By Giacomo
Puccini
Opera
Australia - Sydney Opera House until March 23rd 2013
Performance 15th January 2013 reviewed by
Bill Stephens
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| Nicole Car (Mimi), Gianlucca Terranova (Rodolfo) Photo: Branco Gaica |
Opera
Australia commenced their summer season at the Sydney Opera House with a return
season of Gale Edwards’ luscious new production of “La Boheme”. Having seen this production in its first
Sydney season with its memorable original cast, whose performances have happily
been preserved on DVD, the opportunity to revisit it now that it has seasoned,
and with a new set of principals, was irresistible, especially as one of those
principals is former Canberra soprano,
Lorina Gore, making her role debut as Musetta, and another was the Italian
tenor, Gianluca Terranova, who made such an impression with his first Opera
Australia appearances as Alfredo in last year’s spectacular Handa Opera on
Sydney Harbour staging of “La Traviata”.
Brian
Thomson’s 1930’s Berlin spiegletent setting proves just as impressive on second
viewing, allowing, as it does, the depiction of the passage of time, by allowing
the audience to see the completion of Marcello’s’ mural, which he had only just
commenced in the first act. The spectacular second-act transformation into the
interior of the Café Momus is now so confidently executed that one wonders why
the combined imaginations of Edwards and Thomson were not able to dream up a similarly
imaginative transition between Acts three and four to avoid
the holdup which presently interrupts the flow and the magic.
A second viewing
also offered the opportunity to focus on the many imaginative directorial
touches, like the way Rodolfo folds his coat to form a pillow for Musetta as
they settle by the candlelight, or having the friends cheekily re-use the
newspaper wrappings as mock tablecloths as they set up a pretend banquet on
planks and ladders in the sparsely furnished studio.
Nicole Car
is exquisite as Mimi. Beautiful, fragile and serene, she immediately engages
the audience, which holds its collective breath to hang on her every phrase as
she imparts her story in a gorgeously sung “They Call Me Mimi”. Throughout the
opera her singing and acting never falters so that her finale death scene is
almost unbearably moving.
Gianluca
Terranova lives up to high expectations as Rodolfo. A fine actor as well as a
stunning singer, passionate yet considerate when with Mimi, playful and
engaging when interacting with his friends, his thrilling, Italianate tenor
soars above the orchestra, and throbs with emotion, especially in the third act
when he and Mimi decide to part, and in the final act when his pain at having
to watch Mimi die is palpable, his performance is continuously riveting.
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| Lorina Gore as Musetta Photo: Branco Gaica |
It would be
hard to imagine a more captivating Musetta than Lorina Gore. Flirtatious, wilful
and drop- dead gorgeous in the café Momus, provocative and sensuous as she and
Marcello quarrel then make love in the snow in Act 3, then a warm and concerned
friend in the final scene, hers is a performance to relish.
The role of Marcello
is also perfect fit, both vocally and physically, for Samuel Dundas. Blessed
with smouldering good looks and rich expressive baritone, he brought depth to
his relationship with Musetta, which sizzled and flamed as she taunted and
provoked him, and good humour in his interaction with Rodolfo, Schaunard (Shane
Lowrencev) and Colline (David Parkin). Both the latter have added depth and
detail to their already excellent characterisations.
Over the
years Opera Australia have mounted several different productions of “La
Boheme”, but few more beautiful than this current version. During this summer
season at the Sydney Opera House there will be two more changes of principal
cast for this production. It will be fascinating to see what new facets each
cast can reveal in this jewel of a production.
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| Samuel Dundas (Marcello), David Parkin (Colline), Shane Lowrencev (Schaunard) Lorina Gore (Musetta), Nicole Car (Mimi), Gianluca Terranova (Rodolfo) Photo: Branco Gaica |