State Opera Of South Australia. Adelaide Town Hall. 2 Sep 2016
Bravo State Opera! This fabulous program of tuneful and hyper-emotional favorites from Puccini operas was one of the most joyous events on the Adelaide concert calendar this year.
Concert platform opera presentations are usually devoid of character costumes and dramatic stagings, and for some this often diminishes the ‘opera experience’, but State Opera’s Puccini Spectacular was in every way satisfying. Anyone who enjoys fine singing and rollicking good tunes but who is perhaps ‘opera shy’ should have no fear in attending an event such as this.
A highlight of the evening was the patter from compère Timothy Sexton, who is the high performing artistic director of State Opera. Fresh and still basking in the afterglow of the outstanding success that was Cloudstreet, Sexton authoritatively announced each bracket of arias with sophisticated, knowledgeable and downright humorous introductions. In full verbal flight, Sexton was a joy, but his antics were eclipsed – as they should be – by the superb singing of no less than seven of South Australia’s finest voices who were joined by the wonderful Rosario La Spina.
Sexton announced with pleasure that La Spina, who is one of Australia’s finest tenors, will be singing the role of Cavaradossi in State’s production of Tosca later this year in November. La Spina gave us taste of what to expect with a glorious and heartfelt, goose-bump raising performance of E lucevan le stelle. Each to his own, but this is my favorite tenor aria from the entire repertoire, and La Spina imbued it with exceptional humanity. His rendition of the ever popular Nessun Dorma nearly brought the Town Hall roof down.
The male singers (Bernard Hull, Rosario La Spina, Douglas McNicol and Jeremey Tatchell) were resplendent in their traditional black tailed-suits and white bowties, but the sopranos (Gisèle Blanchard, Teresa La Rocca, Joanna McWaters and Samantha Rubenhold) were jaw droppingly stunning in their full length décolletage gowns.
Blanchard effortlessly reached the high notes in Doretta’s Aria, Chi il bel sogno di Doretta, from La Rondine, and sliced through the might of the Adelaide Symphony that was at risk of inundating her. As Liu in Turandot, her performance of Signore, ascolta! was sublime.
Rubenhold left us in no doubt that she is a fine actress and does not need the trappings of scenery and props to tell a story. Her performance of O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi was sung with power but unmistakable sweetness and control. Maestro Stephen Mould managed the orchestra especially well during this aria, and ensured that Rubenhold was never eclipsed.
Teresa la Rocca has never sounded finer, and her Si, mi chiamano Mimi from La Bohème was delivered with profound simplicity, as was her Senza mamma from Suor Angelica, which was hauntingly beautiful despite its heartbreaking context.
Joanna McWaters continues to impress and her bracket from Madama Butterfly abundantly demonstrated her skill as an actress of considerable ability. Her love duet with Bernard Hull – Vogliatemi bene – was transporting. They both took us ever so briefly to a simple setting in imperial Japan and allowed us to catch a glimpse of the intimate moment when two young lovers profess their love. Their smiles filled the stage. Hull’s Donna non vidi mai from Manon Lescaut had both warmth and strength.
McNicol’s resonant baritone voice was almost overpowered by the orchestra in a fine performance of Si corre dal notaio from Gianni Schicchi, which is perhaps not one of the more spectacular Puccini arias for the baritone voice. As Sharpless in Dovunque al mondo from Madama Butterfly, he was appropriately avuncular, and Tatchell as Goro was brilliantly comical. Tatchell’s ‘coat aria’ from La Bohème was superbly sung and beautifully tongue-in-cheek with its understated humour and parody.
State Opera have a winning formula with this format. Maybe a Verdi Spectacular might be in the offing sometime in the future, or a bel canto evening of Bellini and Donizetti? Bring it on!
Kym Clayton
When: 2 Sep
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
