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| Julie Lea Goodwin (Madama Cortese) - Giorgio Caoduro (Don Profondo) - Irina Lungu (Corinna) and the cast of "Il Viaggio a Reims" |
By Gioachino
Rossini
Directed by
Damiano Michieletto – Conducted by Daniel Smith
Set designed
by Paolo Fantin – Costumes designed by Carla Teti
Presented by
Opera Australia- Joan Sutherland Theatre
Sydney Opera
House 24th October – 2nd November 2019
Performance
on 24th October reviewed by Bill Stephens
It’s not
often that the conductor of an opera wins more applause than the cast, but that
was what happened on the opening night of “Il Viaggio a Reims” in the Sydney
Opera House. Australian conductor,
Daniel Smith for his first conducting engagement in Sydney for Opera Australia,
was given a rock-star ovation and won himself a legion of admirers, as much for
his enthusiastic involvement in the opera (he won the bidding during the art
auction sequence) as for the scintillating performance he encouraged from both
singers and orchestra.
Performed
for the first time in Australia in Melbourne earlier this year, and now on its first
outing in Sydney, “Il Viaggio a Reims” was written by Rossini in 1825, as a
special occasion piece to showcase the talents of leading opera singers of the
day, in celebration of the coronation of King Charles X. It was intended for only three performances,
although Rossini did sanction an extra charity performance before destroying
the score.
However, Rossini
shared Andrew Lloyd Webber’s penchant for recycling his compositions, and interpolated
many composed for “Il Viaggio a Reims” into his later operas, particularly “LeComte
Ory”. As a result, much of the music in “Il Viaggio a Reims” has a familiar
sound to it. None-the-less this opera represents Rossini at his most inventive,
and the top flight cast of this present production revel in the opportunities
it offers.
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| Julie Lea Goodwin (Madama Cortese)_ - Jennifer Black (Maddalena) |
Originally
set in an Inn occupied by a group of VIPs en route to the King’s coronation,
the opera catalogues their misadventures along the way. However, for this
delightful co-production between Opera Australia, the Dutch National Opera and
the Royal Danish Opera the director, Damiano Michieletto has set his version,
(reproduced in Sydney by Constantine Costi) in modern day art gallery, where
the gallery owner, Madama Cortese (Julie Lea Goodwin in Anna Wintour mode) and
her staff are busily engaged hanging a new exhibition, and arranging a lavish
opening party.
The concept works
a treat. Famous masterworks come to life, timetables fall behind, and actors
and singers are rehearsed for a lavish pageant to celebrate the exhibition
opening.
The
surtitles are of little use in helping follow the action, but that doesn’t
matter, because the opera romps along with so many diverting highlights, it’s
best to forget the destination and just enjoy the journey and the glorious
singing.
The art
gallery setting provides endless opportunity for unexplained events both
amusing and charming. The three graces of Canova’s sculpture step out of their
glass cabinet and join characters from famous paintings that also move around
the gallery floor. Teddy Tahu Rhodes,
as Lord Sidney, pours out his passion to Sargent's "Portrait of Madame X" before bravely baring his torso to be erotically painted cobalt blue.
Sian Sharp and Shanul Sharma entrapped in a painting, vainly sing advice to two
young lovers quarrelling soundlessly in the gallery below them. Giorgio Caudoro,
as Don Profondo, dazzled with his tongue-twisting aria listing the various
possessions of the guests.
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| Paintings come to life in "Il Viaggio a Reims" |
With 14
principal roles, most with their own aria, there are plenty of opportunities for
bravura performances, and this superb cast, who in addition to those already
mentioned, included Conal Coad, Emma Pearson, Juan de Dios Mateos, Warwick
Fyfe, Jennifer Black, Luke Gabbedy, John Longmuir, Christopher Hillier, Stuart Haycock, Kathryn Radcliffe and Agnes
Sarkis, don’t hold back.
But despite
the competition, the most memorable aria occurs towards the end of the opera.
It’s a 12 minute solo, sung with crystalline purity by soprano, Irina Lungu,
accompanied, initially, simply by forte piano, as the huge cast move ever so
slowly into position to form a sumptuous tableau which brings the opera to a
spectacular conclusion.
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| Irina Lungu (Corinna) - Juan de Dios Mateos (Cavalier Belfioro) |
This month marks
the 10th anniversary of Lyndon Terracini’s tenure as Artistic
Director of Opera Australia. A champion of innovation, under Terracini’s
guidance, in that decade, Opera Australia has undergone many changes, including
the establishment of the Handa Operas on Sydney Harbour, and the introduction of LED screen technology, which
has cemented its reputation as one of the busiest and most innovative opera
companies in the world.
It was a
fascinating choice therefore to end the 2019 Sydney season with this
entertaining production of “Il Viaggio a Reims”, with its bravura embrace of bygone
techniques such as Pose Plastique and
Tableau Vivant.
Photos by Prudence Upton
This review also appears in Australian Arts Review. www.artsreview.com.au
