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Friday 19 March 1999 Kallang Theatre
Stage Director |
The Singapore Symphonia Company presents
Bhnen Graz Opera - Cos fan tutte Music by W.A. Mozart. Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte |
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Mathias Zachariassen Ferrando Miguelangelo Cavalcanti Giglielmo Ludovic Knya Don Alfonso Martina Serafin Fiordiligi Mihoko Fujimura Dorabella Martina Unden Despina
Members of Singapore Symphony Chorus Chorus Master Bart Folse
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OVERALL NOISE RATING:
4 (Distracted audience at slow parts meant a chorus of
incessant coughing around me.)
The Noise Rating Index is a partially-objective measurement of pager and handphone blasts, 9pm and 10pm watch beeps, coughing-during-the-pianissimo-bits, intra-audience conversation and other mind-bogglingly inept noises emitted in the concert hall during actual performance of music. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 5, in increasing annoyance.
This review has been kindly sponsored by the Singapore Symphonia Co. Ltd
by Ng Yeuk Fan
Too many inconsistencies troubled the Graz Opera performance of Mozart's
Cos fan tutte at the Kallang Theatre on Friday. The SSO
performance under conductor Gnter Fruhmann started off shakily amidst
the many latecomers who continued to shuffle into their seat half past
seven. I would really like to have strangled all those people who even
had the cheek to ask seated audiences "What row is this?" in the middle
of an aria - but I digress.
Other than the few inappropriate brassy horns cracking in their tone,
and the occasional intonation problems in the woodwinds, the SSO played
with good clean lines with, overall, acceptable tone and clarity for a
'live' performance. For most of the grand quartet and sextet ensembles
however, the orchestra was consistently underplaying. In addition,
Mozart's playful wit and effervescent spirit just refused to be pinned
down. Fruhmann's direction consistently avoided making a statement.
Gems of clever playing were clearly heard in the terzettino Soave
sia il vento and when approaching the finale of Act 1 and also the
beginning of the Wedding Scene in Act 2. Unsatisfactory moments
likewise spoiled the emergence of a true Mozart flavour as the SSO failed
to progress beyond the score in many sections. They also sounded like they
could do with more rehearsal. Notably, much of Fiordiligi's
tormented rondo Per piet in Act 2 was in shambles as both
soloist and conductor failed to find a comfortable working tempo - each
was evasive and up till the end, they did not hit home.
Ferrando was played by a superb tenor Mathias Zachariassen. His voice
is light and aptly suited to Mozart. Though there could have been more
density and richness in exacting parts, his Un'aura amorosa
balanced a lyrical tenderness with mild robustness to great effect.
Miguelangelo Cavalcanti as Guglielmo was ineffective and a major aria
Donna mie was deleted due to a throat infection. Glimpses of
his beautiful resounding baritone were few and far between. Ludovic Knya
clearly had problems with Italian recitative. His Don Alfonso was
unable to achieve proper recitative enunciation and
stress-emphasis. None of the other soloists suffered from this problem.
Nevertheless, this bass-baritone clearly has a loud ringing singing
voice to match his acting.
Martina Unden was hilarious as
Despina most of the time. Her many roles give her much opportunity to
draw laughter and she did so to her advantage. This unknown coloratura
is mired here singing Despinas and Papagenas... when she should be
offered much fatter roles.
The 'missing' chorus was better off-stage, yes. However, it was a
terrible chorus as the microphones were ineffective and dimensionless.
Technicians almost forgot to turn up the amplifier and balance was
tipped towards the higher voices.
Stage direction was effective without being excessive. Many jokes fell
through because of a lack of immediacy with the language. Otherwise I
found that the two costumes settings, the two different sets of lighting and
the split stage between surreal boxes and dark ominous reality was
exceptionally effective and in actual fact worked absolutely to capture
the spirit of ironic Mozart. If Mozart was mulling over which better
way to stage Cos fan tutte, I think this Graz Opera production would have
surprised and won his favour. With occasional technical faults and
perhaps lack of technical rehearsal, some of the singers were not under
the hot spots of the creative lights of first-class lighting designer
Reinhard Traub. Remarkable for the conception of the entire series of
light changes - especially those in the "boxes" sets - Reinhard Traub's
use of reinforced intensity (using neon tubes) and/or opulently
beautiful contrasting colours created lighting wizardry that never
ceased to amaze me. His sunshine green garden scene at the beginning of
Act 2 and oceanic cyan yacht sequence were classics of beautiful
theatre.
Whatever the case
maybe, Mozart's eternal wit and understanding of the human condition
come through in this emphatic production. A pair of glum lovers
Ferrando and Guglielmo returning from the 'front-line' to their
unfaithful fiances drew laughter throughout Kallang Theatre - such comic
timing! My reservations whether Mozart was himself a man of the theatre
was completely wiped out. Running through my head was "Mozart, Mozart,
where would we humans be without you - our eternal sentinel..."
Salmon and White makes pink, Indigo and Red makes a certain magenta, but
straw and lime makes Yeuk Fan
green with envy.
Martina Serafin's Fiordiligi was clearly the winner of the night.
Audiences loved her and I too, after she sufficiently warmed up after
Act 1 to rid the roughness in the edge of her voice. Her dramatic
intensity is more than just good; together with Japanese Mihoko
Fujimura as Dorabella, the two achieved an interesting but unlikely blend
in the many duets and quartets. Unlikely - because Fujimura's light
transparent mezzo voice is quite the opposite of Serafin's thick, dark
and lyrical Fiordiligi; however the results more than speak for
themselves and I settle into accomodating and accepting the positive
blend. Having said that, Fujimura should act through her voice more, if she is
to achieve a more believable Dorabella.
This Graz production concept - a duality between new and old, drab and
colourful, real and surreal, more than worked for me. The duetto Fra
gli amplissi in which Fiordiligi at last loses her resolve to
remain faithful is an example of this opera played to great impact
because of a skilful re-invention of an old opera to suit a politically
correct modern audience. Wanting to find Guglielmo at the the front
line - Fiordiligi puts on Guglielmo's coat and hat, suggesting a return
to old faith - but when she loses herself to Ferrando - she strips off
the ancient garb to reveal a new modern Fiordiligi...one wonders whether
Mozart could indeed have been a master of theatrics?
Ring of Drama
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