Spirited and colourful Czech opera given a modern twist

The Bartered Bride by Bedrich Smetena

NBR New Zealand Opera
Conductor, Oliver von Dohnányi
Director, Daniel Slater
The opera is sung in English

Auckland: ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre
September 22-29

Wellington: St James Theatre
October 13-20

The NBR New Zealand Opera’s restaging of Daniel Slater’s ground-breaking Opera North production of Smetana’s The Bartered Bride gives the spirited and colourful opera a modern twist.

Slater manages to avoid the formulaic comedy and frolicking peasants normally associated with the work in favour of an updated setting in the Czechoslovakia of 1972, four years after the Prague Spring. 

He introduces an austere aesthetic, with the cast dressed in the chic drabness of 1970s Eastern European fashion.

He and designer Robert Innes Hopkins travelled extensively throughout the Czech Republic to identify the right sort of "ugliness" appropriate for the production.

Slater's great insight in this production is that at the heart of all Smetana's opera is the chorus, and by investing each member of the chorus with an individual personality The Bartered Bride becomes an opera about repressive communities.

Despite the dour influences, though, “the show is anything but drab”, Alfred Hickling reported in The Guardian in Britain. “In fact, it’s one of the most vivaciously animated opera productions in years,” and is proof that “true love can always shine through hideous clothes”, he says.

NBR New Zealand Opera general director Aidan Lang agrees.

“This is a fast-moving and very theatrical production, with effervescence to it. There’s a definite Eastern European feel, but Daniel Slater’s direction brilliantly captures the warmth and humour of the story while still allowing the audience to sense the underbelly of it.

“Designer Robert Innes Hopkins’ delightfully bad ’70s hair and clothes further add to the opera’s comic charms and the music is dazzling and gorgeously lyrical. It’s also technically challenging, so we’ve cast some leading singers in order to meet those demands.”

The opera tells the story of Marenka (NZ soprano Anna Leese), who is being cajoled into to marrying Vasek (NZ tenor Andrew Glover) by marriage broker Kecal (NZ bass Conal Coad) instead of her lover Jenik (English tenor Peter Wedd).

In other principal roles, Australian Taryn Fiebig (soprano) sings Esmeralda, the star of the circus, and John Antoniou (Australian baritone) joins New Zealanders Patricia Wright (soprano), Richard Green (bass) and Helen Medlyn (mezzo soprano) to sing Krusina, Ludmila, Micha and Hata, respectively.

Returning after critical acclaim as conductor of 2011’s Cav & Pag is Oliver von Dohnanyi, director of the State Opera of Prague and the original conductor of this production when it was performed in the UK.

The Bartered Bride is accompanied by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in Auckland and the Vector Wellington Orchestra in the capital, with the Chapman Tripp Opera Chorus.

Synopsis:
Marenka’s parents are enthusiastic about the suggestion of Kecal, the marriage broker, that their daughter should marry the son of the wealthy Mícha.

Marenka refuses because she is already in love with Jeník, whose parents no-one knows and who has no money. Mícha’s first son is presumed dead and his second (by a second wife) is Vasek, who is much afraid of his mother.

When Marenka discovers he is her chosen bridegroom, she describes herself in the most fearsome terms so he will not marry her.

Meanwhile, Kecal tries to bribe Jeník to abandon his suit of Marenka and Jeník accepts on condition that she only marries Mícha’s son.

Everyone is shocked at his mercenary attitude but then all becomes clear: he is Mícha’s first son and has won both love and a dowry.

Vasek, on the other hand, has found a vocation in a travelling circus.