Opera Australia – Sydney Opera House - June 29th
to July 23rd 2013
Performance
17th July 2013 reviewed by Bill Stephens
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| Svetlana Vassileva as Leonora Photo: Prudence Upton |
The sheer
grandeur of Tama Matheson's vision for his production of Verdi’s “The Force of
Destiny" is what impresses most. Death is everywhere, even in the
skull-like makeup of some of the characters, but the opera never gets
depressing, as we follow the trials and tribulations of Leonora and Don Alvaro
from their wealthy Spanish homes, through the battlefields of the Spanish and
Italian armies to caves above some god-forsaken monastery, with no hope a happy
ending in sight.
The opera
is a long sit, running from 7.30pm until 11.15pm on the night I saw it, but there
is never a dull moment as Mark Thomson’s great set-pieces fly in and out,
armies appear and are dissipated before our eyes, and masses of gorgeous
costumes abound, ranging from magnificent Spanish court wear to dusty peasant’s
rags.
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| Svetlana Vassileva as Leonora Photo: Prudence Upton |
The
singing is exquisite throughout, with the beautiful Bulgarian soprano, Svetla
Vassileva quite stunning as the doomed Leonora, superbly matched by the
handsome Italian tenor Riccardo Massi as her lover Don Alvaro. Italian bass
Giacomo Prestia also impressed as the dignified padre Guardiano and Jonathan
Summers was a wonderfully menacing Don Carlo. It was also fascinating to see
Rinat Shaham, fresh from her magnificent turn as “Carmen” in the Handa Opera on
the Harbour, adding her magnificent voice and presence in the usually small
role of the gypsy Preziosilla.
(An edited version of this review was broadcast in "Dress Circle" on Artsound FM 92.7 on 21.7.13)
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| Richard Anderson as Svetla Vassileva as Leonora |
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| Svetlana Vassileva as Leonora Riccardo Massi as Don Alvaro Photo: Prudence Upton |
