April, 2005 - Nr. 4
High Drama in big and small spaces
Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
Going to the opera has been a European tradition that North America embraced lovingly. There is still opportunity for growth, as is witnessed by the building of Toronto’s Opera/Ballet house. And while the National Ballet does not care to include ethnic press into its review program for media the Canadian Opera Company has been more generous and understanding of the fact that it is the European background of people that guarantees a faster growth rate to new audiences of these classic arts. Thus regular visits with our COC are a most welcome. The last season offered much variety, something for everyone.
The latest offering was Rossini’s Tancredi and Verdi’s Il Trovatore. The latter proved to be grand opera in the best of all possible ways. There was something familiar- the music and famous arias, so lush and emotional; the story line- love, hate, betrayal, murder, just like in the best of ancient Greek dramas, only in 15th century Spain.
The aristocracy versus the gypsies, establishment versus freedom loving spirits, are the perfect dichotomy.
The set by Benoit Dugardyn is brilliantly stylised: textured dark walls divide spaces, shift into different locals, strategically placed high back chairs no one uses enhance the existing restlessness of the players. Everyone is driven with passion and/or revenge. Destiny waits in every dark wing of the shifting walls.
The performers match the intensity of the emotions with beautifully strong voices, are not outperformed by the brilliantly led orchestra. Richard Bradshaw conducted with his usual certainty and understanding of the score at hand.
The direction of Stephen Lawless managed intrinsic timings to drive the story fast forward, allowing for a tragic almost mellow ending, despite the shocking fact that brother does kill brother, fulfilling the desire for revenge in a satanic twist of fate.
The two brothers are similar enough in their fierceness and desire for the same woman, and yet there are different natural trades. Their different environmental upbringings however do not change the underlying arrogance of both. There is a strong resemblance between the stubbornness of a free gypsy and an aristocrat.
Replacing Robert Hyman Daniel Sutin sang a wonderfully brooding Conte di Luna, and Mikhail Agafonov was positively marvellous as the other brother Manrico, a gypsy rebel.
Irina Mishura as the gypsy woman Azucena, tragically caught up in her plight of having to avenge a murdered mother and having killed her own child by mistake, supplies high voltage emotion throughout her performance.
The rest of the cast works extremely well as an ensemble, fleshing out the scenes.
This opera is a must see for musical drama lovers. Go to www.coc.ca for the remaining performance schedule and information on how to subscribe for the next exciting season.
Via Salzburg
Mayumi Seiler of Via Salzburg excited again with her program of Bach and Bloch, Mendelssohn, Tschaikovsky and Woldemar Bargiel, the fellow who ran off with Clara Schumann’s sister and who’s Octet in C Minor, Op. 15 a ended an evening of amazing string music. Guest artist extraordinaire was Steven Isserlis with his Feuermann Stradivarius Cello of 1730, a biting sense of humour as well as the ability to totally submerge himself into the music.
How much he becomes the music was especially apparent in his rendition of Ernst Bloch’s "From Jewish Life", a piece for Cello and String Orchestra.
Mayumi Seiler and her String Orchestra should have a much bigger following. The innovative programming goes more than skin-deep in the perfect performance space of the Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto. She herself never stops to amaze with her energetic playing.
Next she will be performing with her 3 sisters as a quartet, the Seiler String Quartet on April 28 and 29, 2005. Expect to be charmed with alluring musical intimacy and book your seats fast at 416-972-9193 or over viasalzburg@sympatico.ca or visit the website by the same name: www.viasalzburg.com.
