Adelaide sopranos Eleanor Blythman (top) and Jessica Dean.
'The Impresario' (Der Schauspieldirektor) is one of Mozart's rarely peformed operas, and has received different interpretations from previous performance companies. The one act comic opera being staged at The Opera Studio, has a new incarnation courtesy of artistic director Patrick Lim. This sparkling production has a contemporary spin and is set in a 1960s Las Vegas casino. Sung in German without surtitles and with English dialogue.
Double Diva Dilemma by Linh
'The Impresario' is a brilliant effort from artistic director Patrick Lim, who not only created a new setting for the opera, but also a new script in English. In the glitzy and fast paced environment of The Casino Salzburg, Patrick plays the Impresario, Preston Devereaux, whose job is not only to keep the punters happy, but also negotiate with two very difficult and duelling divas.
Patrick Lim is impressively suave with all the right words to charm the ladies into obedience and displays his tenor virtuosity in Care pupille (Beloved Pupil).
Soprano Eleanor Blythman plays the dippy diva with heart, Violet St. Clair, with bemusing naivety yet unyielding persistance. Her voice is richly supple in the beautiful aria Da Schlagt Die Abschiedsstunde (There Strikes The Parting Hour), and with Durch Zartlichkeit Und Schmeicheln (With Tenderness and Coaxing) Eleanor exquisitely produces a precise lightness in the voice that floats upwards with delicate ease.
Playing the flambouyant and no-nonsense diva Chloe La Rue, soprano Jessica Dean is impressive in her delivery of Bester Jungling (Best Youth) displaying a combination of flashy coloratura and dramatic vocal expression. Jessica shows comic charm during her rendition of S'altro Che Lacrime (If You Do Nothing But Cry) with luscious tonal textures in her vocal delivery.
All three voices combine to create an explosion of egos and vocal fireworks in Ich Bin Die Erste Sangerin (I Am The First Singer), with the sopranos competing to out sing each other, while the Impresario attempts to appease both divas.
Musical Director Anthony Hunt appears as Wesley Maxwell giving fine but brief support to the devious Impresario. He is also pianist and conductor to the string quartet which provided brilliant support throughout.
'The Impresario' features some of Mozart's highest soprano coloratura and combines dramatic qualities to the score and comedic charm in the libretto. The cast along with the orchestra under the musical direction of Anthony Hunt, presents another entertaining production.
No comments:
Post a Comment