Composed by Gioachino Rossini – Libretto by Cesare Sterbini
Conducted by Daniel Smith – Directed by Elijah Moshinsky
Revival Director: Heather Fairbairn – Assistant Director:
Andy Morton
Set designed by Michael Yeargan – Costumes designed by Dona
Granata
Lighting designed by Howard Harrison
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House Jan.18th
to Feb. 28th.
Performance on Feb.19th reviewed by BILL
STEPHENS.
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| Sera Malfi (Rosina) - John Longmuir (Count Almaviva) - Andrew Moran (Dr Bartolo) Samuel Dale Johnson (Figaro) - David Parkin (Don Basilio) |
It could have been a disaster but instead concluded as one of those memorable nights of opera that you would not have missed for worlds.
Your reviewer had chosen this performance because of the
opportunity it offered to experience Shanul Sharma in the role of Count
Almaviva and Helen Sherman’s Opera Australia’s role debut as Rosina. Both
artists will play these roles in the first cast for the Melbourne season of
this opera later in the year.
Of course, there was also the opportunity to experience Samuel
Dale Johnson making his Opera Australia debut singing Figaro for the entire
Sydney season of The Barber of Seville.
Therefore, it was disconcerting on arrival at the Sydney
Opera House to be confronted by notices advising that neither Johnson nor Sharma
would be performing after all, necessitating the re-arrangement of several of
the male roles for this performance.
Instead of playing Fiorello, Ambrogio and Notary as
scheduled, Simon Meadows would perform the role of Figaro for this performance.
Intriguing because this was the first time Meadows had sung this role for Opera
Australia. But in the event, such was his superb vocal delivery and strong
confident swagger in the role, few would have guessed.
Also, the opportunity to preview Meadows’ interpretation of
this role under these circumstances, not only proved an exciting salve for the
disappointment of missing out on experiencing Johnson but also augured well
for the Melbourne season later in the year when Meadows is scheduled to alternate
in the role of Figaro with Samuel Dundas.
To replace Meadows in his scheduled roles as Fiorello,
Ambrogio and Notary, Clifford Plumpton stepped into these roles. Again, another
unexpected preview, because although he had not previously performed these
roles during the Sydney season, Plumpton will be playing them for the entire
Melbourne season.
The final change for the night advised that John Longmuir would
return to the role of Count Almaviva, which he had been performing previously in
the Sydney season, and in which he will alternate with Sharma for Melbourne.
Although Longmuir’s performance was as polished and assured
as one could wish, he may well have relished that particular night off, because
the very next night he would make two auspicious role debuts as both the Governor and Vanderdendur, in Opera
Australia’s highly anticipated presentation of Victorian Opera’s production of
Bernstein’s Candide.
Similarly, Andrew Moran had also set himself a demanding schedule by remarkably alternating the roles of Dr Bartolo in The Barber of Seville with that of Martin in Candide. He would continue this feat until the end of the Sydney season of The Barber of Seville on February 28th, then return to the role of Dr. Bartolo for the Melbourne season.
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| Jane Ede (Berta) - Andrew Moran (Dr Bartolo) |
But enough about changes. There are some things that never change. Among them, the pleasure of experiencing accomplished artists perform Elijah Moshinsky’s exceptional interpretation of Rossini’s enduring opera buffa, for which Moshinsky took his inspiration from silent films.
Michael Yeargan’s riotously colourful settings and costumes still
look as fresh and witty as when first seen in 1995, as does Moshinsky’s
direction, on this occasion meticulously reproduced by revival director Heather
Fairbairn with the assistance of Andy Morton.
Among the advertised artists for this performance, Helen
Sherman proved vocally dazzling and adorably feisty as Dr. Bartolo’s disobedient
ward, Rosina, thwarting and frustrating her eager, if unsuitable, suitors at
every turn, taking full advantage of Yeargan’s setting with its surfeit of hiding places perfect for surreptitious
assignations with the dashing Count Almaviva.
 |
| John Longmuir (Count Almaviva) - David Parkin (Don Basilio) -Serena Malfi (Rosina) - Andrew Moran (Dr. Bartolo) |
Jane Ede extracted her fair share of laughs as Dr Bartolo’s no-nonsense, can-do nurse, while David Parkin, Andrew Moran and Clifford Plumpton, all masters of buffo roles, revelled in the endless opportunities to create hilarious pandemonium inherent in the opera’s ridiculously complicated plot.
Under conductor Daniel Smith’s expert guidance, the Opera
Australia orchestra and chorus contributed a sparking account of Rossini’ s brilliant
score which together with the inspired performances of the excellent cast,
resulted in an unexpectedly satisfying performance of this classic comic opera
completely banishing any initial expectation of disappointment.
Images by Keith Saunders.
Please note: As there are no images available of Helen Sherman or Simon Meadows in the roles of Rosina and Figaro, I've included images of Serena Malfi and Samuel Dale Johnson performing these roles.
This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au
