Lust and the Libretto

8 SPECTRUM NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1, 2013 The Sydney Morning Herald The Sydney Morning Herald NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1, 2013 SPECTRUM 9 OPERA Lucyisatroubledyoungwomanwho Five scenes to make you blush will do anything for a drug fix and in the first act Fiebig had to mime giving fellatio to David Corcoran, who was THE CORONATIONOF playing Lucy’sdrug dealing brother. It POPPEA Lust and was confronting for everyone involved. (Monteverdi, 1643) ‘‘Toseeyourselfdegradedinfrontof ‘‘The Coronation of Poppea would have to be yourpeersandinfrontofanaudience the sexiest opera from start to finish,’’ says is hard. I found the rehearsal process counter-tenor David Hansen. Monteverdi’s harder than performing, because [when masterpiece starts with a bedroom scene performing] you’re a character. You’re and finishes with the Emperor Nero and his the libretto not Taryn Fiebig; you’re someone else. mistress singing a rapturous love duet, ‘‘I Youwalkon,bedramaticandwalkoff.’’ gaze at you, I possess you ..’’ And what about the audience reaction? ‘‘It is an important part DON GIOVANNI Sex underlies much of opera and life. Putting it on stage of Lucy’sjourney as a character. (Mozart, 1787) has challenges, writes HARRIET CUNNINGHAM. People weredisturbedbyitbutthey Beforetheoperastarts,DonGiovanni,aka appreciated the way it was handled, Don Juan, has notched up more than 1000 which I was very pleased about.’’ conquests in Spain alone, according to his hat is opera’sfavourite Heisquotingfromthelibrettoof Fellatio,nudityandsimulatedsexon manservant Leporello’sCatalogue Aria. He’s subject? Heroism? Fidelity? Giasone,a17th-centuryoperaby stage – can it go too far? There are plenty losing his touch in the opera, only managing Revengeandforgiveness? composer Francesco Cavalli and of instances in which the audience and several seductions and/or rapes. Teddy If you read the glossy librettist Giacinto Andrea Cicognini, even performers have drawn the line. TahuRhodesstarsinOperaAustralia’s Wbrochures, you could be forgiven for which he is directing for Pinchgut In Opera Australia’s Acis and Galatea, production at the Opera House next year. thinking that the noble art is powered Opera. Giasone is based on the Greek the sight of a dancer performing fellatio byloveandpassionandtheglorious myth of JasonandtheGoldenFleece and on a singer drew catcalls. MANON LESCAUT gamut of human emotion. But if you was a hit show in the 17th century.This In2010,sopranoCherylBarker (Puccini, 1893) take a good, honest look at opera plots production, which opens at City Recital withdrew from a new production of Manonfallsinlovewithanimpoverished throughout history, there is one Hall on Thursday, is its Australian Tosca at short notice. While her youngstud,butherbrothermarriesheroff conspicuous constant: sex. premiere. The plot revolves around Believable passion: David Hansen and management cited ‘‘personal reasons’’, to a richer, older man. When her lover tracks One of the first works officially central character Jason and his Celeste Lazarenko star in the opera Christopher Alden’scontroversial her down, they have a rapturous Lover: Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Don Giovanni. classified as an opera, Monteverdi’s The attempts to juggle two wives. It features Giasone. Photo: Tamara Dean production, characterising Baron reconciliation: ‘‘Your kiss, sweet treasure, Coronation of Poppea,firstperformed astringofloveand,frankly,lustduets. Scarpia as a psychotic sexual pervert, sets me afire ... Manon, you bring me nigh in 1643, is all about a Roman emperor ‘‘Therearesomeawfullysexyscenes,’’ was booed on opening night. to death! Such sweet suffering ...’’ POWDER HER FACE and his illicit passion for Poppea. In says Rader-Shieber. FiebigandHansenagreethatthereis (ThomasAdes,1995) Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, ‘‘Theactofbeingatthatemotional ‘‘There’s one rule in opera,’’ says Giasone,agrees:thereisnopointin straight theatre, it’snice when you nothing wrong with a bit of no-holds LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK The story of the ‘‘dirty duchess’’,Margaret Susannaspendstheentireoperatrying level where you can’t speak any more, Opera Australia principal Taryn Fiebig. being shy.Operatic sex scenes will leave things to the imagination of the barred passion, as long as it is justified (Shostakovich, 1934) Campbell,DuchessofArgyll,hitthe to avoid pleasuring her boss, Count where you’ve got to sing; that level of ‘‘Notongues.Thatisuniversal,thatis always be stylised, ‘‘but within that audience, when you have them in the bythemusic,thewordsandthestory. Shostakovich’sthrillingbuttawdrytaleofa newspaper front pages when her messy Almaviva, before she marries Figaro. emotion is inherently sexy.’’ understood.’’ But beyond that there is stylisation there has to be a degree of palm of your hand, wanting more. If you ‘‘Sexissuchanintegralpartofallof desperate housewife who seeks satisfaction divorce proceedings were made public in Then there is Verdi’s La Traviata,about The music often does much of the no holding back. believability,of naturalness. If we’re not give them everything from the word go, our lives,’’ Fiebig says. ‘‘The fact that outside her marriage features an extended 1963. Composer Ades and librettist Philip opera’sfavourite working girl. Alfredo work: two entwined voices, a surging ‘‘Ithinkyoucantellifanactordoesn’t acting as we would if we were alone with then where do you go from there?’’ we displayitopenlyonstage,it’s bedroom scene. The music is notorious for Hensherdramatiseanactoffellatio,where does not invite Violetta to his room orchestral accompaniment and a go there. It looks weak; you make the our partners, husbands, wives, Fiebigcanconfirmthatthereis sometimes as though that’sforeign, its explicit description of sex, including an the duchess hums instead of singing. merely to admire his etchings. clashing discord resolved into sweet audience feel uncomfortable. boyfriends, girlfriends, the audience nothing titillating about graphic sex and it’snot. It’spart of our everyday life. unmistakably graphic trombone part, BritishradiostationClassicFMconsidered As opera director Chas Rader-Shieber harmony go a long way towards ‘‘Youhavetohandleitwithrespect isn’t going to believe.’’ on stage. In 2010, she played Lucy Joy, We’re just amplifying it.’’ which thrusts, swells and, er, sags. The it unsuitable for broadcast but it was made observes, ‘‘When a character says, ‘For describing sexual pleasure. and grace, but you have to commit.’’ But,saysHansen,itisalsoimportant daughter of Harry Joy in Brett Dean’s opera was banned in the Soviet Union for into a film for Channel 4 and broadcast on this man, women open wide their doors Butwhataboutthesingers?Howdo Oslo-based Australian counter-tenor to trust the music and the power of opera Bliss,anadaptationofPeter Giasone is at the City Recital Hall from 30 years. Christmas Day 1999. ...’Let’sjustsayI’msuretheydo.’’ youchoreographaclinchinopera? DavidHansen,whoplaysthetitlerolein suggestion. ‘‘With opera, as with Carey’saward-winning novel. Thursday until December 9..

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