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| Nico de Villiers and Siobhan Stagg in "Echoed Voices" |
Presented by
NATIONAL OPERA – Albert Hall, Canberra July 19th, 2024
Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS
A masterclass in recital presentation, this fascinating concert by Siobhan Stagg and Nico de Villiers at the beginning of their National tour offered not only an evening of ravishing singing from Australian soprano, Siobhan Stagg, but also for many, an absorbing introduction to the music of little-known composer, Richard Hageman.
Hageman was
a Dutch-American conductor and Oscar-winning composer who commenced his career
as a conductor of the Netherlands Opera before moving to Paris to work in the
studio of renowned mezzo-soprano, Mathilde Marchesi, the teacher of many famous
singers including Nellie Melba.
Eventually
moving to New York to commence a 13-year engagement as conductor and coach at
the Metropolitan Opera, before moving to Hollywood where he quickly established
himself as an A-List composer, scoring films for directors of the ilk of John
Ford and Frank Lloyd.
Of the six
of his film scores nominated for Academy Awards, his score for the John Ford western
Stagecoach in 1939 won him the Oscar.
He actually appeared in several films, among them The Great Caruso with Mario Lanza (1951), New Orleans with Billie Holliday (1947) and Rhapsody with Elizabeth Taylor (1954).
These days
his music is largely forgotten. A situation Stagg and de Villiers are intending
to rectify with this tour.
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| Siobhan Stagg in "Echoed Voices". |
After carving
out an enviable International reputation for her vivacious performances in
leading roles including Pamina in Die
Zauberflote, Sophie in Der
Rosenkavalier, Tytania in A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, Gilda in Rigoletto, Musetta
in La Boheme and Adele in Die Fledermaus for Deutsche Oper Berlin,
Siobhan Stagg has gone on to appear in prestigious concert halls and opera
houses around the world.
Among her many
accolades is a Green Room Award for Best Female lead in an Opera for her
performance as Melisande in Victorian Opera’s production of Pelleas et Melisand, and her break-out
success originating the role of Cinderella in a lavish production of Cendrillon for the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Interestingly this very
production of Cendrillon has just
been announced by Opera Australia as it first production for its 2025, but with
Emily Edwards playing the title role originated by Stagg.
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| Siobhan Stagg as Cinderella at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Image by Todd Rosenberg. |
All of this experience
was evident in Stagg’s luminous performance in this recital entitled “Echoed
Voices”, dedicated to the music of Richard Hageman, for which she was
accompanied by Nico de Villiers, an accomplished South African pianist, coach
and author, whose also one of the world’s foremost authorities on Hageman’s music.
Cleverly curated
by Stagg and de Villiers, and narrated mainly by de Villiers, the program
traced Hageman’s career through his songs.
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| Nico de Villiers and Siobhan Stagg in "Echoed Voices". |
Throughout
the performance de Villiers would display his considerable gifts as a charming raconteur
and teacher, by comparing Hageman’s compositions with composers Hageman
admired, demonstrating with extracts from compositions to illustrate his point.
The program
was presented in six sections, some devoted entirely to the songs of Hageman
and others including songs by Richard Strauss and Henri Duparc, two of the composers
who had influenced Hageman.
It proved a
fascinating and rewarding concept adding significantly to the enjoyment and
understanding of the work of all three composers.
Stagg proved
as fascinating and accomplished as her publicity had promised. Gifted with the ability to lose herself
completely in the mood of each song, she would also maintain the moment long
after the song had ended.
Following
the enthusiastic applause which rewarded her vivacious rendition of Hageman’s “Miranda”
and then the pensive “Die Stadt”, Stagg requested that the audience hold its
applause until the end of each the section.
While this proved
a little difficult for those aching to express their appreciation at the end of
each exquisite rendition, the wisdom of her request was borne out with the realisation
that, far from being an affectation, how this restraint contributed to the
appreciation of relationship between each carefully chosen selection of songs.
The wide
ranging repertoire allowed Stagg to demonstrate her flawless vocal range and technique,
ranging effortlessly through limpid coloratura to warm lower register. It also showcased
her charming stage presence and impressive acting ability, equally at home being
the dazzling soubrette, the serene and pensive lover, or just plain silly as
demonstrated in her delightful encore rendition of Hageman’s playful “Owl and
the Pussycat”.
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| Nico de Villiers in "Echoed Voices". |
And of
course it almost goes without saying that throughout all the above pleasures
were provided with attentive, virtuoso accompaniment by her associate artist,
Nico de Villiers.
Bravo to
National Opera for its coup in attracting this glittering pair to the National
Capital.
Unless otherwise marked, all images by Peter Hislop
This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW.
