European opera houses go for style on grand scale

Julius Caesar in Egypt by Handel
Palais Garnier, Paris

Don Giovanni by Mozart
La Fenice, Venice

La Cenerentelo by Rossini
Vienna State Opera

One of the outstanding features of New Zealand Opera’s recent productions has been the high quality and innovation of the sets which have ranged from the simple to the elaborate. But a visit to several European opera houses shows that it can also be done on the grand scale.

Handel’s Julius Caesar in Egypt really needs more than just good singing to keep the audiences attention. At more than three hours, there is certain sameness about many of the arias, beautiful as they are. So costumes and sets need to be lavish or out of the ordinary.

The recent production of the opera at the Palais Garnier in Paris featured three extraordinary sets which gave the work greater depth and visual interest.

Each of the sections was set in one of the vast storage areas of the Louvre or some similar institution.

The first set was, appropriately, in the antiquaries section of the museum, with shelves and pallets piled with objects from and Egypt and Rome.

There were busts of the great Romans and statues and grand objects which the museum attendants wheeled on and unpacked. They carried on with their work oblivious of the characters from the opera, occasionally exiting, slowing in their work or taking on their role of the chorus.

Even Caesar, clad in matt grey armour, seemed to be a marble or concrete statue come to life.

The most dramatic staging occurred with Cleopatra’s entrance where she was introduced lying on the huge sculptural figure of a pharaoh which filled the stage.

The second part of the opera was set in the paintings storage area where large (4m x 4m) and small paintings in their big golden frames were trundled around the stage. Several were 19th century views of Egypt, as well as pre-Raphaelite style works depicting Cleopatra. In some cases, the cast was able to enter the framed works, becoming part of them.

The third section took place in the storage area for tapestries. Hundreds of small and large carpets and wall hangings created a luscious forest of golds, blacks, reds and creams. It was in this set that Cleopatra was unrolled from one of the large carpets, even though she has previously been introduced to Caesar.

As with many Handel operas, the leading males parts were sung by countertenors and in this production each of them was superb, with the eloquent and sophisticated Lawrence Zazzo in the main role, and the astringent, campy Christophe Dumaux as Ptolomey.

Sandrine Piau, singing the role of Cleopatra, brought a sensuousness and intelligence to the part, which helped create a brilliantly rounded Egyptian ruler and her opening Non disperar had a sharp-witted edginess to it.

Relatively traditional set

Mozart’s Don Giovanni at La Fenice featured a relatively traditional set, with the opening scene taking place in a large 18th century bedroom punctuated with several doors.

But that was only one of the huge sections of wall sections which were used to create continually changing spaces and vistas as the walls became corridors, courtyards, spacious lounges and small rooms.

The many doors which each of walls had were used in an almost farce-like manner for the cast to, escape from, hide in and communicate through.

From the opening it was apparent this was a very physical production, with Don Giovanni no longer merely taking a sword to the Commendatore. Instead, he savagely beats him to death on the bed where he had been attempting to ravish Donna Anna.

This physicality and violence is repeated in Don Giovanni's various dalliances, showing him to be more of sexual predator than charming lover. His servant Leperello even joins him in some of the bawdy escapades.

The final scene, which normally takes place in a dining hall with cast eating and drinking, was replaced by an orgy with several naked women and the only eating taking place was of a sexual nature.

This harsher more amoral and violent Don Giovanni set within the walls of elegant rooms made the opera seem much more relevant, with the characters providing a greater realism and fewer caricatures.

Flash sports cars

The Vienna State Opera’s production of Rossini’s La Cenerentola was set in the 1950s, which meant that along with a lavish range of haute couture for the two sisters to try on the Prince’s garage was stocked with several flash sports cars.

The main set, designed by Rolf Glittenberg, featured five sets of double doors, the contents of which – like some magician's elaborate trick – kept changing. They variously opened on to other rooms, an upright bed containing Don Magnifico and wardrobes full of designer clothes.

At one stage all the opened doors become windows on to the street, where the characters were running through the rain with their umbrellas.

Rachel Frenkel as Cinderella was the suitable ugly duckling who is transformed into a Princess, but one could tell from her voice that she would be the Prince’s choice even though her aspirations early on appear to be a singing star as she croons into scrubbing brush.

The production was very much about image and status. It was the clothes which were seen as defining the young women, and sisters Valentina Nafornita (Clorinda) and Margarita Gritskova (Tisbe) provided some gusty and witty singing as they showed of their finery.

The opera is also a tale about filial love and these entangled relationships were highlighted by Alessandro Corbelli as the bumbling Don Magnifico, Cinderella’s stepfather.

He managed to turn all his appearances into great comic turns worthy of Chaplin and his clipped voice always seemed of the verge of telling another joke. He was able to turn what could be a one-dimensional character into a cleverly layered one.

Vito Priante’s singing of Dandini the valet, who swaps places with the Prince, was suitably suave and he engaged well with the audiences in his asides.

Dmitry Korchak as Prince Ramiro was musically impressive, managing to combine a sense of youthful ardour along with a romantic sensibility.

Future events:

Paris Opera

Lucia di Lammermoor
Gaetano Donizetti
September 7 - October 9

Alceste
Christoph Gluck
September 12 - October 7

Vec Makropulos
Leoš Janácek
September 16 - October 2

Aida
Giuseppe Verdi
October 10 - November 16

La Fenice

Othello
Verdi
July 10 – 17

La Traviata
Verdi
August 30 – September 28

Carmen
Bizet
September 11 – October 26

Vienna State Operas

Tosca
Puccini
From September 9

Othello
Verdi
From September 11

Nabucco
Verdi
From September 24