Traviata, Lyric Theatre, QPAC - 24 May 2009

Opera Queensland presents La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi Venue: Lyric Theatre, QPAC Written by Jason Whittaker

Sunday, 24 May 2009

Opera in Italian is like spaghetti and meatballs - the perfect match. La Traviata - Giuseppe Verdi's glorious opera - showcases this with gusto. They are both so much larger than life, opera and Italians. Gregarious, extravagant, pleasure-seeking; big gestures and bigger voices. Wonderfully life-exaggerating, life-affirming, both. The curtain opens to reveal a sumptuous Parisian party, but the ambience is infectiously Italian. The vino is flowing and the guests are merry. They sing drinking songs - the famed duet Libiamo ne' lieti calici is instantly recognisable to even opera novices. Be happy / The wine and singing / Beautify both the night and the laughter / Let the new day find us in this paradise. Violetta Valery - the hedonistic heroine of Verdi's story, or as she will become the ‘fallen women' as the translated title suggests - has returned to the capital after recovering from tuberculosis. She meets a long-time admirer, the sweet-natured Alfredo Germont, who is soon confessing his love. After much hilarious internal debate Violetta will give up her life on the party circuit to settle down with her lover. But nothing is that simple in opera. Money is tight, the in-laws are overbearing and there are romantic rivals waiting in the wings. There are family obligations, social standards, issues of love and morality. They are ubiquitously timeless themes in all their musically melodramatic glory. We watch Violetta's inevitable fall, inflicted by sickness and heartbreak. We're strangely touched by the genuine pathos. We care about her plight. We examine our own lives and what is important. Doubt me, if you like. As a less-than-regular opera-goer I may have done the same. But just go and see it. You will be moved by this eternal masterpiece from Verdi and librettist Francesco Maria Piave. What can you say about a 161-year-old score from one of the true Romantic masters? Only that the Queensland Orchestra, under the assured baton of British conductor Peter Robinson, brings it to life as you might expect. What a treat it is to peer into a crowded orchestra pit and hear this music reverberate around the renovated Lyric Theatre once more. Russian Elvira Fatykhova has performed the lead role countless times in opera theatres around the world, including in Australia previously, but she is still deeply affecting as Violetta. The voice is as flawless as you might expect, but impressively it is her, largely, that grounds Verdi's soaring score with an emotional integrity and draws the audience closer. This production is also lucky to have accomplished Victorian tenor Adrian Dwyer, who makes his debut as Alfredo but is a charismatic match for the gorgeous soprano. Special mention, too, must go to veteran Australian performer Douglas McNicol as Giorgio Germont, the father intent on restoring his family's name, and successful Australian export Andrew Collis as Doctor Grenvil. The popular John Bolton Wood, too, is typecast as the pompous protector of Violetta, Baron Douphol. The Queensland Opera chorus, 40-plus-strong, crowds the stage in fine, full voice. World-class stuff. Elijah Moshinsky designed an original Australian production, which has been updated by emerging young director Julie Edwardson. It looks incredible, from Michael Yeargan's majestic and beautifully decorated sets, Nigel Leving's captivating lighting design that creates three seasons on stage, to Peter J Hall's gorgeous costumes that instantly transport you back to the Paris of 1877. All as grand as Verdi no doubt intended. How does it stack up as a production, an opera behind only Madama Butterfly and La Boheme as the most performed work in the world? My admission is I'm not qualified to answer. But as a piece of theatre it is exquisite, a luscious treat for the eyes and ears and soul. Bellissimo!

Traviata, Lyric Theatre, QPAC - 23 May 2009

Opera Queensland opened its 2009 season on Saturday evening in true style with their sumptuous production of La Traviata. The main season for the year also includes an all new production of Beethoven's Fidelio in July and Rigoletto in October and also includes two entirely new pieces commissioned by the company - Dirty Apple and Waltzing Our Matilda also in July. Dirty Apple is a collaboration with Backbone Youth Arts and is to be directed by the very talented Michael Futcher (winner of numerous awards in recent years), while Waltzing Our Matilda is part of the 150th birthday celebrations of our wonderful state.

But back to La Traviata. The opera is based on Alexandre Dumas' play The Lady of the Camellias. Verdi's operatic version, with libretto by Francesco Maria Piave opened in Venice in March 1853, while this particular production was first staged by Opera Australia in August 1994.

The role of Violetta in this production is sung by the incomparable Elvira Fatykhova who is, quite simply, in a class all her own. Queensland audiences have already been witness to this Russian soprano's amazing talent through her singing of the role of Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor a couple of years ago and as Rosina in last year's production of The Barber of Seville.

Cast alongside her is Australian Tenor Adrian Dwyer in the role of Alfredo. While technically quite competent in his own right Dwyer is quite simply outclassed by Fatykhova and so the production, while very good in and of itself, does not quite reach its full potential.

Douglas McNicol, as Alfredo's father Giorgio Germont, puts in a sterling performance and Rosemarie Arthars (a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music) is equally good.

However, this is a grand opera with a big cast and to go on naming a critiquing each and every performer would take more space than this column allows. Suffice it to say that the production just reeks of class and is a real treat for opera lovers.

Sets and costumes, designed originally by Michael Yeargan, who is himself Professor of Design at Yale Repertory Theatre, are simply wonderful. So much attention to detail has gone into this production that one can easily become distracted simply looking at all the little bits and pieces that have gone into it. Such an air of space has been created that it is difficult at times to realize that this is still the stage at Brisbane's own Lyric Theatre.

The Chorus, which of course for a production like La Traviata, is vast and is simply first rate. Likewise the Queensland Orchestra, under the baton of Peter Robinson, proves yet again that they are the equal of any orchestra in the country, if not the world.

Perhaps you don't like Opera. Or think you don't. Try this one anyway and you will surprise yourself. Verdi's music is sublime and will very likely win your heart. If you do like opera then make sure you don't miss this.

Four and a half Stars

-- Nigel Munro-Wallis

Cavalleria / Tosca - Sydney Lyric Opera - May 7, 2009

Brothers excel in company premiere
Thomas Howard
May 7, 2009

The Sydney Lyric Opera launched its inaugural season last night and showcased some wonderful young operatic talent. The Independent Theatre in North Sydney was an intimate and yet grand setting for this operatic gala which presented concert versions of Puccini’s Tosca and Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. The stated mission of the Sydney Lyric Opera is to promote emerging opera artists and to provide the Sydney community with high quality traditional opera staged in a beautiful and intimate setting and at an affordable price. Even though some of the young voices on display demonstrated a general level of discomfort with this difficult repertoire, the Sydney Lyric Opera did in fact live up to its mission, by providing high quality performances by a couple of extraordinary young tenors who look to have huge careers ahead of them. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that they are brothers.

Singing the role of Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca was Daniel Sloman, an internationally acclaimed Cantor. For over a decade he has held various cantorial posts at some of Australia’s finest synagogues, including The Great Synagogue Sydney, but in recent years has studied opera extensively and traveled regularly to the United States to perform. It is obvious to see why this amazing singer was highly successful as a Cantor as his voice is one of staggering beauty and elegance and he perfectly expressed the romance of Puccini’s Tosca. His Cavaradossi was one of tremendous sensitivity and warm lyricism in the duets with Tosca, and he juxtaposed this superbly with heroic passion in his confrontations with Scarpia and dramatic sorrow in his despairingly heartfelt third act aria. His is certainly a career to watch out for.

But perhaps an even bigger impact was made by his younger brother, Benjamin Sloman, in the role of Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. True big voiced tenors are a very rare breed, but it appears that Australia has unearthed one here last night. Benjamin Sloman lifted the roof off the elegant Independent Theatre with a performance dripping with virile Italianate fire. This is a voice of staggering power and technical excellence, endowed with astonishingly clarion ring. His artistry was sophisticated and stylish and he managed to add nuance and pathos to a role which is generally crude and shallow. Without a doubt we will be hearing from this fine tenor for decades to come.

Soprano Cathryn Deuchar was perhaps too lyric a voice for the dramatically intense role of Santuzza, but she sang with superb line and her voice is one of tremendous innate beauty. In fact, she spins such an entrancing tone that one is left wondering why Turiddu ever cheated on her in the first place. The role of Tosca was unusually double cast – in the same performance – with Jessica Walls and Angie Torbay sharing the honours. The role of Tosca poses great difficulty to even the most experienced of singers, and the Sydney Lyric Opera focuses on young artists, so it is not surprising that a compromise like this had to be made. Suffice it to say that neither Walls nor Torbay was able to deliver an authentic voice for Tosca. Nonetheless, both displayed good musicianship and generous voices that look to develop into instruments of some importance. As if making up for the shared role of Tosca, Ian Fisher performed double duty singing both the roles of Scarpia and Alfio. His voice is dark and dramatic but suffered a little as the evening went on, the higher pitches spreading and diffusing. His artistry was solid, however, and particularly successful in the menacing and violent scenes where Scarpia interrogates Tosca.

As musical director, maestro John Martin held the evening together with great mastery and performed with great sensitivity.