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| Eleanor Greenwood (Annio) - Bradley Daley (Tito) - Catherine Carby (Sesto) National Opera Chorus - Canberra Symphony Orchestra: Dane Lam (conductor) Photo: John Harvey |
Directed by Peter Coleman-Wright – Conducted by Dane Lam
Costumes
designed by Fiona Victoria Hopkins – Set designed by Mel Davies
Lighting
designed by Mark Dyson
Llewellyn
Hall April 10th, 13th, 15th, 17th
April 2021.
Premiere
performance 10th April reviewed by Bill Stephens
History was
made in Llewellyn Hall on Saturday evening when Australia’s newest professional
opera company, National Opera, under the Artistic Directorship of Peter Coleman-
Wright staked its claim for national attention with the premiere of its
inaugural production, Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito”.
A canny
choice by Coleman –Wright, who also directed the production, because “La Clemenza di Tito”, being an ‘opera serio’
written by Mozart in his last year, tells a complicated story of betrayal and
forgiveness. The title translates as “The Clemency of Titus” and while it may
not be as popular as some of his earlier operas, and therefore more rarely
performed, it contains some of Mozart’s most beautiful music, and it is the
music that is the prime focus of Coleman –Wright’s impressive production.
Although
it’s a very fine concert hall, Llewellyn Hall lacks many of the stage
facilities necessary for staging opera. Rather than dwell on the disadvantages,
Coleman-Wright has concentrated on the advantages and for this production has
moved the orchestra off the stage onto the floor in front, then filled the
stage with a simple, formal arrangement of rostra and greenery to suggest a
Roman forum and provide a series of raised spaces on which the singers are able
to depict the various locales required by the story.
Resourceful
lighting designer, Mark Dyson, besides defining those spaces also added subtle
warmth and atmosphere to the wooden acoustic panels which surround the stage
area, and which act as screens on to which essential information is projected
to allow the audience to follow the nuances of the plot.
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| Helena Dix (Vitellia) - Catherine Carby (Sesto) - Andrew Collis (Publio) Photo: Peter Hislop |
However
Coleman-Wrights master stroke has been to persuade some of the country’s most
accomplished singers, some of whom commenced their operatic careers in
Canberra, to return home from overseas to undertake roles in this production.
Included among them Bradley Daley making his role debut as Tito, Catherine
Carby as Tito’s friend, Sesto, Helena Dix as Vitellia, the woman who persuades Sesto to assassinate
Tito so that she can occupy the throne, Andrew Collis as the captain of the
guard, Publio, and Eleanor Greenwood to play Sesto’s friend Annio. He’s supported them
with a meticulously trained chorus of emerging young singers, one of whom,
Mikayla Tate makes her impressive professional debut in the important role of
Servillia.
From the
first imposing chords of the overture it was clear that this was going to be a
performance to remember with the musicians of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra
responding to Dane Lam’s clear, commanding conducting style with playing that
was crisp, accurate and supportive. As well as conducting the orchestra, Lam
also accompanied the recitative on harpsichord, and impressed with his ability
to maintain an excellent balance between the orchestra and singers throughout.
An
Internationally acclaimed singer himself, Coleman-Wright knows a thing or two
about staging opera. He clearly appreciates the importance of stillness, with direction
that is uncluttered and tightly focussed. He carefully avoids gimmicks or any unnecessary
distractions from the music. His
priority has rightly been on displaying the talents of each of his exceptional
cast to their best advantage, resulting in an evening of exquisite singing.
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| Eleanor Greenwood (Annio) - Mikayla Tate (Servillia) - Helena Dix (Vitellia) Bradley Daley (Tito) -Catherine Carby (Sesto) - Andrew Collis (Publio) Photo: Peter Hislop |
Bradley
Daley gives an impressive performance in the central role as Tito. His gritty
heldentenor voice is exactly right for the ruler who must decide the fate of
his best friend, Sesto. His climatic second act aria “Se all’impero” in which
he decides that if the world should accuse him of anything, it should be of
showing too much mercy, was a highpoint of the evening.
Catherine
Carby as Sesto, the friend who tries to murder Tito, also gives a performance to savour, the highlight of which
is also her second act contrition aria “Deh, per questo istante solo” in which
her famous lustrous mezzo and mastery of phrasing is on full display.
Helena Dix,
who plays the villainess, Vitellia, has been described as having the most
exciting voice since Joan Sutherland. Indeed her voice is thrilling, right
through the range, and she tossed off the vocal complexities of her arias with
disarming ease. But the real surprise was her acting. An imposing figure,
costumed in dramatic red, she brought an unexpected humour and playfulness to
the role which makes it impossible to take your eyes off her whenever she’s on
stage.
Andrew
Collis brought a fine presence as well as his rich bass-baritone voice to his
role as Publio, the captain of the guard, while Eleanor Greenwood in the other
trouser role as Annio, the friend of Sesto, dazzled in the lovely first act
duet “Ah, perdona al primo affetto” in which Annio and Servillia declare their
love for each other, then later in the second act when she pleads with Tito to
spare her friend, Sesto.
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| Helena Dix (Vitellia) - Mikayla Tate (Servillia) PhotoL Peter Hislop. |
High praise
also for emerging young soprano, Mikayla Tate, who held her own in such
illustrious company, displaying admiral presence and a clear, sweet soprano particularly in her solo “S’altro che lagrime” when she
warns Vitellia that love alone will not save Sesto.
A particularly
interesting feature of this production is Fiona Victoria Hopkins extraordinary
costumes. Defiantly ambiguous in avoiding reference to period or place and verging
on wearable art, she flatters the singers with imaginative use of, colour,
fabric and texture to define each character. As well as creating remarkable
costumes for the soloists, her solution for the chorus was both attractive and
sensible.
With this
fine production, National Opera has made an auspicious start and set itself a
high bar for future productions.
This review also appears in Australian Arts Review. www.artsreview.com.au
