By Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart
English
translation and adaption by Michael Gow
Orchestral
arrangement by Robert Greene
Conducted by
Paul Fitzsimon
Directed by
Michael Gow
Designed by
Robert Kemp
Lighting
Designed by Matt Scott
Opera Australia
on Tour
Canberra
Theatre 25th to 27th August
2016
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
This is the
third Mozart opera adapted and directed by Michael Gow for Opera Australia on
Tour, and certainly his best to date. For this production Gow has written an
English translation. He’s also stripped away most of the recitative, and
replaced it spoken dialogue. Although a bit surprising at first, this dialogue
is witty and clarifies the storyline, and works a treat. resulting in plentiful guffaws from the audience.
Gow has also
introduces a children’s chorus to replace the small adult chorus. This not only
eliminates the cost of touring adult choristers, but provides a rare and
valuable opportunity for local children, in the centres visited by the opera
company, to experience participation in a professional opera production. It
also increases the potential audience of parents and grandparents, besides
adding considerable charm to the production.
Gow and his
designer, Robert Kemp, have set this production of Mozart’s delicious comedy of
manners, in the period in which it was written, the 1780’s, providing Kemp with
the opportunity to design colourful Goya-inspired costumes, and a lovely setting
of a large, featureless room, overpainted with an Arcadian landscape, which
works marvellously for both the indoor and outdoor scenes.
Gow’s
inspired direction makes great use of the plentiful doors and windows in this
setting to provide a continuous series of lovely stage pictures, perfectly lit
by Matt Scott to capture the charm of the period, sometimes lighting solos with
just a row of footlights to give the appearance of how that opera might have
appeared in Mozart’s day.
This production
comes complete with an elegant chamber orchestra, under the direction of Paul
Fitzsimon, who keeps the tempi brisk, while allowing his singers sufficient
room for individual interpretation, particularly in the glorious ensemble
numbers.
 |
| Jeremy Kleeman (Figaro), Celeste Lazarenko (Susanna) |
It also
comes with an excellent cast of fine singers headed by Jeremy Kleeman as a
handsome and spirited Figaro. Kleeman’s
fine baritone and infectious joie de vivre is perfectly matched by the stylish
singing and acting of Celeste Lazarenko as Susanna, and together they make an
engaging pair of lovers.
Wonderfully elegant
as the bitchy housekeeper, Marcellina, Kristen Leich is well teamed with Steven
Gallop as Dr. Bartolo. Their reactions to the news that they are actually
Figaro’s parents provide some of the funniest moments in the opera.
 |
| Brad Cooper (Don Basilio), Kristen Leich (Marcellina), Steven Gallop (Bartolo), Simon Meadows (Count Almaviva) |
Agnes Sarkis
gets her fair share of laughs as the amorous page-boy, Cherubino, and Emma
Castelli, makes a lovely Countess Almaviva, her letter-song duet with Susanna,
providing a vocal and visual highlight among many during the evening. As her philandering husband, Count Almaviva,
Simon Meadows cuts a dashing figure, singing strongly and acting with
conviction, though few in the audience would be convinced of his final
contrition.
Jenny Liu,
who alternates in the role of Susanna, made the most of her opportunities as
Barbarina, while Brad Cooper has great fun demonstrating his versatility as a
remarkably flamboyant Don Basilio, and a bumptious Don Curzio.
Fresh, elegant
and innovative, this production is not only a treat to watch, but also a
delight to listen to. Superb singing throughout, with obvious attention paid by
the singers to their diction and characterisations, resulting in plenty of
guffaws as the audience got caught up in the storyline. No mean feat for a
night at the opera.
 |
| Agnes Sakis as Cherubino |
This review also published in Australian Arts Review. www.artsreview.com.au
