011 8pm

Dear Colleagues,

This was a worthy opening of Verdi’s early opera Macbeth. The current Montreal co-production by Rene Richard Cyr (sets by Claude Goyette) is a single set of surrounding tree trunks and branches making for shadows laterally and a central focused ‘faux revolve’ with angular concretions which facilitate the main stage action. The four acts were separated by only one intermission making the feats of Elizabeth Whitehouse and Peter Coleman-Wright all the more impressive as, like the audience, they lacked the time to get over the energy and inertia of one act before starting the next.

These two veteran performers had most of the requirements needed for these demanding roles. The young Verdi was writing for singers who scarcely existed in his day and who come up but rarely even today. Ms Whitehouse sings incisively with a direct and accurate line. While she has a distinctive and pleasing timbre there were some problems with intonation at the highest register. Her acting was exemplary and it is a shame that we have heard her so seldom over the years during which she pursued a successful career overseas.

Mr Coleman-Wright started out weakly, almost as if he were ill. But he was either ‘saving’ himself or else purposely adding to the characterisation of Macbeth. While he lacks some of the heft to be ideal, he rose to considerable vocal and dramatic heights when required in this long and complex role. He well deserved the major acclaim he received from the audience.

Daniel Sumegi was a creditable Banquo, having a true basso range with a handsome almost ‘gravel’ quality worthy of the greats of his ilk. Sadly for bass fans Banquo is killed at half-time. Teresa La Rocca performed well as the handmaiden and she appeared to fill in some of the very high notes during the concerted passages.

Rosario La Spina played McDuff, the character with the great show-piece ‘Ah la paterna mano’. While he sang this flawlessly from a technical point of view, his voice seems to have developed a ‘closed’ sound rather than the thrilling ‘open’ quality of ‘ere. This might have something to do with his ever more imposing stature. With the tragic death of Salvatore Licitra this week we need to appreciate just how rare good tenors like these men are and how they all need to look after themselves.

It matters little whether the witches appear from a forest thicket, a grassy glade or a rocky outcrop. Likewise their garb could be that of a char lady or a wet suit … in this case the former. But most important is that they sing and act like witches which is exactly what they did for us on the night. I recall a production with Gwyneth Jones in San Francisco in the mid-90s in which the witches clung to ropes and moved up and down as they sang their evil predictions – and they sang no better than our excellent Sydney chorus this week.

Conductor Andrew Molino put in some quite contrasted tempi, some fast, some slow but commanding over an excellent overall orchestral performance. The gents’ chorus, while not having the demands of the witches, was equally professional as we have come to expect under the tutelage of chorus master Michael Black.

This is a rare opportunity to see Verdi’s early Shakespearian gem, an opera he reworked substantially twenty years later. Like Nabucco and I Lombardi, it has a patriotic call-to-arms, and also like his other early works there are some almost impossible vocal lines and a degree of relatively trite melodic invention amongst the lyric best of the maestro. It is said that perhaps more than any other composer Verdi learned new things with every new work during each of the seven decades in which he wrote operas. I also heard a quote from a colleague that Verdi wanted Lady Macbeth to sing, ‘not like an angel, but like a devil!’


Notes by Andrew Byrne ..