WAGNER IN AUSTRALIA: PRODUCTIONS OF THE OPERAS AND MUSIC DRAMAS IN SYDNEY 1877-1989

Presented to The Department of Music The University of New South Wales

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Music

Merylyn Russell January 1990 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This major project was produced as a result of the co-operation of a number of people. I should to like thank members of the staff of the Dennis Wolanski Library, the Australian Broadcasting Commission Library, the Mitchell Library, Sydney, the Music Department and the Manuscript Departments of the National Library, Canberra and the Library of the Australian Opera. I should also like to thank Moffatt Oxenbould, the Artistic Director of the Australian Opera and my supervisor, Roger Covell, for their generous assistance.

11 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Page

Introduction ...... vii

1 W.S. Lyster: A Nineteenth Century Impresario...... !

2 The Great Imported Companies ...... 13 George Musgrove ...... 14 The Melba/Williamson Season 1911 ...... 18 Thomas Quinlan 1912-13 ...... 20 The Melba/Williamson Season 1928 ...... 30 Sir Benjamin Fuller 1934-35...... 32 Policies and Problems ...... 36

3 The First Australian Companies ...... 43

4 The Australian Opera...... 54 Performance Practice ...... 66

5 Conclusion ...... 7 6

Bibliography...... 83

iii ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to investigate the history of productions of the operas and music dramas of Richard Wagner in Sydney from 1877 to 1989. Specific areas of investigation included the change from the earlier practice of importing complete companies to the current policy of totally Australian-based companies, alterations over the years in performance practice both musically and in production of the works and in the choice of language used for those performances.

In attempting to answer the above questions, investigation was centred on performance practice. This involved examining extant performing scores of Wagner's operas, any correspondence illuminating these areas, as well as programmes, early theatrical magazines, journals, articles in newspapers and reviews of the actual performances. Interviews also proved a source of information.

It was concluded that the changes were governed by many influences. Orchestral standards fluctuated depending upon the size of the orchestra employed which was in turn dependent on the dimensions of the orchestral pit where performance took place, the calibre of the instrumentalists employed therein, and the actual instruments used. The availability of singers, conductors and producers was of great importance; whether local or overseas artists

iv were employed and the standards achieved by these artists influenced standards of performances greatly. The language used in performance, whether English or German, has always been the subject of controversy.

All the companies investigated had a quite sharply defined sense of mission. They were bringing the best possible performances of Wagner operas to Australian audiences. During the first forty years that this investigation spans, there was no local operatic (Wagnerian) tradition, hence the rise of the fully imported company. These companies had international reputations and brought with them to Australia a high standard of production, which was an inspiration to the local companies that followed. The last fifty or so years have seen the development of the totally Australian company. The operas seen by Sydney audiences were now performed by totally imported companies. They pursued a policy of "all-Australian", which was sometimes detrimental to performance standards. By the 1980s, Sydney audiences were able to enjoy Wagnerian opera of an international standard, yet which made full use of indigenous talent and creativity.

V LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1 Chronological List of Productions of Wagner Operas in Sydney ...... 80

2 List of Productions by Title ...... 81

3 Chronological List of Concert Performances of Wagner Operas in Sydney...... 82

vi INTRODUCTION

In 1889 George Bernard Shaw said:

Every fresh presentation of [Wagner's works] should be an original, artistic creation, and not an imitation of the last one ... Let the scene-painter paint the scenes he sees in the poem ... the conductor express with his orchestra what the score expresses to him... the true Wagner theatre is that in which this shall be done, though it stand on Primrose Hill or in California... 1

This paper traces the history of performances of Wagner opera in Sydney from 1877, (when the first production of a work by Wagner was given at the Victoria Theatre) to the present day (1989).

It is important to recognise, however, that the first performance of any Wagner work in Australia was given in Melbourne in 1877. This production was later mounted in Sydney and because the problems of producing Wagner operas were already inherent and encapsulated in these first performances, it is with this presentation of Lohenrnn2 that this investigation begins.

10sborne, C. The World Theatre of Wagner. Oxford: Phaidon Press, 198 2, f ron tis piece. 2A11 works by Wagner are referred to by their German title, irrespective of whether or not they were so-called by the companies who produced them. vii CHAPTERl

W.S. LYSTER: A NINETEENTH CENTURY IMPRESARIO

This project examines the history of Wagner opera performances in Sydney. However, many of the productions mounted there were also seen in Melbourne and, indeed, the earlier imported companies made a practice of opening their seasons in that city. Such was the case with the first staged production of Wagner opera; in this case Lohengrin.

Melbourne had already seen a concert performance of Tannhauser in 1874, given by the Royal Philharmonic Society.3 There are also references to presentations of Tannhauser and Lohengrin in 1872 but information about these performances is sparse and unreliable. Therefore the first well-documented production of a staged Wagner opera in Australia can be accredited to William Saurin Lyster:

One of the many remarkable Irishmen thrown up by the country, which in the nineteenth century produced a chain of celebrities stretching from Moore and Balfe to Shaw and Wilde. He was born in Dublin in 1827 ... and began his career as a typical adventurer by shipping on a whaler at the age of thirteen. 4

3cove11, R. Australia's Musjc. Melbourne: 1967, p.19. 4 Mackenzie, B &F. Singers of Australia from Melba to Sutherland. Melbourne: 1967, p.265. 1 He was the opera impresario 'par excellence' and worked in Australia from 1861 to his death in 1880. It was he who laid the foundations for the long tradition of opera in Australia, even though he operated in many cases in halls without proper stages, scenery or costumes. It was he too, who struggled so hard over many years to establish a tradition of opera performance in Australia. From this time on there could be said to be a sense of mission among the impresarios; to bring not only opera, but drama and concerts of world-class standard as well to the people of Australia.

The company he used in Lohengrin was imported. As there was understandably no tradition of staging Wagner in Australia at this time and therefore, no experienced singers, instrumentalists or producers, he could hardly have done otherwise. He also brought with him higher standards than had hitherto been reached in dramatic production in Australia, standards which were to be an example and an inspiration for local theatre producers in the future. Nevertheless, this use of an overseas company set the pattern for the next sixty years for during that period, Australia relied almost totally on imported opera companies, not only for Wagner but for all opera.

The advent of the Lyster Opera company was considered an important event for Melbourne,as demonstrated in a full-page pictorial feature in the magazine Australian Sketches in 1877. The entire centre of the page is devoted to a scene from Lohengrin, while round the perimeter is shown,among other noteworthy and forthcoming events, a scene from Alru!, a Revivalist meeting, a Masonic ball and an advertisement for the Royal Poultry Show. Perhaps this reflects the attitude, at least in Australia in 1877, that

2 opera was to be considered a natural form of entertainment and that it had not yet attained its rather formidable reputation as an elitist pastime.

Not only had Lyster been masterminding productions of operas, he had also been involved with plays. 1877 saw presentations by him of Les Danicheff by Peter Korvin-Krukovskoi and Alexandre Dumas fils, Our American Cousin, Around the World in Eighty Days adapted by Lyster himself, as well as Three Millions of Money and Er.e,d. These performances took place at the Melbourne Opera House, while the current Italian Opera season was playing at the Theatre Royal. In 1874, Melbourne had seen The Bohemian Girl, Fra Diavolo. The Lily of Killarney and La Sonnambula but these had only involved thirty nights out of a year's performance. 1876 saw only The Bohemian Girl presented. The timing for a new production of opera was perfect and Melbourne was ready for a more serious approach to the theatre. Unfortunately, when opera did return to Melbourne in 1877, it could not be performed at the Opera House because of the above-mentioned drama season. In the early part of the year it performed at the Theatre Royal across the road. The company presented Italian opera, including a "lively and well-sung Trovatore". It would first appear, from the above-mentioned, slightly haphazard arrangements and confusion, that Lyster had been somewhat remiss in his arrangements. However:

It then emerged that during his months of apparent inactivity, Lyster had been making preparations for the most ambitious theatrical enterprise ever attempted in Australia to that time - a production of Wagner's Loheni:rjn,S

S1ove,H. The Golden Age of Australian Opera· W s Lyster and his Companies Sydney: 1981, p.250. 3 He had already engaged the conductor, Alfred Zelman, and a German soprano to sing the role of Elsa, Antoinetta Link.

Lyster had probably never actually seen operas by Wagner performed in a theatre, but he [Wagner], was already acknowledged to be one of the greatest opera composers of the day. Australia was entitled to have the experience of seeing Wagner opera, of having the same advantages in theatre-going as did the rest of the world and this quite intense desire was to become a leitmotif repeated over and over again in the history of the annals of theatre in Australia. If the production of Lohengrin were to go ahead, Melbourne would be only two years behind London, which had seen the premiere in May, 1875. If compromises had to be made in order to stage the opera, it was unfortunate, but inevitable. One of these was in the language in which the opera was to be performed; another was orchestral.

The practice of singing an opera in the original language is a comparatively recent one. Very often it was sung in the mother­ tongue of the performing company, as happened later on with the Melba/Williamson company. Sometimes each singer sang in his /her native tongue with unfortunate results. In general, however, composers at this period expected their operas to be performed in the language of the audience. Wagner particularly wished the audience to be familiar with the text of his operas, as shown in a letter he wrote to one Emile Sander (a German-born resident of Melbourne who had been corresponding with Wagner and who had acquainted him with the advent of the local production of Lohengrin in October, 1877). The text of Sander's letter gives an interesting insight into the life of

4 Melbourne in the late nineteenth century. He considered its cultural 'atmosphere' most receptive to Wagner's music.

It [Melbourne] is a marvellous city and on this account it can hardly be considered strange that the "Music of the Future" has experienced such a brilliant reception here. 6

The original of Wagner's letter is preserved in a museum in Melbourne - the passage concerning the language of performance makes Wagner's wish (that his works should be performed in English, when produced in Australia) very clear: "Magen Sie dafilr sorgen meine Werke sich Ihnen Englisch vorfilhren zu lassen." Wagner obviously felt that it was more important for an audience exposed for the first time to one of his operas that they should understand the meaning of the words rather than to appreciate the subtleties of the original German text. In the light of his writings on the importance of the poetry of the libretto - the choice of words, assonance, alliteration, Stabreim etc. - he surely must have felt that this was a compromise, but a most necessary and important one. Wagner also sent his compliments to Lyster but made no mention of any royalties to which he might be entitled.

The company opened the new season on July 28th, 1877 with Robert the Devil (there were to be two performances) and continued on August 4th with the first of four performances of Faust. The repertoire consisted of The Barber of Seville. Semiramide (one performance each), II trovatore. Un Balla in maschera (two performances each), Faust.~ (nine performances) and nineteen performances of Lohenmn. According to contemporary reviews, the

6 Ibid, p. 253. s performances were considered exceptionally fine. The chorus numbered a hundred (and was augmented for Lohengrin by a German choral group). The orchestra consisted of five first violins, three second violins, two violas, two celli, three double basses, two flutes, one oboe (doubling cor anglais and second bassoon), two clarinets, two comets, two trombones, one tuba and drums (not specified; presumably timpani and percussion). This was enlarged to forty instruments for Lohengrin and included a harp. The standard of orchestral playing was especially praised. The scaling­ down of the orchestra for one or all of the following reasons; shortage of accommodation in the pit, the ability and availability of the players as well as financial considerations reflect the most serious adjustments of all that had to be made in Australian productions of Wagner. In nearly every subsequent performance, in every theatre in Sydney, the orchestra was under the size specified by Wagner. Few other composers have used instruments for such specific (and specified) effects; few other composers have had their requirements so drastically curtailed.

A further adjustment in relation to the original score was that the orchestration was supplied by the conductor, Alfred Zelman, from a piano score. It is more than likely that he had never heard Lohengrin performed with the original orchestration. It is possible, indeed, that he never heard any of Wagner's works performed with full orchestra either, and so would have had no knowledge of Wagner's orchestral techniques.

The Manuscript Library contained within the State Library of New South Wales holds some scores of Lohengrin. These are all piano

6 reductions - there are no full orchestral scores. They all bear the name "W.S. Lyster" scrawled hastily across the front cover - there is no date to be seen, either handwritten or published. They appear to be old and in poor condition; they are rather dirty, with either pages or covers torn and missing. In several of these scores, throughout the Prelude, orchestral cues are handwritten in. It would appear that these are the original scores used by Lyster and Zelman themselves for this production, as this was the only Lohengrin with which Lyster was associated and that the orchestral cues as well as the numerous cuts indicated throughout the score are those used in the 1877 performance. There are nine of these scores in all and they provide a source of information as to performance practice in this production of Lohengrin.

The first one is a Boosey & Hawkes edition, edited by Arthur Sullivan and J .Pitman. The libretto provided is in English, German and Italian. There are many cuts throughout the score ranging from small, fairly insignificant ones, to large, important ones. The beginnings of the cuts are clearly marked, usually with red pencil, but the end of them is often difficult to decipher.

In Act One, most of King Henry's first entry from "Soll ich euch erst " (bar 54) through to bar 76 "zum Widerstand'm is cut. Two more pages are cut later in this scene - from "Welch'furchterliche" (bar 204) to "geheimen Buhlen pfiegen" 18 bars later. Some of the chorus work has been deleted as well. The deletions are very short and quite numerous; they are usually repeated orchestral sections which were presumably cut to shorten the length of performance time. Act Two is cut at the beginning in the scene between Telramund and Ortrud -

7 small sections of the recitative are deleted. The last twenty-eight bars ofTelramund's warning at the end of Scene Two are also cut. The orchestral introduction to the beginning of Scene Two is cut at bar 16 until just before the chorus enters. Act Three has some lengthy and rather astonishing cuts. Lohengrin's prophetic cry of "O Elsa, was hast du mir angethan!" at the eighteenth bar after the end of "In

Fernem Land ,m has vanished along with the next several bars. The "swan" motive has also disappeared as well as the first twenty bars of Lohengrin's farewell "Mein Lieber Schwan!" The last chorus "Weh'! Weh'! du edler, holder Mann" is cut, as well as most of Ortrud's final scene.

The part of Telramund, sung by Orlandini in 1877 and Templeton in 1879 has been altered, but it is impossible to tell from the score for which singer the alterations were made. Throughout the score, any notes which fall below B on the second bottom line of the bass clef are transposed up an octave. The inference here is that the singer was unable to reach these notes.

The next two scores are unmarked. Number four (presumably a prompt score) has "per suggerire D. Bortolameotti(?) and W.Lyster" and is missing Act Three. Another score is an Italian-only Ricardi edition, translated (from German presumably) by one Salvatore de C. Marchesi. There are no cuts in this score and the first one hundred and twelve pages are missing.

Another score, signed "W.Lyster" (Royal Edition) is marked as the prompt copy. It has the same cuts as the first-mentioned score.

8 Perhaps the most interesting score is the bound copy marked "W.S.Lyster/Opera House/Melbourne". This was presumably the conducting score as it contains the instrumental cues mentioned previously. Instruments mentioned by name when cued are flutes, oboes, clarinets, cor anglais, fagotti, cornets, corni, trombi (sic), ottoni (brass) and harp. Flutes are cued in at the very first bar of the Prelude. The leader of the cellos is cued in as a solo player at bar 13, while cornets are cued at bar 16 of the Herald's solo at the commencement of Act One on the C major chord. The words "sul palio" are written in five bars before King Henry's first solo to indicate that the trumpets (or cornets?) are sounding on stage. All these cues are written in pencil; they are not the standard orchestral printed cues of later editions. Very few tempo indications have been added. The cuts are the same as in the first score discussed above.

The last score, also apparently owned by Lyster, is another conducting score. This score has more tempo indications than the previous one, but none that would have made any great difference to the performance. Above the beginning of the Prelude is written, in what appears to be Lyster's hand "A few more cuts and Lohengrin would be completely castrated!"

Lohengrin opened on August 18th in, according to Love7 an exciting and musically committed but probably rather unpolished version". The cast included Paladini as Lohengrin, Antoinetta Link as Elsa, Orlandini as Telramund, Cesari as King Henry, Gambelli as the Herald and E.Fabris as Ortrud.

7 Ibid, p. 252.

9 Lyster personally supervised the production. The theatre closed for five days while the lavish preparations were being carried out. Rabbe "painted a complete set of new and splendid scenes and the costumes were the finest the theatre could produce. "8

Contemporary critics waxed lyrical. The Age, 20th August, 1877, had this to say:

Wagner's opera of Loheni'J"in was produced on Saturday night for the first time in Australia.. .Its production may be said to mark the commencement of a new era in these colonies. Never before has a work been so discussed in musical and general circles; never has a work been so carefully rehearsed as regards the music; never has a work been more thoroughly well produced ... and never has a larger or more intelligent audience attended to witness a first performance than on this occasion.

The Ar~s ,20th August,1877, was even more enthusiastic:

All thanks are due to Mr.Lyster for having given Melbourne a new and quite unexpected pleasure... The style of composition is unlike anything which has been heard here before ... The chorus is the grandest ever brought together on the operatic stage in Melbourne, and the orchestra beyond all comparison the very best... The general pageant is splendid ...

Unfortunately this great operatic venture did not make Lyster's fortune - in fact, he nearly went broke. He had been in ill-health for some years and this disappointment must have contributed in some measure to his death in 1880 (the worry over Lohenmn did, in fact, result in a nervous breakdown). The total costs of the season were among the highest on record. Lohenmn was the most expensive opera of them all for Lyster to produce and lost the greatest amount (a deficit of £97/12/2); a fact which which was to jeopardise any future presentations of Wagner operas.

8 Ibid, p. 254. 10 Nothing less than an unbroken run of crowded houses could have recompensed costs which were almost certainly among the highest ever expended on any theatrical production in Australia up to that time. Wagner operas were the most expensive of all to mount; managers would be wary of committing funds to what might not be financially rewarding. 9

The critic of the Australian voiced his concern thus:

With the end of the ensuing week will come the end of grand opera in Melbourne, for I see at present hardly any possibility of any renewal of the former glories of the Melbourne lyric stage.

In other words, the financial burden and the strain of production would be too great to consider any more performances.

In fact, Melbourne was to see a revival (of four performances) of Lohengrin in the opera season of 1879. The cast was changed slightly G.Verdi sang Telramund, C.H.Templeton sang King Henry and Mrs.(?) Howitz sang Ortrud.

The performance was remembered for many years - correspondence on the subject of Lyster's triumph appeared in newspapers and magazines for an astonishingly long time, so great was the impact of the production. A letter written in 1892 illustrates the point:

To Signora Link is due the honour of being the first and only prima donna that appeared as Elsa in Lohengrin, produced at the Victoria Theatre in 1879; the part of Ostrada (sic) being sustained by Madame Fabris who divided the honour with Link; Signor Paladini was Lohengrin and Mr. Templeton, a highly capable baritone, was Frederic. I 0

9 Ibid. 10arewer, F.C. The Drama and Music in N s W. Sydney: 1892, p.77.It is interesting to compare the information in this article about the singer who sang Ortrud with that of the details of the cast list taken from a letter written in 1913 by Fred Hailes in the November edition of~ Theatre Magazine. There are discrepancies between the two accounts.

1 1 Lyster took his company to Sydney and it performed at the Victoria Theatre. This was the first performance of Lohengrin in Sydney and it was given five times. It was warmly praised by the critics, especially for its principals, sets and costumes but it was not as good as the Melbourne production. This was mainly because the orchestra, particularly the brass, were less experienced,even though the musical director of the Melbourne season, Zelman, also conducted the work in Sydney.

Sydney audiences were enthusiastic about their introduction to Wagner's operas and the stage was set for the advent of the great impresarios and their fully imported companies.

12 CHAPTER2

THE GREAT IMPORTED COMPANIES

During the first thirty-five years of the twentieth century, both Sydney and Melbourne theatre audiences and concert-goers were able to enjoy high-standard musical and dramatic performances. This was due in part, to the enterprise of several impresarios and the companies they represented. Many came from overseas, under the auspices of James Cassius Williamson, the most visionary of them all. He brought whole companies out to Australia during these years and his production company continued to do so until it was dissolved, many years after his death.

Australian audiences were able to see first performances of a number of operas within a few years of their overseas premieres; including the later operas of Puccini. They were also given the opportunity of seeing most of the great Wagnerian music dramas.

13 George Mus grove

The first of these companies, under the banner of J.C. Williamson was brought out by the impresario George Musgrove, who imported several opera companies between 1900 and 190711. He was one of Williamson's well-known associates and his organisational skills were responsible for the importation of Gustav Slapoffski from the Carl Rosa Opera Company to be the conductor of the 1901 season.

The season of1901 was the high point of George Musgrove's career. In the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, which had been built to his specifications, he controlled one of the most beautiful theatres in the world. His opera company, which included the Tasmanian baritone Lempriere Pringle and the prima donna Agnes Janson, was phenomenally successfuJ.12

In 1907, Musgrove brought out a second season of Grand Opera. He imported a complete German company, which though very successful musically, was a financial disaster. This was partly due to quarrels within the company, which became legendary. Once, when Musgrove was asked by a member of the audience in the foyer what opera was being played that night, he replied "I don't know. They're still fighting it out backstage. And when the curtain goes up I won't understand a word of it." Whether he was being facetious or not, Musgrove was keenly aware of the public's interest in opera and their curiosity about Wagner opera in particular.

11 It was he who in 1885 had paid Melba her first professional fee of £20 for a series of concerts and who also arranged her triumphant tour of 1902. 12 Mackenzie; op.cit, p. 279. 14 The repertoire for the 1907 season included Lohengrin, Tannhauser and the first Australian production of Die Walkure. A theatrical magazine of the day had this to say about the forthcoming season:

The advent shortly of a grand opera campaign(!) once more in Australia, stirs up pleasurable anticipations.The success a few years ago of two distinct companies augers (sic ) well for the present venture, as there is no doubt an awakening of the public to the charms of higher music.. .lt is dangerous to hope that opera has come into its own again, but the experience of a few years ago, justify us in hoping that it has.. .It is a material consideration too, that liking for opera implies cultivation in the divinest of the arts, and therefore acquisition of the best that art can do for a community. It is stated that Geo. Musgrove ... will return to Australia in February. Music lovers will welcome the news that the Opera Co. will make .. .its Sydney debut on May 25th. A number of leading German artists have been secured by Mr. Musgrove for the Wagnerian productions, which will embrace Die Walkure (sic ) ... Lohengrin , Tannhauser (sic) and The Flvini Dutchman. Wagner,it will be seen, looms largely in the list, and this is as it should be, for the great German composer is a standard attraction at all the European and American Opera Houses. We have already tasted of his magic charm... However, there is no harm in hoping that the management may see their way clear to enlarge our acquaintance with Richard Wagner... 1 3

The complete repertoire for the 1907 season included, apart from the Wagner operas already mentioned, La Boheme. Carmen. Romeo and Juliet. Hansel and Gretel and Faust. It was possible to buy shares in the company and, though shareholders had no special rights to seats, they could book them a day before the general public and thus receive preferential treatment. At the end of the season, the profits were to be divided among the company.

The Theatre 14 magazine for March reported that Musgrove had some difficulty in negotiating with Cosima Wagner in Germany. First of all, she had to approve of the cast, then she insisted on a large

13The whole of this lengthy article is quoted in The Theatre magazine, Feb.lst, 1907. 14 The Theatre March, 1907. 15 percentage of the profits. She also made Musgrove insure the orchestral scores for Die Walkiire - they weighed two hundredweight.

Whatever the initial problems had been, there was no doubt that the season was highly successful. The reviews from Melbourne praised the company and "would make Sydney music lovers and playgoers generally impatient to hear the sterling artists he [Musgrove] has brought to our shores", as the May issue of The Theatre magazine expressed it. The Sydney performances took place in the Theatre Royal and, at least for Die Walkure, three fanfares were sounded on the balcony of the theatre as a sign for the public to be seated, in true Bayreuth manner. The programme for this opera also made a special request:

The indulgence of the audience is asked by the Management for what is, in Australia, a lengthy time between each Act. The Stage Settings and Effects in this Opera are so intricate that 25 Minutes (not more) will be required to accomplish each change.

The advertised time for the commencement of Die Walkiire was 7 pm and it was expected to conclude at 11.10pm. Allowing for two twenty­ five minute intervals, it only left about three and a half hours for the performance, so there must have been some drastic cuts. The A.B.C. Library in Sydney holds the complete set of full scores for the Wagner operas stamped "George Musgrove". Investigation revealed that there were no other existing marks of previous ownership, so any marks found in the scores would presumably be those of Musgrove. However, except for some small cuts in Der Fliegende Hollander, the scores were unmarked. Unless other scores which are actually proved to have been used by Musgrove in these productions come to

16 light in the future, it is impossible to say what those cuts would have been.

The cast for Die Walkiire included Karl Studemund as Siegfried, Emil Greder as Hunding, Hans Mohwink.el as Wotan, Sara Anderson as Sieglinde and Johanna Heinze as Briinnhilde. The conductor was Gustav Slapoffski and the director, Emil Greder, who also sang the role of Hunding.

Lohengrin opened the Sydney season. An unknown newspaper source gave a lengthy dissertation on the poetic meaning of the opera, as seen by Wagner himself. As has been stated already, the Press, encouraged no doubt by the opera company, took great pains to give the public much information about the operas before the opening night - thus furthering the process of "educating the public". Sara Anderson sang Elsa - sweetly and sympathetically - according to the Melbourne review.

[The tenor, Oeser] ... made a captivating and convincing Lohengrin and sings and acts well ... Fraulein Heinze ... was a good Ortrud and Julius Ruenger, a fine baritone, a satisfactory Telramund... Herr Mohwinkel ... a powerful basso ... [was King Henry]. Apparently, Karl Studemund later replaced Oesel_" as Lohengrin and mention was made of his fine, ringing tenor voice.

Tannhauser was greatly admired for its magnificent production. Once again, Karl Studemund was singled out for special praise - he became a great favourite and was applauded nightly by the 'enormous audiences'. Sara Anderson was even better as Elisabeth than as Elsa, and Julius Ruenger gave a particularly fine rendering "of the now well-known Star of Eve solo".

17 The choruses for all the operas were described as "fresh, charming and vigorous, and your old friend Slapoffski has a magnificent orchestra-musicians every one"l S

The Melba/Williamson Season, 1911

The next productions of Wagner operas were part of the Melba/Williamson Grand Opera Season.Melbourne audiences were in a receptive frame of mind and welcomed the company enthusiastically.

With the advent of the Melba Grand Opera season, musical Melbourne has been worked up to a pitch of intense expectancy,with a feeling of suppressed excitement, which doubtless will find full scope for outburst as the season progresses. 1 6

So declared a contemporary music journal describing the advent, artists and repertoire of the forthcoming season. Sydney was to become just as excited and elevated by the coming season as Melbourne, through the publishing of similar articles in the local newspapers.

The operas to be performed were Faust, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, L.a Boheme. Carmen. Samson and Delilah, AX.cl.a, Ri~oletto. Otello. Lucia di Lammermoor. La Trayiata and Lohengrin. The manager for the tour was John Lemmone; the conductors were Maestro Angelini (for the first eleven operas) and Marshall Hall, who only conducted

Lohenmn.

1 Srhe excerpts from the reviews were from The Theatre magazine, May 1, l 907(from the Melbourne performances). 16 "Aystraljan Mysjca! News" Vol 1. no.S, Nov.,1911, p.107.

18 The season lasted eight weeks in Melbourne (where all the seasons at this time seemed to commence) and eight weeks in Sydney. From the opening night on, it was a resounding success, both artistically and financially, due in part, of course to Melba's appearances, as well as that of a new tenor, John McCormack. Obviously the drawcard of a totally imported company attracted audiences. It could not have been otherwise, however, as there was no locally-based company with established operatic tradition in Australia on which to base a comparison.

For perhaps the first time in Australia, the public became aware of the Wagner/anti-Wagner war that was currently raging in Europe. Marshall Hall, the conductor of Lohenmn, led the Wagnerites and the atmosphere was electric, not only in the performances of that opera, but in the others, too.

The reviews of Lohenmn were full of praise. In the rather flowery style of contemporary reviewing

The medireval pomp and pageantry of Lohengrin. its atmosphere of romance and mysticism. claimed the attention of the public on the evening of Saturday. September 30... The commanding presence of the Italian tenor [Francesco Zeni]. looking strikingly handsome in his dazzling suit of silver armour. enabled him to fill the part of Lohengrin with almost ideal realism ... Mme. Wayda. captivating in appearance. won the house with her vocal richness. Mme. De Cisneros presented a magnificent Ortrud, intensely dramatic and dominating in personality ... Signor Scandiani was artistically incisive as the high-born villain. Telramund... l 7

17 " Australian Musjcal News" Vol 1, no.5, Nov, 1911 ;reviewed by Allegro Giusto 19 Thomas Guinlan,1912-1913

Probably the greatest operatic achievement up to 1912, and hardly excelled since, was the visit in that year of the Quinlan Opera Company. To bring principals,. chorus and orchestral players so far from England was a unique achievement. First Australian performances were given of Tristan and Isolde. The Prodi~l Son, The Girl of the Golden West, and The Tales of Hoffrnan. 1 8

The 1911 Melba season had been so successful that it paved the way for the grand welcome accorded the Quinlan Opera Company under the auspices of J.C.Williamson, when it arrived in Australia in 1912. This was the largest company to visit Australia - it numbered almost two hundred, including principals, chorus and orchestra and was fully imported.

The impresario behind this vast theatrical enterprise, which travelled with 300 tons of scenery, 56cwts. of music and 3500 costumes was Thomas Quinlan,a Dubliner who gave up accountancy to become a professional singer and then embarked in management. I 9

This would appear to be the model career for a successful opera impresario. Quinlan had joined Sir Thomas Beecham's company as business manager in 1910, when it opened with an opera season at Her Majesty's Theatre in London.

The publicity for the venture was enormous. For some months before the company actually landed in Melbourne for the 1912 season, newspapers and theatre magazines ran articles and advertisements, to ensure that nobody would be left in any doubt as to the splendour of the event.

18 Arundel Orchard. Music jn Australia. Melbourne: 1951. p.156. l 9Mackenzie; op.cit, p.276. 20 A contemporary broadsheet refers to the company as:

The Greatest English Opera Company Ever Organised! - Music-Drama - Spectacle - Stars From The World's Greatest Opera Houses! ... Neither expense nor trouble has been spared in the organisation of the Company and the names of a few of the principals will adequately convey an idea of the brilliancy of the casts ... So that the various Operas may be in the hands of Specialists, there will be THREE CONDUCTORS, each celebrated in his own sphere ...

Short biographies of the principals appeared too; as well as continued assurances to the potential audiences as to the vast experience of the chorus and orchestra. Testimonials from famous people, including Puccini20 himself, were printed, and the public were continually assured of the excellence of the productions. Quinlan spared no expense in this publicity campaign, nor in his efforts to maintain a high standard of excellence in all musical and artistic endeavours.21 He also expressed his confidence in the Australian public, who, he felt sure would not put him to any financial risk! 22 He was supremely confident, and justifiably so - this was to be the most brilliant theatrical experience that Australia had known. A production of this size and scope could never have been mounted in Australia by a local company at this time. However, by seeing what an imported company could achieve and by setting a standard, foundations were being laid for the future, when Australian

20 In an interview the great composer said" .. .! have come to England primarily out of admiration for this splendid enterprise of Mr. Thomas Quinlan ... he is a Garibaldi, a Napoleon of music ... " 21An article (source unknown) informed the public about "A Few Important Points to Remember about the Quinlan Grand Opera Company - it was the biggest and costliest enterprise that had yet visited Australia; it was the only complete company ever to be brought to this country; it included the first complete imported operatic orchestra; the Principals were Actors as well as Singers; the Repertoire would be rendered in English and the whole Company was rehearsed in London for four months prior to its departure ... 22 The venture was to cost him £, 100,000. 21 companies would have the experience (albeit much of it garnered overseas) to produce opera themselves.

J.C.Williamson who brought the Quinlan Company out to Australia,was the chief impresario in Australia at that time and his company flourished for the next sixty or so years. It was his company which brought out the famous names that would appear in Australian theatre during the next half century.

He made possible theatrical importations on the largest conceivable scale. The opera companies that began coming to Australia under Williamson's auspices in the early years of the twentieth century included many of the most famous names in international opera annals. This was valuable in that it allowed Australian audiences to hear in their own country some of the finest operatic singing available. But it probably weakened local enterprise by setting impossibly high standards of individual accomplishment at too early a date.23

There was no doubt, however, that the Quinlan company was of very high quality indeed.

The repertoire included the premiere in Australia of The Tales of Hoffman, The Prodi~al Son. The Girl of the Golden West and Tristan und Isolde as well as performances of Carmen. Faust. Hansel and GreteL La Boheme. Madame Butterfly. Alda, Tannhauser. Lohenmn. Die Walkilre. La Traviata and Ri~oletto. The season was to last for four and a half weeks in both Melbourne and Sydney and at that time Quinlan apparently did not contemplate any return visits.

23covell. R; op.cit p.238. 22 When the Company finally arrived in Melbourne, the Press was there to receive it and to report the momentous occasion:

At daybreak. on June 4th, 1912, a few shivering reporters assembled on Port Melbourne· Pier to greet the steamer Ascinius carrying Thomas Quinlan's Grand Opera Company from Capetown. The science of theatrical bally-hoo being in its infancy, there was not even a photographer among them, so the company's arrival went unrecorded pictorially. Yet the occasion was without parallel in stage history.24

The Paris version of Tannhauser was performed for the first time in Australia and Agnes Nicholls "the famous Wagnerian star" sang Elisabeth, John Harrison sang Tannhauser and W .J.Samuell sang Wolfram. The English translation was that of Ernest Newman and the conductor was Ernst Knoch, who also conducted Die W alkiire. The cast for this included Agnes Nicholls as Briinnhilde, John Harrison as Siegmund, Vera Courtenay as Sieglinde, and Robert Parker as W otan.

Tristan und Isolde was also conducted by Ernst Knoch. John Coates sang Tristan, Agnes Nicholl sang Isolde and Kurvenal was sung by Robert Parker. The performance commenced at 7.00pm instead of the 7 .30pm start of the other Wagnerian operas. There were no cuts in this performance - the opera would be "presented complete as to text and music" according to the newspaper article that preceded the first performance.

The reviews 25were ecstatic and full of praise, though how these performances would measure up to those of modern-day

24Wagner Socjetv newsletter, no.3S, May, 1989. 25Reviews of the day tended to discuss and describe the opera as weJJ as actually reviewing it. 23 presentations, it is impossible to tell. The review for Tristan und Isolde stated that:

For four hours last night the audience listened,rapt and silent, to an epic of gorgeous musical blank verse - a web of great music ... Wagner... hurls the full orchestra at his astounded principals ... the famous love scene ... revealed a wealth of lyrical beauty in Miss Nicholls' voice ... "Mild and Softly" was given with a purity and tenderness which roused the audience to a white heat of enthusiasm... To Mr. Coates is due a full share of the triumph ... he sang and acted with complete confidence."

Lohengrin was also highly praised:

Those who, led by the splendid performances of Tristan and Tannhauser expected the company to repeat its triumphs in this... were not in the least degree disappointed... From the first note of the prelude (played last night magnificently by the orchestra) the beauty and mysticism of the music is apparent... Madame Agnes Nicholl ... had in Elsa her very best part of all...[with] Her splendid artistry and smooth rich voice ... Mr. John Coates sang in his best form ... Mr. Robert Parker made a fine villainous Telramund.

This particular review mentions cutting out "a rather dull interlude of recitative", just before the "song of Elsa" (presumably Elsa's Dream) begins. So Lohengrin was not performed in its entirety as was Tristan und Isolde.

At the end of the Sydney season, the Company returned to Melbourne for a farewell concert on 20th August at the Town Hall. It was an evening of special features and all the principals took part. The concert opened with the overture to Die Meistersinger, with the orchestra conducted by Ernst Knoch. Strangely, because the orchestra must have been present on stage , some singers were accompanied on the piano, while others had full orchestral accompaniment.26 Mr. Samuell sang Eri tu, Jeanne Brola sang

26 A possible reason for this could be that orchestral parts only existed for those works in the company's repertoire. 24 Vissi d'Arte. both with piano only, while John Coates singing the Preislied (followed by Robin Adair as an encore) and Robert Parker in Wotans Abschied had the benefit of the full orchestra, which concluded the concert with the overture to William Tell. The reviews stated that this concert was a "splendid achievement".

In spite of the fact that Quinlan had emphasised that there would be no return visits, the Company returned to Australia in the following year, 1913. The venture had been so successful in South Africa, where the tour had started as well as in Australia, that presumably Quinlan wished for a repeat of his triumphs.

However, this time the tour was a financial disaster. South Africa was in the grip of political and industrial turmoil and not interested in opera. In Melbourne there was a smallpox scare, and as a result, the theatres were half empty. Though the Sydney season was reasonably successful, the proposed New Zealand tour was cancelled, owing to a general strike there. It is possible too that there was too much Wagner for a public just becoming accustomed to it. The complete "Ring" cycle was performed, as well as five of his other operas. Quinlan never came back to Australia. He had planned another tour for 1915, but World War 1 was declared in 1914. Unfortunately, too, J.C.Williamson died the following year and the project was never realised.

Nonetheless, hopes were still high at the start of the 1913 tour. Once again, the publicity was enormous, both before and during the season. As before, the tour was to commence in Melbourne on August 16th and then to move to Sydney. The Theatre magazine 25 hailed it as "the Grand Opera Season on the Greatest Scale Yet!" The publicity commenced before the ship had even left England and the magazine ran updated bulletins every few weeks as the ship approached Australia, thus whetting the appetite of the public for the delights to come. Quinlan himself was persuaded to write an article for the magazine:

I hope [that in] my grand opera season in Sydney next October... the performances ... will be on a higher level of excellence than last year... I have spared neither time nor expense to present them[the operas] in modem and up-to-date fashion ... the ~ is the greatest event which the musical community has ever been asked to support.. .! am relying solely upon local interest in, and appreciation of, art and music to make the enterprise successful..."

The superlative quality of the productions was once again stressed in newspaper articles in both Sydney and Melbourne. An interviewer who spoke with Ernest Wunderlich, president of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (who had been to Melbourne to see the season) quoted him as saying "Music lovers will look back with pride on these memorable first performances of the greatest musical mark of all times as a landmark in the history of culture in Australia."27

The Melbourne reviews of Die Meistersinger yon Nilrnberg. which opened the season, were extravagant in their praises:

Brilliance was everywhere - in the orchestra, on the stage and in the audience - brilliance that failed only in comparison with that of the opera performed.The spontaneous enthusiasm made the occasion memorable.28

The artists themselves were interviewed and their favourite roles ascertained. Much was written about the first performance of the

~ cycle, with a view to informing and educating the public, as

27Dajlv Telegraph. Wed., Sept. 3, 1913. 28 Daj!v Telegraph, Mon., Aug 18, 1913. 26 well as further advertisement for the season. In Sydney, W.Arundel Orchard presented a series of weekly lectures explaining the cycle, illustrating his talks with musical examples which he played on the piano, thus familiarising the audience with the major leading motives and explaining the structure of the Ring generally.

The repertoire for the season included the Wagner music dramas Tristan und Isolde. Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg. Lohengrin, Tannhauser, Der Fliegende Hollander as well as the complete Ring cycle. Other operas were Manon Lescaut, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, La Boheme. The Girl of the Golden West. Afda. La Traviata. Rigoletto, II trovatore. Samson and Delilah, Manon, The Marriage of Figaro, Louise. Carmen, Faust. The Tales of Hoffman and The Prodigal Son.

Many of the artists were those who had starred in the previous season; however, there were some new ones including the German conductor, Richard Eckhold.

Die Meistersinger had its premiere in Sydney with Eckhold conducting, Robert Parker as Hans Sachs, "one of the most masterly pieces of Wagnerian portraiture we have seen.. .it had dignity and weight"; Felice Lyne as Eva, Franz Costa as Walther and William Deever as Beckmesser. According to the Melbourne review in the Argus:

Music-lovers had a long but glorious night at the opening performance... His [Quinlan] splendidly equipped company worked hard and brilliantly ... to be sure, the orchestra played too loudly ... but it was done with great brilliance,and well-nigh perfect accuracy of note.

27 The cast for Tristan und Isolde was essentially the same as for the previous season except that Isolde was played by Perceval Allen. Lohengrin, conducted by Richard Eckhold, had Spencer Thomas in the title role; with Robert Parker again singing Telramund and Jeanne Brola singing the role of Elsa.

The~ cycle29 - so long-awaited - was conducted by Richard Eckhold. The cast of Rheingold included Robert Parker as Wotan, Spencer Thomas as Loge, W.J.Samuell as Alberich and Edna Thornton as Fricka. The reviewers were ecstatic:

A magnificent performance ... a marvellous scene was unfolded when the curtain rose last night at Her Majesty's Theatre.. .it was as thrilling as it was magical...to say that the work was finely done is to do but scant justice to Mr.Quinlan's brilliant company...

Die Walkiire. with Spencer Thomas (Siegmund), Robert Parker (Wotan), Gladys Ancrum (Sieglinde), and Perceval Allen (Briinnhilde) was also 'magnificently' performed:

... the manner of its presentation left; the great house wondering whether it would be possible to give more ... Mr. Parker's... greatest triumph was in the magnificent farewell to Briinnhilde, where he certainly realised the conception of a god's regret...

Sie~ried was also stated to be a brilliant success. Francis Costa sang the title role, Sydney Russell was Mime, Robert Parker, Wotan and Perceval Allen, Briinnhilde.

Of the performance it is possible to speak in the highest terms of enthusiasm ... the orchestra, under Herr Eckhold's inspired guidance was superb... Franz Costa's Siegmund ... as an artistic effort it was in many respects splendid ...

29In accordance with Quinlan's stated policy of singing all operas in English, all the Wagner music dramas were referred to in all documentation by their English titles. 28 Gotterdammeruni brought the ~ cycle to a "triumphant conclusion". Robert Parker as Hagen was "a presentiment of malevolence"; Franz Costa as Siegfried did not fare quite so well at the critic's hand but he did "give his many fine narrative phrases great breadth of tone and understanding". Perceval Allen (Briinnhilde) "rose to great heights in declamatory effects" and "showed her powers to superb effect". The chorus work "was capital", while the orchestra "played the difficult music with impressive effect".

The ~ was deeply appreciated by many opera patrons. In fact, during an interval in the opera being performed one night, a letter was handed to Thomas Quinlan, on behalf of a number of prominent music lovers.

We, the undersigned, wish to put it on record our high appreciation and gratitude to you and your company for the splendid performance you have given us of Richard Wagner's The Rini of the Niebeluoi- on its first presentation in Australia and if it be possible for you to give another cycle of this wonderful work, we are sure such labours would be rewarded by packed houses.3 O

Quinlan replied to this missive:

... Will you allow me to express my gratitude ... for your kind sentiments and appreciation ... Although it is a severe strain on everybody concerned to again give the complete cycle, I will gladly do so if I find there is a ready response on the part of the public ...

Apparently there was not a great enough response to justify a repeat performance and alas, this was the only performance ever given in Sydney to the present date. Quinlan and his company sailed away to their unfortunate reception in New Zealand and never returned.

30Unknown source - newspaper dated Aug.29th, 1913. 29 The Melba/Williamson Season, 1928

The extravagant and wordy advertisements for opera seasons in the early years of the twentieth century reached their greatest heights in the publicity campaign for the 1928 Melba/Williamson season.3 1 As well as the extravagant claims quoted below, a contemporary article purportedly written by Nevin Tait, one of the managers himself, gave information on the artists who would be performing, as well as the repertoire. It also discussed the problem of financing such a company and the question of sponsorship:

From the financial standpoint, the presentation of grand opera is a "gamble" in the sense that it is practically impossible to gauge what the public response will be .. .In Europe, opera,as is well known, is subsidised by the State, or by a municipality, so that impresarios there are at least free from financial cares... but here, both the artistic and financial burdens have to be shouldered by the management.

About twenty-four operas were presented in the season, including the premieres in Australia of Turandot. 11 Trittico. L'Amore dei tre Re, Thai's and Adriana Lecouyreur. The article already quoted above, explained the reason for presenting so many new works - "so Australian lovers of operas would have the opportunity of hearing many established and new works".

Nevin Tait directed the season. The conductors were Commendatore Gaetano Bavagnoli and Antonio Fugazzola, as well as three assistant conductors. Famous names among the cast included Dame Nellie

31 A two-page advertisement commences thus:"Australia Felix! What a happy inspiration it was to give this great continent of ours such a splendid designation!...Now we have again a Grand Opera Company in our midst - a company of international artists, who by the superb performances already given, are keeping alive the magic art of music ... " 30 Melba, Toti dal Monte, Browning Mummery, and John Brownlee among others. The orchestra numbered sixty and there was a stage band of an extra sixteen players. There was a chorus of sixty five singers and a large corps de ballet. Over one hundred people had been brought out from Europe (though presumably some of the orchestra, chorus and ballet were local performers), once again emphasising that Australia was not yet prepared to an invest in an entirely (or even partially) Australian company. The Company seemed to feel that "non-Australian is best".

The companies of these days:

were all-star companies... and competing with McCormack, Dal Monte, Borgioli or Granforte was hardly a fair test for the local singers. The occasional English-sounding name in the Melba seasons almost invariably turned out to be non-Australian.32

The Sydney season was held in Her Majesty's Theatre and in an interview with Nevin Tait 33 the perennial question oflack of a suitable venue for the performance of opera in Sydney was raised. This plaint was to be echoed by opera impresarios for the next half century, till the Sydney Opera House was built ( and that created as many problems as it solved). The essence of Mr. Tait's grievance was that the theatre only held 1600 people and 100 seats had to be removed to accommodate the large orchestra which alone meant the loss of £100 a night. The result of course meant that it was impossible (in Sydney not Melbourne) to collect sufficient box office money to cover the expenditure.34

32cargher, J. Brayot, Melbourne: 1988, p.32. 33sydney Morning Herald, July 26, 1928. 34 In spite of these fears, the opera season was a financial success; all nights on which Melba sang were sold out, and even the other nights had full houses. 31 The Company performed in Melbourne first, then opened in Sydney on July 7th with Arda. It concluded on September 14th with a farewell matinee concert.3 .S

A lavish souvenir programme was produced for the Sydney season. Splendid advertisements in newspapers featured stars of the company in the operas in which they were performing. A new custom was introduced which promoted the artists by advertising the sale of records. These featured the singers performing excerpts from the operas currently being staged. Publishing companies also made scores available, particularly piano reductions of famous arias.

Sir Benjamin Fuller, 1934-5

The last fully imported company performing Wagner to visit Australia was the Benjamin Fuller Company, again from England. Sir Benjamin Fuller, an impresario and enterpreneur had a chain of theatres from which he had already made a fortune. With a publicity campaign rivalling that of Thomas Quinlan he brought out from England a fully imported company for an eighteen months tour, starting in 1934 in Australia and ending in New Zealand. It was to be called "The Grand Opera in English" Company. In calling it thus, Fuller was following the tradition of the English National Opera Company and of course, Wagner's own wishes. No Wagner operas were to be performed in German until 1984, when surtitles were used for the first time.

3.Sof special note was the farewell performance of Ne11ie Melba - on 7th August a staged presentation was given with Acts II and III of 1.il Bohe me and Act IV of QllilQ. 32 Sixteen operas were to be performed.36 Wagner was represented by four operas - Die Walkiire (eight performances), Tannhauser (six performances), Tristan und Isolde (four performances) and Der Fliegende Hollander (four performances). The season was given at the New Tivoli Theatre and opened in late 1934 with a performance of Arda. Fuller spared no expense in these productions, but without Government subsidy, and even though the company played to full houses six or seven times a week, it lost money heavily.

Like the advance publicity notices for the earlier opera seasons, the papers ran articles on the operas to be performed - even in the actual advertisements in the Amusement column of the Sydney Morning Herald (which were often half a column or more in length).37 Patrons were also warned in the newspaper advertisements of the conditions imposed on them:

The Valkyrje .. .is the most melodious and pleasing [of the operas in the ~ cycle and runs for four hours. Owing to the length of this opera, the orchestra will commence at 7.45pm sharp. Patrons are respectfully requested to be seated by 7.40 as interruption will disturb the beautiful music of the master.as rendered by the Royal Grand Opera Orchestra

36Gotterdam merung. Die Meistersinger. Siegfried and Lohengrin had been advertised as part of the repertoire, but owing to the perennial problem of inadequate theatres, they were not performed.

37The notice for Tristan und Isolde reads thus " All who have made a study of opera and who do not regard it merely as a form of entertainment are agreed that the score of Tristan and Isolde is the greatest setting of a Jove story for the lyric stage. In fact, to call it a love story seems slight. It is a tale of tragic passion culminating in death, unfolded in the surge and palpitation of immortal music. This passion smouldered in the heart of the man and woman of this epic of love. It could not burst into clean flame because over it lay the pall of duty - a knight to his king, a wife to her husband. They elected to die - drank, as they thought, a death potion ....Their love, no longer vague and hesitating, but roused by sorcerous means to the highest rapture, found expression in the complete abandonment of the lovers to their ecstasy - and their fate. 33 Tannhauser opened on 22nd December, 1934, with Ben Williams in the title role, Frederick Collier as the Landgrave, Sydney de Vries as Wolfram, Thea Philips as Elisabeth and Dawn Lightfoot as Venus. The orchestra was conducted by Maurice de Abravanel and the audience was "kindly requested not to insist on encores. The review the next day was full of praise:

Even according to world standards, ... the production of Tannhauser was a triumph. The effect... exceeded all anticipation ... Miss Thea Philips and Mr. Ben Williams ... sang quite as well as the principals in the last Italian38 production.

The reviewer had difficulty in singling out noteworthy singers -"That is the trouble with the present company. The voices are so even in their excellence that discrimination and individual mention become a conventional gesture."

Die Walkiire opened on January 3rd, 1935. Walter Widdop sang Siegmund, Thea Philips sang Sieglinde, Wotan was sung by Horace Stevens, Brunnhilde by Florence Austral and Fricka by Muriel Brunskill. The conductor was the same as for Tannhauser and the reviewer just as happy with the performance:

Magnificent performance ... An evenly brilliant cast... Vocally, orchestrally and scenically last night's production ... reached a magnificent standard... Mr. Stevens as Wotan revealed all the convincing authority of style that one expected of him ... Madame Austral had a simple, eloquent and personal touch in every movement and gesture that set her apart from those of everyone else on the stage ... a noble brilliance of tone and an extraordinary swiftness of musical attack. 3 9

The other performers, too, received lavish praise, particularly Walter Widdop and Thea Philips.

38The Melba/Williamson Company 1928. 39svctney Morning Herald. Jan. 4th, 1935. 34 Tristan und Isolde opened on January 16th "in the presence of His Excellency, the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Philip Game". Tristan was sung by Walter Widdop, Isolde by Florence Austral, Brangane by Muriel Brunskill, King Mark by Norman Allin and Kurvenal by Horace Stevens. To see this music drama performed by such a cast of splendid singers must have been a memorable experience for all concerned and the reviews echoed this feeling:

The brilliant performance ... had an intensely exciting effect on the audience ... The principals were rapturously recalled again and again before the curtain ... amid happy tumult, this memorable presentation of opera came to a close ... There can be no question now about the popularity ofWagner... the operas are all being superbly sung, gloriously played and mounted with rare distinction ... What transports of delight an orchestra can reach when it has the right conductor to guide it! And if the orchestra is allowed to rise to its climaxes in unleashed crescendo, what colossal voices are needed to overtop its gorgeous, complex web of sound. The voices were there last night. Mme. Austral, Mr. Widdop, Mme Brunskill and the rest never failed to dominate every musical situation. Some of their outbursts were transcendent in power and in the sheer beauty and confidence of their vocal art. 4 O

The last of the Wagnerian operas to be presented that season, D.e.r Flie~ende Hollander opened on 12th February, with Horace Stevens in the title role, Florence Austral as Senta and Walter Widdop as Erik.

The opera was

magnificently sung, excellently played by the orchestra and superbly mounted ... Mme Austral..gained a great success ... she realised both qualities of Senta's music - the declamatory and the purely lyrical...In the first act, Mr. Stevens was afflicted by a strong vibrato ... Mr. Mummery gave beautiful voice to the Steersman's Song... the overture to the opera was electrifying in the vividness of its contrasts. 41

Even allowing for the extravagant praise in the reviews, the operas performed must have been among the best presented in Australia up

40Ibid, Jan. 16th, 19 3 5. 41Ibid, Feb.13th, 1935. 35 to that time. Most of the cast, the conductors and other members of the company however,were from overseas. The next productions of Wagner that Sydney opera-goers were to see, though non­ professional, were to be all-Australian productions.

Policies and Problems

The companies discussed in the preceding pages had a common theme, in that they were fully imported and indeed, prided themselves on being so.

Quinlan was most emphatic that his was "a complete company of stars".

Every artist ... has been appearing in London, New York, and on the Continent in the parts they will enact during the Australian tour.

The stage designer, the costume designer and the producer all had world-wide reputations. The chorus and orchestra were "on the same scale of admirable completeness" that they had been at Covent Garden and His Majesty's Theatre, where Quinlan had been manager. All had been rehearsed in London for four months with the principals before the opening of the season there.

Melba was also determined to advertise the attractions of an imported company. The cast, for the 1911 season, as listed in the March issue of The Theatre included Madame Eleonora Cisneros, "the wife of a member of the Spanish nobility" as Ortrud, Madame Jeanne Wayda, "a woman of Polish origin" as Elsa and Francesco Zeni, "our robust tenor" as Lohengrin. A chorus of between 50-60 voices and an

36 orchestra of from 50-60 players were employed, though there was no mention as to whether these musicians were local or imported players. The stage manager, Frank Rigo, was imported from America, as was the chorus master, so it was probable that the orchestra was imported.

Sir Benjamin Fuller assembled a cast and repertoire almost the same as that of the British National Opera Company of 1924. The cast included such famous names as Walter Widdop, Florence Austral (both renowned performers of Wagner), Browning Mummery, Frederick Collier and Muriel Brunskill. Joan Hammond made her first appearance as Venus in Tannhauser. The souvenir programme for the season gave very detailed biographies of the singers, particularly their overseas experience - perhaps to convince Australian audiences that they were getting full value in seeing an imported cast. "The casts were as good as any English-singing cast would be today. "42

Though there was no stated policy on the subject of the education of the Australian public, all the companies appeared to feel strongly about this and seemed to feel it was almost their duty to do so. There seemed to be a theme running through the choice of operas to be presented at this period - the desire to educate the public for a love of "higher things".

The April edition in 1907 of The Theatre magazine further reinforced this desire when it expressed the hope that if the current German

42cargher, op,cit, p.36. 37 season proved a success, then it could be repeated every two years with new Wagner operas. Therefore, Australians "will be educated to a taste for Grand Opera and thus bring about this desirable state of affairs." There was also a need to be on equal footing with the rest of the world - "if it is performed in Europe and America, it therefore must be done here." Perhaps this need stemmed from a feeling of inferiority. Australia still had the aura of 'The Colonies' about it, as indeed it was referred to in local newspapers. Whatever the reason, there was to be no compromise of theatrical standards - Australia must have the best. The incident, 43reported in several sources, which involved Musgrove's painstaking search for new operas to bring to the Australian public, illustrates this point very clearly.

The organisers of the Melba/Williamson season of 1911 also expressed the same sentiments. The article in the Australian Musical News previously quoted from, could not resist the usual chance to reiterate the educational importance of the occasion. "From an educational point of view the value of such a season cannot be measured... " The opening night of Lohengrin "was followed with reverent attention by the brilliant and cultured audience", who, according to Allegro Giusto felt a thoughtful appreciation of art - in every part of the house. Earlier, the same article mentioned the general "educational effect" the opera season would have on the art life of the city and the writer felt that one of the benefits of the season would be to encourage vocal students to study "more earnestly".

43Musgrove went to Frankfurt with NeJHe Stewart, one of the best­ known Australian singers to discover new operas for the Australian public. Unfortunately, his lack of knowledge of German led him into a singular error. 38 Perhaps this attitude would be the beginning of encouragement of local singers and eventually lead to a truly Australian company.

The Quinlan -Company was perhaps the most conscious of its mission at least to inform the public about the operas it would be seeing. As has been already mentioned, much trouble was taken in advertising, in articles in magazines and editorials in newspapers as well as lectures by eminent musicians.

The Fuller Company was not quite so insistent about 'educating' the public. Though, as has already been mentioned, there was plenty of advertising, the emphasis was more on ensuring a large audience.

One of the most important questions any opera company asks itself is about the language in which the opera is to be sung. All four companies had firm ideas on this subject. Thomas Quinlan, like Beecham and Wagner, believed that opera should be sung in the language of the audience. In a publicity brochure released by the company, headlines announced "Grand Opera in English", continuing

The scheme involves the production in the English language of a varied repertoire of standard and modem operas ... Particular interest is sure to be aroused by the performance in the English language of the great Operatic Masterpieces of Wagner...

The directors of the Melba/Williamson Company thought differently. "In order to secure and maintain artistic unity the operas would all be sung in Italian"; surely the greatest travesty of all as regards the three Wagner operas to be performed: Lohenujn. Die Walkure and Tannhauser! The only remote justification for this compromise

39 would be that the singers would only know it in Italian and would not have time to learn it in either German or English. As it happened, Die Walkiire along with Adriana Lecouvreur, Fedora and Manon, though advertised, were not performed. In the case of both the Wagner operas performed, the programme proudly proclaimed the use of the Ricordi edition. The cast was Italian too. In Tannhauser,

Elisabeth was sung by Hina Spani, 44 Tannhauser by Ettore Cesabianchi,Venus by Luisa Bonetti and Walther by Luigi Cilia. Only Wolfram was sung by a non-Italian, the Australian, John Brownlee. The conductor was Antonio Fugazzola, while Lohengrin was conducted by Emilio Rossi. The cast for this opera was totally Italian - even the characters' name were translated. Enrico was sung by Umberto di Lelio, Lohengrin by Ettore Cesabianchi, Elsa by Hina Spani, Federico by Rossi Morelli and Ortruda by Giuseppina Zinetta.45

Musical difficulties also plagued the companies. The Melba/Williamson 1911 season apparently had the most problems. The chorus was not as good as the principals and the choristers found "the heavy demands of the score" hard to sing. The string section of the orchestra was criticised for its inadequate playing in the Act 1 Prelude to Lohengrin.

44According to Nevin Tait, "she is a soprano of remarkable vocal power and quality and should prove of great distinction in the ... Wagnerian operas ... 45Luigi Rossi Morelli, who was billed as "the leading Wagnerian baritone", did not appear in either of the operas. Neither did the other "stars" - they were reserved for the Italian operas. This reflected the perhaps less-important status accorded Wagner in this season. 40 An extract from the Quinlan Company's policy statement on musical aspects of opera production states:

An adequate and capable orchestra is the most essential requisite for the perfect representation of Grand Opera, and in this respect the Quinlan Grand Opera Co. is unique in that it will bring to Australia its original and complete orchestra which has been a feature of its London seasons ...

By all accounts the Quinlan Company's orchestra (and chorus) performed admirably, though without recordings it is impossible to make a comparison with standards of today.

The orchestra for the Melba/Williamson season of 1928 numbered sixty and there was a stage band of an extra sixteen players. There were sixty-five members in the chorus and from contemporary accounts it performed well. But comparisons between the orchestral and choral sound of that company and those of today cannot fairly be made. Existing records of the period favour the solo singers and the orchestra usually comes off second-best.

The Fuller Company orchestra was to be known as the Royal Grand Opera Orchestra and, according to contemporary reviews, it fulfilled the promise of its name.

One difficulty that becomes apparent when discussing the musical history of early performances of Wagner operas is the dearth of information about what actually happened, both as far as cuts made in the scores and compromises with regard to availability of instruments. An examination of all the scores owned by the J.C. Williamson Company held.at the National Library, Canberra, yielded disappointing results. Orchestral scores are not marked in any way,

41 either in full score or in players' parts. In fact, there were very few of these held there - the inference being that they were sold or presented to later companies. In any case, even if there had been markings on the scores, it' would be impossible to tell who had placed them there, or when. Most of the scores held in the library were piano reductions and they too had little or no markings in them.

After the Fuller Company left Australia in 1935, there were to be no more totally imported opera companies.

42 CHAPTER3

THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN CO1\1PANIES

From this period on, all opera produced in Sydney was produced and performed by local companies. The first performances were those of non-professional students at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, although some of the producers and conductors were professionals.

The student opera school and the student orchestra of the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music were responsible for presenting performances of two of Wagner's operas.

In 1931, a production of Acts One and Three of Die Walkure was presented. It was conducted by Arundel Orchard and the orchestra was led by Cyril Monk. There were seventy-eight members in the orchestra (the largest, so far, for performances of Wagner opera in Sydney) and included Joseph Post and John Antill among the players. The cast included Lance Jeffries as Siegmund, Mme Goossens-Viceroy as Briinnhilde, Ruth Ladd as Sieglinde and Vladimir Elim as W otan. It was performed in English. This must have been an excellent chance for young singers to obtain experience in singing in Wagner opera. Indeed, this would be the first chance

43 that they would have to perform in Wagner operas in Australia as students.

They were to. have an even better chance when Die Meistersinger von Niirnberg was performed at the Conservatorium in 1950. This production is still remembered with great affection by many people, more perhaps for the impressive fact that it was performed at all, rather than for the quality of the presentation. Six performances were given under the direction of the Director of the Conservatorium, Sir Eugene Goossens. It was produced by Hilda Mulligan and Paul Williams. The part of Walther was sung by Alan Ferris, Eva by M. Grouse and V. Simpson on alternate nights, Magdalena by L.Davies and M. Adams, David by Lance Lloyd, Beckmesser by Trevor Lewis and Hans Sachs by James Wilson. The chorus numbered forty four singers and the orchestra of over fifty included Donald Hazelwood, Neville Amadio, Juri Tancibudek, Walter Black, Alan Mann, Alard Maling and Sidonie Goossens, who all became well-known musicians. Thus orchestral players, too, were given an opportunity to become acquainted with Wagner's difficult music, which they would never have had otherwise until they became professional musicians.

The Student Opera School and Orchestra also presented a complete version of Die Walkiire in 1953, with Alan Ferris as Siegmund, James Wilson as Wotan, Norma Steadman/Anita Dunlop as Sieglinde and Nita Maughan/ Gloria Read as Briinnhilde. The conductors were Sir Eugene Goossens and Dr. Noel Nickson; Leo Demant was the vocal coach. While many of the students in the orchestra, which numbered sixty-eight, became players in the

44 Sydney Symphony Orchestra in later years, very few of the young singers, who had had equal opportunity to perform in Wagner, ever really became "stars". The opportunities were still not there in Australia; one had to study and make one's name overseas, before ever being accepted back as a professional Australian singer. One had to become "internationally renowned" or there was little chance of being employed in the Australian-based companies that were being formed in New South Wales and Victoria. The same principle held for orchestral players, but to a lesser extent.

"The late 1940s and early 1950s seem, in fact, to have been the most seminal years in the history of locally produced opera. "46 One company that introduced such changes was the New South Wales National Opera Company. It had a complex beginning, linked as it was, to Miss Gertrude Johnson's Australian National Theatre Company, (which she started in Melbourne in 1935 "with a capital of

£8"47) but also rivalling it.

Miss Johnson had been a singer with the British National Opera Company and sang regularly at Covent Garden in the nineteen­ twenties. She wished to form a truly Australian company of her own. Though this company had been formed mainly for drama, opera gradually became more central in its field of operation. Miss Johnson was the honorary director of the company and a milestone in Australian operatic history was reached when, in 1948, a season of Grand Opera was performed in the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, with Rigoletto. Ai:d.i!,, Faust, Carmen and The Marriage of Figaro as

46cove11, R. op. cit., p 240. 47CovelJ, R. op. cit., p.239. 45 the operas presented. It was a milestone because "it was indeed the first truly native company."48

The first stage in the history of opera production in Australia - using an imported company - was indeed finished and when the New South Wales National Company was formed in 1951 in Sydney under the direction of Mrs. Clarice Lorenz, it was over for New South Wales as well. The operas presented that year were Carmen, A Masked Ball and TI Seraglio. Sydney was found to have an excellent supply of local singers, many of them trained at the Conservatorium of Music, in the admirable Opera School productions already mentioned.49 Later in 1951, Mrs. Lorenz took her company to Melbourne, where it played at the same time as Miss Johnson's. Some of the singers, like Alan Ferris, as well as the conductor Joseph Post, appeared for both companies.

In 1952, the two enterpreneurs formed a joint company. "It was the stated ambition to make this the forerunner of a truly Australian Opera".50 It was the first time in Australian operatic history that a genuine attempt was made to have an all-Australian cast and orchestra. Six operas were staged - Lucia di Lammermoor. Tosca and Don Giovanni in Melbourne and A Masked Ball, Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci and Lohengrin in Sydney.

48Cargher, op.cit., p. 41. 49 Apart from the Wagner music dramas, the Conservatorium had mounted productions of PeHeas et Meljsancte. Falstaff. Otello, Gjannj Schjcchj. lydjth and Borjs Godounoy as well as other excerpts from the standard repertoire. SOcargher, op.cit. p.46. 46 The season was staged at the Tivoli Theatre and the conductor for Lohenmn was Joseph Post. The cast included Alan Eddy as King Henry, Ronald Dowd as Lohengrin, Elizabeth Fretwell as Elsa, Neil Easton as Telramund and Justine Rettick as Ortrud. There were forty-five players in the small orchestra and it was sadly deficient 1n the brass section and the lack of experienced players was particularly noticeable in Lohengrin. As Mrs. Lorenz had promised, the cast, including chorus, orchestra as well as all the other members of the company was Australian. On reading through the programme acknowledgements, there is hardly a "foreign" name in sight - a great contrast to those in the earlier companies, who prided themselves on being "fully imported" and "direct from Europe"! Also in the programme is an article signed by Mrs. Lorenz herself, along with Erik Langker, a well-known Australian artist. In it they stated their pride in the fact that the growth of the opera movement was the result of so much hard work by the citizens of Sydney (and not overseas interests). Guest artists - John Brownlee, Raymond Beatty, Yvonne Marotta and Maria Tauber (Mrs. Lorenz couldn't resist adding here "cousin of the late Richard Tauber" which showed she was still susceptible to overseas 'glamour') were (basically) Australian. For the first time, too, the N.S.W. Government gave a subsidy of £5000.

After this successful 1952 season closed, Mrs. Lorenz changed her company's name to "The National Opera of Australia" and gave another season in 1953, including Der Fliegende Hollander. As in the preceding season, all the operas were sung in English. Once again in a preface to each programme, she outlined her company's policy and aims. More Australian singers were employed, including

47 Glenda Raymond, Alan Light and Geoffrey Chard. Two operas by

Australian composersS 1 were included in the repertoire and stage designers and costume designers were local artists.

Der Fliegende Hollander was conducted by Sir Eugene Goossens and the first-night cast included Alan Light as Daland, Gladys Mawson as Senta, and James Wilson as the Dutchman. The latter had been one of the young singers in the Conservatorium productions discussed earlier. Unfortunately, the production must have suffered from the still small-sized orchestra, with the under-specified brass and woodwind numbers a major drawback.

There is a tendency... to regard the formation of the first Trust opera company in 1956 as the virtual beginning of locally based opera of reasonably high standards. But this is to do a gross injustice to both the National Theatre Movement and the National Opera of Sydney at their best. These two companies introduced and first gave major opportunities to a large number of Australian singers who are now the veterans of their profession in their own country ... They employed the most capable and promising conductors, producers and designers in the country.52

The Australian Opera was created out of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, which was itself created in 1954 to commemorate the first visit of Queen Elizabeth to Australia. It was originally formed to foster drama rather than opera or ballet, but these two eventually became the main thrust of its activities. The Elizabethan Orchestra was formed to serve both the Elizabethan Trust Opera Company as well as the Elizabethan Trust Ballet Company. $240 000 was raised - $180 000 from the public (for the first time in Australian history, the arts were tax deductible) and $60 000 from the Federal Government.

S 1 The Deyjt Take Her by Arthur Benjamin and Endvm jon by John Antill. 52cove11,R: op.cit. p.24.

48 In 1955, Hugh Hunt, the first executive director of the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, created a board of directors to the Australian Opera Company with power to create an opera advisory committee, a finance committee, as well as an itinerary committee. Both Miss Johnson and Mrs. Lorenz were members of the original board. Sir Charles Moses, head of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, loaned the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to the company when needed. This was an important factor in raising the level of orchestral playing - especially for the performance of Wagner. A few years later, though, when the company created its own orchestra, the standard of the playing declined. Frank Tait controlled the Williamson theatre (the Elizabethan Theatre, Newtown), where the company was to play. Similar arrangements occurred in Melbourne. The initial season opened in 1956 with four Mozart operas. It had originally been planned to include Der Rosenkayalier and Die. Meistersing:er, but these were discarded as being too ambitious for the newly formed company.

The first Wagnerian work presented by the company was Lohengrin in 1958. It was produced by Stefan Haag (in a style very much influenced by Bayreuth productions) S3 and conducted by Karl Rankl. To encourage a large audience, there were special rates - 10/3 per person for each opera except for Lohengrin which was 12/3, due to the high cost of staging the production. The S.S.O. was under the

S3 Neil Warren-Smith, in his book, "Thirtv-Five Years of the Australian Opera" p.123, said "I don't think under any circumstances can Stefan Haag's Lohengrin be regarded as anything more than eccentric. It was all a kind of imitation Bayreuth ... with strange stylisations that just did not work for us ....everyone was walking in circles and up and down ramps ... musically, [though), that Lohengrin had some pretty superb things going for it. 49 leadership of Ernest Llewellyn and the cast included Clifford Grant/ Neil Warren-Smith as King Henry, Neil Easton as Telramund, Ronald Dowd as Lohengrin, Constance Shaddock as Ortrud and Elizabeth West as Elsa.Lindsey Browne reviewed the performance and also commented upon the production:

Haag's rich feeling for pennanted medieval pageant, backed by sincere singing and well-pointed orchestral work ....It was a vivid Lohen~in that nobody intelligently knowing the opera could afford to miss... Karl Rankl's loving regeneration of the score ... Ronald Dowd sang once again with skill and sincerity... Elizabeth West sang her part expressively and securely ... 5 4

Once again, though, the thorny question of compromise in Wagner productions was raised by Mr. Browne.

It is questionable whether any staging of the opera on the Elizabethan small platform could have done very much more to give us the atmosphere of knightly ritual and misty spirituality.

In 1965, the duties of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra were taken over by the newly formed Elizabethan Orchestra. This orchestra normally consisted of forty-two players - it could not be enlarged much more for Wagner productions because of the limits of the small pit. While applauding the formation of such a specialised orchestra, it must be registered that it was some time before it approached the higher standard of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Wagner performances, particularly, suffered accordingly.

In 1967, the New South Wales Government began a series of annual grants to the company. This eased the financial burden of the Trust, whose finances had been shaky since 1958 when the confidence of singers in the permanence of the company suffered to such an extent

54svctnev Morning Herald, July, 1958. 50 that many local artists travelled to Europe and America to seek more secure employment.

This same ye·ar [1967] saw a production of Der Fliegende Hollander at the Tivoli Theatre. It was officially patronised by the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. J.F. Ritter. It had three conductors. Neil Warren-Smith sang Daland, Raymond Myers the Dutchman, Marcella Realle ( an American, the only non-Australian in the cast) sang Senta and Erik was sung by Gino Zancanaro. It was a generally pleasing performance:

Braced by strong, firmly sculptured solo and chorus singing and convincingly set by producer and designer, the opening of The Flyin~ Dutchman at the Tivoli last night took its place among the Elizabethan Theatre Operas' memorable achievements. 5 5

Kurt Hommel, the producer, stated his production aims in the Grand Opera magazine, published by the Company:

As I am an advocate of modem "music theatre", I am endeavouring to bring together in this production the elements of drama, music, dance and light as they are interrelated with the original dramatic conception.56

The problem of importing a singer (Marcella Realle) when there were local ones available was to vex many people in the next two decades and has still not been resolved satisfactorily, although the Australian Opera has a firm policy on this which is naturally linked with the demands of Actors' Equity.

In 1968, the Elizabethan Trust staged Tannhauser as well as four other operas in the standard repertoire. Eight performances were

SScovell, R: Svdnev Mornjng Herald, 30th Aug, 1967. S6Wagner would have thoroughly approved of Mr. Hommel's ambition.

5 1 given of the work, at Her Majesty's Theatre. Tannhauser was played by Kenneth N eate, Venus by Morag Beaton, the Landgrave by Donald Shanks, Wolfram by Ronald Maconaghie or Raymond Myers and Elisabeth by ·three different sopranos.

Sadly, the Elizabethan Opera's version ... omitted the charm and emphasised the tedium. Shortcomings in the musical performance on the opening night drew attention to the relative flatness of sections of the score ... Donald Shanks had the weight of voice and manner to stand unequivocally for authority... Maconaghie matched nobility of bearing with nobility of vocal style... the most serious deficiency was was the vocal delineation of Tannhauser himself by Kenneth Neate.57

It is interesting to observe the changing customs in music reviews. Until about 1935, critics seemed to favour a rather flowery style, full of superlatives and praise, even, one feels, when the performance might not have merited it. Thus it has been difficult to compare early performances through reviews with those of more modem times. Later criticism has been increasingly characterised by a more temperate, objective analysis underpinned by musical scholarship and a high standard of journalism.

A minor vexation that subscribers to the Elizabethan Trust's opera season suffered was that bookings were in rigid groups of operas and had to be selected without alternative choice. Not all operas in one particular group might appeal to the subscriber. It was:

... an excellent idea, but difficult if the listener wants to hear different performers in the same part. Comparisons help opera companies to survive, but subscribers would have to subscribe to another complete series ... 58

57Probably Svdnev Mornjng Herald, 17th June, 1968. S8covell, R; Sydnev Morning Herald, 3rd July, 1968.

52 One problem was that often the standard of the singing of different performers fluctuated from one cast to the next. Members of the audience who were unfamiliar with an opera could thus form an unjustifiably poor opinion of that opera. This was more likely to happen with Wagner productions as the music demanded more of inexperienced singers.

Later, the Australian Opera instituted an alternate scheme, Subscribers' Choice , wherein a subscriber could select the operas of his/her choice as well as or instead of the block booking of the past.

The next Wagnerian production was in 1973. In 1970 the Australian Opera had taken over from the Elizabethan Theatre Trust and the new company moved to the Sydney Opera House in that year (1973).

53 CHAPTER4

THE AUSTRALIAN OPERA

As already mentioned, the Australian Opera was formed in 1956 under the regis of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. In 1970, the Australian Opera took its present name and was incorporated as a separate entity. The Sydney Opera House was opened in 1973 and the company took up its permanent residence there. The company is funded through a mixture of private and public funds, the most important source being box-office revenue and other earned income (about 60%). The funding is critical when it comes to producing Wagner operas - the typical Wagner audience, according to Company sources, is most enthusiastic but not large enough to sustain as a financially successful enterprise, many large-scale productions such as the~ cycle.

By moving to the new opera house, all compromise with regard to pit and stage size should have been at an end. However, it was far from over.

The stage of the Opera House is a curious thing... having been designed to obtain maximum acting area in a space not only limited, but shaped by the strange roof shell which surmounts it... 59

S9cargher, J; op.cit, p.120. 54 The Sydney Opera House had not lived up to the promise inherent in its original design.

The Elizabethan Orchestra had seventy members, not all of whom could fit in the overcrowded and inadequate pit. The problem was that Joern Utzon, the architect, had originally planned that a dual­ purpose hall, designed to accommodate large-scale opera, be built where the concert hall is now. The opera hall occupies the original Drama Theatre and is too small for many operas, particularly Wagner.

[Yet] ... the auditorium has a reverberation of 1.4 and every note reaches the audience in perfect quality of tone. On the stage, rapid changes of mood and scene are made possible by a revolving sector and travelling platforms. 6 0

Admirable as this might seem, the acoustics only emphasise the inadequacy of the sound of the under-sized orchestra in, for example, the Prelude to Die Meistersini'.er. This can be disappointing to a modern audience accustomed to hearing a full-sized orchestra on records and compact disc recordings.

The first production of a Wagner work, Tannhauser, in the new opera house was a most controversial one. 6 I The Paris version 6 2, which was used in this production, provided the producer, Bernd

60 sydney Buj)ds an Opera House. Sydney: p.70. 6 I It is the only Australian-produced opera to receive mention and a photograph in Charles Osborne's book The Wor1d of Wagner 62 This had not been used since 1901 - all other productions had used the Dresden version, including the first performance of the work in Australia in that year. There had always been the question of which version to use - Wagner had died before the first production at Bayreuth without having produced a definitive performing edition. There had been a third version prepared by Wagner himself, but it was left to Cosima Wagner to decide what to do. She was conscious of the difficulties involved as she stated in a letter to a Berlin publisher. Her version was not entirely satisfactory and no one else has really solved the problem. SS Benthaak 63, with an opportunity to show a "tasteless, pornographic backdrop" instead of using dancers in the ballet scene. In this production, of which there were nineteen performances, Tannhauser was sung by the totally unknown Finnish import, Pekka N uotio, Venus by Elizabeth Connell, Wolfram by Tom McDonald and Elizabeth by Rosemary Gordon. Actors' Equity placed a black ban on the opera, because Pekka Nuotio, a singer from overseas, had been selected to sing the leading role instead of the more-than-adequate Australian tenor, Ronald Dowd. Dowd did replace the Finnish tenor and proved that "he could outsing the imported tenor by a mile" as Cargher expressed it in his book, "Bravo!" (p.123). Perhaps one reason why the management insisted on using imported singers when the Australian ones were often just as good, if not much better, was a "hangover" from the early days of opera production in Australia - when there were no local singers from which to choose, and when a foreign name was a box-office draw, with glamour and mystery attached to it. This attitude died hard - even in recent performances, any overseas artist or producer is feted in the newspapers and perhaps commands more respect and attention from the public.

631n an interview reported in Opera Magazine, 1973, Bernd Benthaak emphasised the changing attitude of the producer the the audience. No longer was there this great urge to "educate" it - it was deemed to have come of age: "I believe that audiences come to the theatre ... to become witnesses to a theatrical experience ... to become involved in dramatic action." 56 The production of Tannhauser was repeated early in 1974, with a complete change of cast. "Ronald Dowd was a little vocally unsure in the first two acts ... Nance Grant's Elisabeth does not yet have quite the vocal stature of Rosemary Gordon ... "6 4 ran a review in the new year.

The second Wagner opera to be performed in the new Opera House was Der Flie~ende Hollander in 1977. It was produced by Peter Petersen, conducted by Carlo Felice Cillario and George Posell and ran for sixteen performances. Robert Allman and Raymond Myers shared the singing of the title role, Lone Koppel Winther and Nance Grant shared Senta and Neil Warren-Smith and Donald Shanks sang Daland. This production was sponsored by five German companies and cost $70 000 to produce.

Musically it was rewarding:

Robert Allman in the title role ... sang his way with resoluteness and power ... the second act impressed me as being among the most powerfully conceived scenes that this company has achieved, with Cillario expertly conducting this score's assorted marine and mercantile effects, the orchestra had a whale of a time.65

The production was not so satisfying:

Many details proposed by Wagner for stage directions disappear: Daland doesn't go ashore at the beginning of Actl; Senta has no cliff from which to leap ... Senta's death was not realistic - we may not like the idea of an apotheosis. But that is what Wagner wanted ... 66

64Gyger, D. The Australian: 4th Feb., 1984. 65Browne,L.The Sun-Herald. 4th Sept., 1977. 66cove11,R. Svctnev Morning Herald, 4th Sept., 1977. S7 The only Wagner operas to be performed during the time of the Elizabethan Theatre Trust and the early years of the Australian Opera had been Der Fliegende Hollander. Tannhauser and Lohengrin. None of the later works was attempted until 1978-9. when Die Meistersinger von Niirnberg was presented.

The new programme committee has formulated repertoire for 1979 and 1980, which continue a policy of balanced repertoire. The introduction in 1978 of two neglected masterpieces, Norma and The Mastersio~rs balance popular choices ... 6 7

Except for the Conservatoriu.m. production in 1950, it had not been given since 1913. in the season presented by Thomas Quinlan.

The conductor for both the 1978 and 1979 season was Mark Elder (from the English National Opera) and the producer was David Pountney. director of productions. (Scottish National Opera). Eight performances were given in 1978 and two more in 1979; 91. 7% of seats was sold. The part of Walther was sung by Allen Cathcart. Hans Sachs by Norman Bailey. Eva by Marilyn Richardson. David by Gregory Dempsey and Beckmesser by Raymond Myers. It was a beautifully lavish production. the Act 1 church setting being particularly memorable and the staging for all three acts wonderfully reminiscent of Nuremberg. The actual programme was itself quite splendid. with much historical background detail; and as well as a detailed analysis of the plot, the leitmotifs were printed. together with an explanation as to their place in the opera.

67Ibe AustraJjan Opera Annual Report 1977 S8 The critics were full of praise for the production:

The Scottish Opera's production of Die Meistersine:er was hailed as a distinguished presentation of this enduring masterpiece... 6 8

Warm vocal phrasing, festive staging and a musically wholehearted control of the score ... Wagner blossoms in this summer season.69

The performance lost none of its verve and enchantment since last year's premiere. Young conductor Mark Elder brings out quite brilliantly the "echt" from the Elizabethan Orchestra... N ow it is not only possible to discover that the opera is better sung in English - but to understand many of the words.7 0

As can be seen from the above review, Wagner was still being sung in English.

In 1981, The Australian Opera had already announced in the local papers its intention to produce the complete ~ cycle7 l. The Australian Opera's Annual Report for that year gave more details of the project.

Richard Wagner's Die Walkiire is the first production of the Australian Opera ~ cycle which will culminate in performances of the complete cycle for the Australian Bicentennial Year, 1988.

Any production of the Rine: operas anywhere introduces grave logistical problems and more so in a repertory system where rehearsal and technical time must be divided amongst a number of different works ... The demands on individual singers, on the orchestra and support resources are prodigious, and there is the further problem at the Sydney Opera House of the limitations of the small orchestra pit... .lt was decided however, that despite the many obstacles a worthy~ could be mounted... 7 2

68 canberra Times. 18th Aug., 1978. 69 covell,R. Svdnev Morning Herald, 1 Sth Feb., 1979. 70Peraurer, M. The Austra)jan. 1Sth Feb., 1979. 71 Svdnev Mornjng Herald. 2nd Dec., 1981. 72Ibe Australian Opera Annual Renart J 9R 3. 59 John Cargher argued an ingenious (and ingenuous) reason for staging the Ring in the Opera House.

It is easy to forget that the ~ does not demand huge casts and the very smallness of the Opera Theatre solved half the problems of finding big voices to ri.de over Wagner's big orchestra, which cannot, in any case be accommodated in this venue.73

The newspapers reported and discussed the project from every angle:

Yesterday the Australian Opera announced that with $1 million in German sponsorship, it will stage probably its most ambitious project over the next six years - Wagner's Der Rine: des Nibelune:en .. .It has not been seen in Australia since a touring British company presented it in 1913. The reason is partly because it costs so much ... 7 4

The Opera House management has announced that a consortium of German companies ... would combine with the Federal Republic of Germany to raise the million dollars ....Production of the .Ri.n2'. began with the opera Die WalkiiTe. Das Rheine:old will be produced next year. The remaining operas, Siei(rjed and Gotterdarnmenme: will be produced in 1985 and 1986 respectively.JS

Next year, instead of continually explaining why it cannot be done, The Australian Opera will begin staging Wagner's mammoth four-work .Ri.n2'. at the Sydney Opera House . ..7 6

The general manager of the Australian Opera, Mr. Patrick Veitch explained that though the cycle was normally given over four consecutive nights, opera-goers would only see one each year initially. Each opera would be treated as an ordinary repertoire opera until all of them were all in production.

In 1983, the first moves were made towards staging it with a new production of Die Walkilre and in 1984 a new production of :Ila.§ Rheingold ,as well as a repeat of Die Walkilre.

73cargher,J: op.cit, p.146. 74Byrnes,P. Svdnev Morning Herald 29th Aug., 1983. 7Swentworth Courier. Sth Oct., 1983. 76 Preraurer, M. The Austra)ian. Oct., 1983. 60 The venture opened with the production of Die Walkiire in 1983. This new production was justifiably criticised. With some slight modifications, the costumes and sets, by Desmond Digby and Allan Lees, have been used in every production since, even in the presentation given in 1989. They have been defended on the grounds that they are a compromise, by overcoming the limited stage space. However, even this is not enough to justify their sheer ugliness and the difficulty the cast have with climbing over drawbridges, ramparts and rocks. Seven performances were given in 1983 and three in 1984. Carlo Felice Cillario conducted both series. Jon Weaver and Robert Gard sang Siegmund in the 1983 production, with Alberto Remedios singing in 1984. Bruce Martin sang Wotan, Rita Hunter was a splendid Briinnhilde, with Margreta Elkins and Marilyn Richardson singing Sieglinde in 1983 and 1984 respectively.

Once again the reviews were mostly complimentary, especially for the 1984 revival:

The second version was a vast improvement on last year's rather tentative efforts ... the right singers were (now) chosen for Siegmund and Sieglinde ... few singers would equal Miss Hunter in her powerful format, in her dramatic majesty and in her superhuman femininity ... Only occasionally is the listener aware of what is missing from the pit. 77

Andrew Sinclair has diligently reworked his staging of Dje Walkiire. removing many of the ineptitudes... that marred the first appearance of this production last year.. .Above all, the balance of the casting and the intensity and vocal quality ... are immeasurably improved in this revival... 7 8

Das Rhein~old was produced for the first time since 1913 (with the Quinlan Opera Company's production) in 1984. It was conducted by

77Forst,H. North Shore Times, 29th Feb., 1984. 78covell,R. Sydney Morning Herald. 23rd Feb., 1984.

61 Carlo Felice Cillario with Allan Lees and Desmond Digby producing. The cast had been assembled from the Australian Opera's finest singers - among them Bruce Martin as Wotan, Rosemary Gunn as Fricka, Rosina Raisbeck as Erda, Raymond Myers as Alberich and Gregory Dempsey as Mime. Unfortunately, it was a disaster. It was not so much that the singers were at fault - it was mainly the production. More than ever, the inadequacies of the pit were shown up. The orchestral sound in The Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla which should be one of the most stirring moments in the work, was of almost chamber music dimensions.

We are regaled to a Rhine2:old which would hardly be rated as much more than a quarter-hearted affair... all the deficiencies of sound are dwarfed by gigantic visual blunders ... 7 9

This disastrous production sounded the death-knell for the production of the complete ~ cycle in Sydney. In speaking of the 1985 revival of Die Walkiire. the critic Maria Prerauer said sadly:

Sole survivor of what began as the complete four-part Wagner cycle, only to be abandoned after a disastrous, not to say ludicrous RheioiQ]d. The present revival...shows perhaps ... just what a triumph this ~ could have been if given half a chance. 8 0

The reasons given for the aborting of the plan to produce the complete cycle were many and equally compelling. The original concept had been to present the ~ as a Festival Drama, like that at Bayreuth. The German Government was to help defray the cost as its Bicentennial gift to Australia. When detailed planning started, it was realised that it would be a formidable and an almost impossible task if the company was to go on tour, as originally conceived.

79Forst, H. North Shore Times. 4th July. 1984. 80Prerauer, M. The Aystraljan, 21 st Feb., 1985. 62 Production costs would be staggering - the financial burden of 'rest days' between the performances alone would be immense. Even if the cycle was presented in Sydney and Melbourne alone, and given two, or at the most, three times, the cost would be equal to perhaps forty performances of standard operas.

The poor production of the 1983 Rheingold was partly due to internal disagreement within the company which could not be resolved. The problem of the small orchestral pit was an ever-present one. There was also the difficulty about obtaining a suitable cast. Reluctantly, therefore, the artistic director of the company, Moffatt Oxenbould declared that the projected Bing cycle would not go ahead.

However, Die Walkure was revived again in 1985, as mentioned above, with the only change of the main cast being Leonie Rysanek as Sieglinde; "with Rysanek as Sieglinde, the stage suddenly comes sizzlingly alive ... Remedios was in splendidly ringing voice."81

In 1987, The Australian Opera presented a new production of Lohengrin. This production had originally been commissioned for the Victorian State Opera. Stuart Challender conducted the slightly enlarged Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra.82 King Henry was sung by Donald Shanks, Telramund by Robert Allman, Elsa by Marilyn Richardson, Ortrud by Stella Axarlis and Lohengrin himself by Horst Hoffmann. Both Stella Axarlis and Horst Hoffmann were guest singers from overseas and however much this was a compromise, the results were worth it, as least as regards Horst

81 Ibid. 82This consisted of S 4 4 4 S 4 4 1 T 3 harp 13 10 7 8 S. 63 Hoffmann."Sheer magic ... Challender draws exquisite sounds from a transfigured Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra.. .it would be hard to find anything finer outside Bayreuth." 83 "Raises the banner of

Wagner with the pride due to genuine achievement... "84

Roger Covell, in the Sydney Morning Herald, September 5th, criticised the Australian Opera over their failure to employ a suitable dramaturgist. It was becoming increasingly obvious that the Australian Opera had no one on their staff who could fulfil this important role. Once again, this problem was more crucial with productions of Wagner than with other opera composers, because of the synthesis of all the arts in his operas and music dramas.

In 1988, a new production of Die Meistersinger von Niirnberg was presented. It was the first in a series of more 'mature' productions of Wagner, though the production of Lohengrin the year before marked the beginning. It marked the point, where in spite of the inadequacies of stage and pit, productions of Wagner were of a standard comparable to the rest of the world. The producers had perhaps come to terms with the stage and built their productions around its inadequacies.

In a special trip to Bonn, the artistic director of the Australian Opera, Moffatt Oxenbould had negotiated with the Federal Republic of Germany over their gift to Australia in the Bicentennial Year. He suggested, that, instead of the lling cycle, the gift could be directed towards a production of either Die Meistersinger. Tristan und Isolde

83Prerauer,M. The Australian 31 st Aug., 1987. 84covell,R. Svdnev Morning Hera!d.,31 st Aug., 1987. 64 or W ozzeck. The work selected was Die Meistersinger and the gift was 800 000 Deutschmarks which went towards its production.85 The German business community in Australia also contributed generously.

The work was conducted by Charles Mackerras and directed by Michael Hampe. Walther was sung by Paul Frey, Eva by Helena Doese, Magdalena by Elizabeth Campbell and Rosemary Gunn,David by Christopher Doig, Beckmesser by John Pringle and Hans Sachs by Donald McIntyre.

It was one of the most grandly successful and meticulously prepared productions in the Australian Opera's history.... One of the joys of the present series of performances is the participation of voices of noble dimensions ... Donald McIntyre's triumphantly comprehensive Sachs .. .I count it a privilege to have been present. 86

Die Walkiire was revived in 1989 with Stuart Challender conducting, Horst Hoffmann as Siegmund, Donald McIntyre as Wotan, Marilyn Richardson as Sieglinde and Marilyn Zschau as Brunnhilde.

Singing that at its best combines moving insight with power and variety and some stage presences of compelling individuality are principal assets of this revival...In particular, Donald McIntyre gives the part of Wotan ... a grandeur of sound and an authority of personality crucial to the meaning of the drama... Any perfonnance which has a Sieglinde and a Siegmund as personable and reliable as Marilyn Richardson and Horst Hoffmann must count itself fortunate ... 8 7

8Sspecial funding from the Australian Bicentennial Authority and collaboration with the A.B.C. resulted in the production recorded for television and simulcast in 1989. 86 cove11,R. Sydnev Mornjng Herald. Oct., 1988. 87Ibid, 26th July, 1989. 65 However, Roger Covell criticised the "bulbous and muscle-knotted sets" which had not been altered for this presentation. The costumes,too were not attractive . Even if all this was remedied in the future: ·

it would still leave us with the undersized orchestra, the confined pit sound ... One day a performance with ingredients like these will get the context it deserves. 8 8

Performance Practices

As has already been mentioned, major revisions were made to the original plans for the new Opera House. Perhaps it was the opera theatre itself which suffered the most. The problems of seating accommodation and resultant orchestral sound emanating from the pit were the most serious deficiencies. This resulted in a smaller orchestra making a less than satisfying sound. Various conductors tried to remedy the problem in different ways.

There is always a difficulty, even in European productions, in obtaining the orchestral forces as specified by Wagner in his music dramas, particularly the later ones. Even early operas, such as Tannhauser have their difficulties, particularly in acquiring the twelve horns needed at the end of Act 1 (though once again, this problem is not just confined to Australia). In the 1973 production of the opera, only four horns were listed in the orchestral list in the programme, with no mention of extra on-stage horns. It would be interesting to know what was actually done - a possible solution was

88Ibid. 66 uncovered in the library of The Australian Opera which contained a Kalmus edition of an old score of Tannhauser which could have been used for this particular production. Even if it was not used for this but for an earlier performance, it gives insight as to how a difficulty like this could be overcome.

In the Overture, the two Ventilhorner were replaced (played) by the first and second horns, which seems a mystifying command - if the word "Ventilhorn" is incorrectly translated as "hunting horn", it does make more sense. Similarly the first Waldhorn in E was played by the first horn (whoever conducted - or more likely it was the producer or orchestral manager - from the score did not know the German names of the instruments - either the more familiar Italian name was written in, or a tiny picture drawn). In Act III the parts of the two Ventilhorner in F and the two W aldhorner in E were played by ordinary horns. Unfortunately, although these compromises were carefully notated in the score, no mention was made of the twelve horns in Act 1. Some small cuts were made throughout the score, but none of major import. At this period in the early 1970s, it must have been difficult to find enough horn players of sufficient calibre to perform the parts or to obtain the extra horns required, even if they could have been fitted into the inadequately-sized orchestral pit.

The 1978 production of Die Meistersinger presented different orchestral problems. The chorus and orchestra were enlarged for the occasion. There were eleven first violins, eight seconds, six violas, seven celli and four basses. This was a larger than normal string section, but still not large enough - the size of the pit simply did not allow for any more players. The brass, woodwind and percussion

67 section (except that there was only one harp instead of two) were as specified by Wagner.

The 1987 production of Lohengrin was cut in quite a number of places.89 The cuts were marked in the score held in the library of the Australian Opera by Stuart Challender.

In 1988 an entirely new production of Die Meistersinger was mounted. A new floor had been put into the pit and had created more room for the orchestra. As a result, more string players could be fitted in, as well as extra brass, a fourth trumpet and another harp;90 which improved the texture of the overall sound.

Die Walkiire was performed again in 1989. The orchestra had been increased since the 1983 production. There were now eight horns instead of six, four trombones instead of three, two harps instead of one, and an enlarged string section. The conductor, Stuart Challender had edited the full score to meet the needs of this still­ reduced orchestra. But the result remained a compromise. Until the pit is completely rebuilt, or the Australian Opera moves to a new venue, it will continue to be so.

One way to overcome this problem was to present a concert version of Wagner opera in the Concert Hall of the Opera House. While this solved the problem of a reduced orchestra and allowed the audience

89 1n the Schirmer vocal score, the cuts were marked as follows: p.94 - from end bar 4 ... to p. l 02 - bar 4; p. l 59 - 4th last bar ... to p.170 - bar 1; p.174 - bar 7 ... to p.175 - bar 8; p.176 - last bar ... to p.178 - bar 10; p.183 - bar 2 ... to p.187 - last bar; p.316 - bar 9 ... to p.330 - bar 2. 90. The orchestra was now 4 S 4 4 6 4 1 cornet 4 1 T 4 2 harp 1S 10 10 9 6 4 stage band. 68 to hear a full-sized Wagnerian orchestra, it of course brought a host of other compromises in its wake. Of all composers, Wagner was insistent upon the interrelationship of music, words, staging costuming and lighting. It was for this purpose, of presenting a synthesis of these arts, that he had Bayreuth constructed. To present a Wagner opera in a concert version, therefore, is directly contravening Wagner's philosophy. However, it does have its place. For one thing, it is much less expensive to mount. And as has already been stated, it does allow people to hear what Wagner really should sound like.

Concert performances had been given of Der Fliegende Hollander in 1942, Tannhauser in 1950 and Der Fliegende Hollander again in 1955. The Australian Opera presented four more concert performances of Wagner operas in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Parsifal was presented in 1977 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and an enlarged Philharmonic choir. It was conducted by Carlo Felice Cillario - Parsifal was sung by Ronald Dowd, Amfortas by John Shaw, Gurnemanz by Donald Shanks and Kundry by Lone Koppel Winther.

Das Rheingold was performed in 1979. It was sung in English, which seems odd, considering that the audience was presented with the full libretto, complete with leitmotifs and a description of their place in the opera.

69 The critics expressed the same doubts about concert performances of Wagner that were discussed above:

What Bayreuth had stipulated as the ideal of artistic totality had to be sacrificed to the limited dimensions of a concert recital...This truncation, all the same, offered some worthwhile benefits to make up for the losses. In the Opera Hall we could not have rejoiced in the mighty symphonic impact of a full score. 9 1

No well-wishing hypocrisy, no pious rationalisations about the alleged superiority of the theatre of the imagination: a concert performance... even when it is good - and it was, in many ways, very good indeed last night - is not good enough. 92

1981 saw a concert version of Gotterdammerung for which the Australian Broadcasting Commission bought Wagner tubas. The rest of the brass section and string sections of the S.S.O. which played for the performance, were also augmented for the occasion. Siegfried was sung by Jon Weaving, Gunther by Robert Allman, Gutrune by Nance Grant, Briinnhilde by Rita Hunter, Hagen by Bruce Martin and Alberich by Raymond Myers. The performance was conducted by Charles Mackerras. Nadine Amadio waxed lyrical:

The joint venture of the AB.C. and the Australian Opera in presenting a concert version of Gotterdammernne; was without doubt the musical event of the year.. .it was a stirring performance ... 9 3

Roger Covell was less enthusiastic but more realistic as to the implications of the performance:

Wednesday night's performance was an absorbing exercise but it was in no way a substitute for the full staging of what is in every way a fusion of drama and music.It was a promise of the stage performance .. .it was an excellent rehearsal, an encouraging foretaste of the real thing. 9 4

91 Forst, H.R. Sundav Te)egraph. 25th March, 1979. 92 cove11,R. Sydney Mornjng Hera)d. 21 st March, 1979. 93 Amadio, N. Sundav Te)egraph. 4th Oct., 1981. 94Covell,R. Sydney Mornjng Herald 2nd Oct 1981. 70 The last of the concert performances to date was Tristan und Isolde given in 1982 in the concert hall of the Opera House. Once again the S.S.O. was under the direction of Sir Charles Mackerras and the singers were Alberto Remedios as Tristan, Rita Hunter as Isolde, Donald Shanks and Bruce Martin as King Mark, Margreta Elkins as Brangane and Raymond Myers and John Shaw as Kurvenal.

The splendid series of ... concert performances of Wagner of which this week's "Tristan and Isolde" is the latest example, is making an important contribution to defining, sustaining and extending the audience for the late works of this giant among theatre composers. 9 S

The same criticisms and praise directed at the earlier performances discussed above can be made of this performance. It was an excellent performance, it was exciting, it was moving, one could hear the glories of the orchestral score as they were meant to be heard - but it was not the real thing.

The Australian Opera has included in its repertoire for 1990 a new production of Tristan und Isolde~ which had not been seen by Australian audiences since 1935, when it was presented by Sir Benjamin Fuller's company. This production is to be mounted in the Concert Hall of the Opera House and will presumably overcome the difficulties of working with a smaller orchestra in an inadequately­ sized pit.

One of the greatest problems in staging operas in Australia, written in a language other than English has been whether to sing them in the original language - in which case the majority of the audience

9S Ibid, 7th Aug., 1982.

71 cannot understand the words, or to sing them in English - when the beauty of the original language is lost and it is more difficult for the singers to produce vowels, for example on high notes not intended for them by the composer.

The policy of the Elizabethan Trust and, in its earlier years, the Australian Opera, was to sing all operas in English. This was following the policy of Sadler's Wells Opera, and the early post-war policy of Covent Garden. Many of the local singers engaged for productions at this time, were accustomed to this . Gradually, however, the Australian Opera adopted the international policy of singing operas in the original language where possible. Many overseas artists as well as the Australian singers who were engaged by the company, knew and preferred to sing in the original language. Moffatt Oxenbould stated that the only operas now sung in English are some of the Russian and Czechoslovakian repertoire and those operas with much dialogue such as Die Zauberflote

In 1984, The Australian Opera introduced surtitles for the first time, which overcame many problems. The audience could now follow the (slightly truncated) text, the singers would find it easier to cope with the music which had been composed with specific consonant and vowel patterns in mind and the purists would be altogether more content. Surtitles "were of decisive value in allowing the majority of opera goers to participate in the absorbing shifts of meaning and reference in Wagner's text."96

72 This use of surtitles is a viable solution to a perennially difficult question and enables the beauty of the language to be appreciated while understanding the text through the translation flashed above the stage.

In the Australia Council Report published by the Australian Opera are expressed policies covering many areas.

The report advocated "a balanced repertoire mainly drawn from the 1770-1918 period which included Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Wagner and Puccini (4.5)". As well as ensuring the repertoire was balanced stylistically; a balance of operas from different periods, representation of comedy and tragedy, music drama and operetta needed to be taken into account. Costs needed to be considered which involved the size of the orchestra and chorus, if any. New productions required more rehearsal time. The choice of repertoire also depended on the artists , both local and overseas, available at the time as well as the requirements of the opera under consideration. 97

Its policy on performance covered the importation of overseas singers and producers, among others. The number of overseas performers able to be used by the company annually is limited by a quota system imposed by Actors' Equity. The 1982 report states that

1) first consideration in casting goes to Australian talent 2) imported artists should appear in no more than 30% of performances presented in any one year... 3) that there be no more than 2 imported artists cast in any one opera.4) No more than 10 imported artists shall be allowed in any one year.

97 Adapted from The Australjan Opera. 1956. 73 The company believes that some overseas guests are essential "to have the cross-fertilisation with important world stars".

These policies act both for and against productions of Wagner operas. One example of the case in point concerned the 1978 production of Die Meistersinger. The production was, in fact, on loan from the Scottish National Opera. Two of the principals, Allen Cathcart and Norman Bailey were also guest artists from overseas. This was perhaps the most accomplished production of Wagner seen in recent years and certainly acted as an inspiration for the cross-fertilisation of ideas on opera production mentioned earlier.

Industrial awards affect Wagner production most of all. Because of the extended length of these operas, particularly the later ones, special arrangements have to be made with regard to catering needs, and hours of commencement and conclusion.

Therefore Wagner operas cost much more to produce than other operas. Several of the problems cited by Moffatt Oxenbould when discussing possible performances of the Ring cycle involved the necessity of 'rest days' between the operas and the considerable expense to the company of these. The length of most Wagner operas mean than because of the stipulation that the orchestra must have eleven hours break between performances, they cannot rehearse the next morning after a performance the previous night. Wagner operas demand more of the singers, who of necessity, therefore, must be more experienced and have more vocal and physical stamina than singers in 'normal' roles. The music dramas, particularly, require larger orchestras of above-average players; they

74 often specify difficult-to-obtain instruments, such as Wagner tubas. Stage production requires many special and hard-to-bring-off effects.

One of the reasons why the ~ cycle was aborted was the spectacular f~lure of the first production of Das Rheingold. None of the difficulties is insoluble - the management must consider all of them carefully before committing itself to production.

"There is no problem to which there is not a solution... and so it was with the Sydney Opera House - from its conception to the completion of the masterpiece"98 - and this can also be said of performances of the operas of Wagner.

98 Svdnev Builds an Opera House. p.81. 7S CONCLUSION

Over the last hundred years the gap between the ideal and the actual performance of Wagner opera has lessened. The audience has become more critical and more educated. It has the capacity and the ability to compare performances. Through technology, the world has shrunk. More people than ever before have actually been to theatres in Europe and America, whereas in 1877, when the first Wagner production took place in Melbourne, very few opera-goers had ever left these shores. Today's audience is therefore more aware of the standards current in the rest of the world and demands that Australia should equal them.

Most opera-goers have unlimited access to records and compact discs, which present to them the ultimate in sound recordings of Wagner operas. This could be construed both as an advantage as well as a disadvantage. It is advantageous in that the listener can become acquainted with Wagner's music as well as hearing it under optimum conditions but it is unrealistic in that the sound of the music, recorded in a studio will rarely if ever be equalled by a live performance and this can be disappointing. One of the problems that earlier opera companies did not have to face, which later ones do, is

76 that of comparison (whether unfair or not) with the recorded sound of stereo recordings and compact discs which are indeed of the highest standard in the world today. They are, in fact, even better than a live performance~ as all imperfections are edited out before release. Therefore many in the audience already know what the orchestral sound that Wagner envisaged should be like. The inadequacies of the pit are thus exposed to a knowledgeable section of the audience. Opera-goers in the past had nothing on which to base a comparison; _though recordings have been available for many years, the sound quality has not been of such splendid proportions. With the advent of television and video recordings of operas, the problem has been exacerbated; local productions can now be compared with those from overseas, even with those of Bayreuth itself.

Films, television, video recordings , and soon video-disc recordings allow people to see as well as hear what Wagner can be like. Through these media,audiences who have never been and will never have the chance to go to Bayreuth, can both see and hear the latest productions from the opera house there.

With this awareness, though, comes a loss;

Nothing does more damage to art than the cultivated exquisite rumours that grow up about it. There was no aesthetic propaganda of this kind to intervene between opera in colonial Australia and a mass audience that came to it hungry for ceremony, passion and the semblance of a miracle.99

Audiences can become too critical and overlook much that is praiseworthy in the production.

99cove11,R; op. cit., p.237. 77 A factor which has continually stood out in this investigation is the sense of mission with which all the companies, from Lyster onward, felt themselves to be endowed. The early companies were determined that Australia should see operas of a standard comparable with the rest of the world. To achieve this end, complete productions were imported to Australia by various impresarios. Later companies had the same aim but they endeavoured to achieve their goal by using Australian performers wherever possible.

The Australian Opera, the company now principally responsible for professional opera in Sydney, stated the following objectives in 1974:

The Australian Opera should bring musical theatre in any form and at a high artistic level to as large a number of people as practical throughout the nation ... The Australian Opera should be seen as the vehicle for the development of an indigenous creative identity ...

Association with overseas companies and bringing to Australia operatic performances which will complement and enlarge the Company's repertoire is considered a desirable of the National role ...

The Australian Opera will give preference to indigenous artistic talent in all areas of its activity .. ) 00

Though these aims were written fifteen years ago, they still have relevance today. If they are placed beside contemporary practices in the production of Wagner operas, they seem particularly relevant. Perhaps the first section of the first aim has more practical significance for the performance of Wagner than the latter. The latest productions of his operas, particularly Lohengrin and Die Meistersin~er have achieved the "high artistic level" mentioned. The Australian Opera has earned a world-wide reputation of its own and

100ooera Australia no 1. Jan., 1974. 78 for its own productions. The Company has indeed fostered "indigenous artistic talent" in its activities and will continue to do so.

The performances of Wagnerian operas and music dramas in Australia have evolved into more mature and sophisticated productions since the first performance of Lohengrin in 1877. They have not neccessarily been of higher musical or theatrical standards, but they have been worthy of the name "Australian Opera".

79 Table 1

Chronological List of Productions of Wagner Opera in Sydney

Opera Year Company

Lohengrin 1877 Lyster Tannhauser 1901 Musgrove Lohengrin 1907 Musgrove Der Fliegende Hollander 1907 Musgrove Die Walkiire 1907 Musgrove Lohengrin 1911 Melba/Williamson Tannhauser 1912 Quinlan Tristan und Isolde 1912 Quinlan Lohengrin 1912 Quinlan Die Meistersinger 1913 Quinlan Tristan und Isolde 1913 Quinlan Lohengrin 1913 Quinlan Gotterdammerung 1913 Quinlan Siegfried 1913 Quinlan Die Walkure 1913 Quinlan Das Rheingold 1913 Quinlan Lohengrin 1928 Melba/Williamson Tannhauser 1928 Melba/Williamson Die Walkure 1931 Conservatorium Die Walkure 1935 Fuller Der Fliegende Hollander 1935 Fuller Tannhauser 1935 Fuller Tristan und Isolde 1935 Fuller Die Meistersinger 1950 Conservatorium Lohengrin 1952 National Opera Die Walkure 1953 Conservatorium Der Fliegende Hollander 1953 National Opera Lohengrin 1958 Elizabethan Trust Der Fliegende Hollander 1967 Elizabethan Trust Tannhauser 1968 Elizabethan Trust Tannhauser 1973/4 Australian Opera Der Fliegende Hollander 1977 Australian Opera Die Meistersinger 1978/9 Australian Opera Die Walkiire 1983/4 Australian Opera Das Rheingold 1984 Australian Opera Die Walkure 198.5 Australian Opera Lohengrin 1987 Australian Opera Die Meistersinger 1988 Australian Opera Die Walkure 1989 Australian Opera

80 Table 2

List of Productions by Title

Opera Year Company

Lohengrin 1877 Lyster Lohengrin 1907 Musgrove Lohengrin 1911 Melba/Williamson Lohengrin 1912 Quinlan Lohengrin 1913 Quinlan Lohengrin 1928 Melba/Williamson Lohengrin 1952 National Opera Lohengrin 1958 Elizabethan Trust Lohengrin 1987 Australian Opera Tannhauser 1901 Musgrove Tannhauser 1912 Quinlan Tannhauser 1928 Melba/Williamson Tannhauser 1935 Fuller Tannhauser 1968 Elizabethan Trust Tannhauser 1973/4 Australian Opera Der Fliegende Hollander 1907 Musgrove Der Fliegende Hollander 1935 Fuller Der Fliegende Hollander 1953 National Opera Der Fliegende Hollander 1967 Elizabethan Trust Der Fliegende Hollander 1977 Australian Opera Die Walkiire 1907 Musgrove Die Walkiire 1913 Quinlan Die Walkiire 1931 Conservatorium Die Walkiire 1935 Fuller Die Walkiire 1953 Conservatorium Die Walkiire 1983/4 Australian Opera Die Walkiire 198.5 Australian Opera Die Walkiire 1989 Australian Opera Tristan und Isolde 1912 Quinlan Tristan und Isolde 1913 Quinlan Tristan und Isolde 1935 Fuller Die Meistersinger 1913 Quinlan Die Meistersinger 1950 Conservatorium Die Meistersinger 1978/9 Australian Opera Die Meistersinger 1988 Australian Opera Gotterdammerung 1913 Quinlan Rheingold 1913 Quinlan Rheingold 1984 Australian Opera Siegfried 1913 Quinlan

81 Table 3

Chronological List of Concert Performances of Wagner Operas in Sydney

Opera Year

Der Fliegende Hollander 1942 Tannhauser 1950 Der Fliegender Hollander 1955 Parsifal 1977 Das Rheingold 1979 Gotterdammerung 1981 Tristan und Isolde 1982

82 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

Arundel Orchard, W, Music in Australia; Georgian House, Melbourne, 1952.

Brewer, F.C., The Drama and Music in N,S,W; Charles Potter, Sydney, 1892.

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Hetherington, J Melba: a Biography: Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1967.

Loewenberg, A Annals of Opera; Rowman, Totowa, 1943 rev.1978.

Love, H The Golden A~e of Australian Opera: W,S, Lyster and his Companies; Currency Press, Sydney, 1981.

Mackenzie, B & F Sin~ers of Australia from Melba to Sutherland; Lansdowne Press, Melbourne, 1967.

83 Melba, N Melodies and Memories; (Intro. and ed.

J. Cargher 1980), Nelson, Melbourne, 1925.

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Osborne, C The World Theatre of Wagner; Phaidon, Oxford, 1982.

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84 Newspaper Articles

The A~e: 20/8/1877.

AriJis: 20/8/1877.

The Australian: 15/2/1979, 10/1983, 21/2/1985, 31/8/1987, 4/2/1984.

The Canberra Times; 18/8/78.

The Daily Tele~aph: 18/8/1913, 3/9/1913.

North Shore Times: 29/2/1984, 4/7/1984.

The Sun-Herald: 4/9/1977.

The Sunday Tele~aph: 25/3/1979, 2/10/1981.

The Sydney Mornine; Herald: 26/7/1928, 4/1/1935, 16/1/1935, 13/2/1935, 30/8/1967, 17/6/1968, 3/7/1968, 4/9/1977, 1/2/1979, 21/3/1979, 2/10/1981, 2/12/1981, 29/8/1983, 23/2/1984, 31/8/87, 10/1988, 26/7/1989.

The Wentworth Courier: 5/10/83.

85 Journals and Magazines

The Australian Musical News. 1911,Vol.1 no.5.

The Australian Opera Annual Report 1977.

The Australian Opera Annual Report 1983.

Grand Opera Magazine 1967.

J,C,Williamson Souvenir Programme 1974.

Opera Australia 1974.

The Theatre 1/2/1907, 1/5/1907, 1/11/1913.

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86

, Allbook Bindery I ~