Left & Cover - Elisa Wilson as Cio Cio San. Photos - Jeff Busby
What is it exactly that makes opera great? Is it the story, the music,
the singers or maybe it’s the sumptuous sets and costumes? Perhaps it’s
the subtle aroma of the culture that created it that lies within? Could
it be that great opera is like the indescribable urge you have to smell
a freshly opened bag of Italian coffee beans? I mean you never really
feel the same urge to stuff your nostrils into a jar of instant now do
you?
Well, to be honest, I’d be the first person to admit that I don’t have
a clue about what makes a good opera great. I’ve never studied opera
and I haven’t even seen that many of them. In fact, I’d go as far to
say that it’s probably a dead certainty that I know even less about
opera than you do - which I know is an incredibly odd thing for a
reviewer to admit, but there you go, I’ve said it. You (on the other
hand) probably know quite a bit about opera, don’t you? You know your
Bellini from your Puccini for instance, am I right?
So, tell me. How do you feel when people mess with the classics? Say,
just for example, that someone takes what is probably the most famous
(and certainly the most frequently performed) opera in the world,
Madame Butterfly and decides that in order for a regional audience to
appreciate it, that it would be best to do away with the time-honoured
Italian version and spruce it up with an English translation. Surely
you wouldn’t mind that, not if it gets bums on seats, right? And after
all people won’t be able to understand it in Italian, will they?
Because it’s important for opera to be ‘understandable’ isn’t it? Well,
that’s the thinking behind Oz Opera’s current production of Madame
Butterfly directed by John Bell which is just wrapping up its short run
at the Riverside theatre in Parramatta before it slips out of town to
take a little bit of ‘culture’ to regional NSW.
And it’s not a bad production per se - that is, if your understanding
of what opera is resembles something along the lines of soap meets
musical. The story, which revolves around a Japanese bride named
Butterfly (played on a rotating schedule by Elisa Wilson and Jane
Parkin) who marries a US naval lieutenant known as Pinkerton (David
Corcoran/Jason Wasley) at the end of World War II in Japan is full of
all the romance and tragedy that anyone who tunes in to Days Of Our
Lives can relate to and relish.
The performances are adequate but there’s nothing outstanding here. The
set designed by the late Jennie Tate and realised by Julie Lynch is
effective and provides the necessary simplicity required of a touring
production. But the sweetest flourishes come from lighting designer
Matt Scott who makes the backdrop come to life with dancing pastel
cherry blossoms.
The singing itself is understandable, so Oz Opera have achieved their
primary goal, but any of the authentic aroma that the Italian lyrics of
Lugi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa would have provided is sadly lost and
Puccini’s score cuts a lonely figure without them.
By curtain close I was left feeling hollow and not because of
Butterfly’s untimely end. I began to contemplate the reasoning behind
this English-only approach to touring opera productions and it left me
wondering, if it’s such a great idea, then why hasn’t it been taken up
by their parent company Opera Australia? That is, if it really doesn’t
make a difference to the quality of the production. I mean, you
wouldn’t mind would you if you rolled up in your fancy frock with your
great Aunt Betty to see THE opera at THE Opera House in Sydney and it
was in English? Come on - who are they kidding? You’d be outraged and
so would she. Aunt Betty’s dentures would be out of her mouth and down
the aisle much faster than you could say orthodontist.
So if productions like Oz Opera’s Madame Butterfly are our cultural
gift from ‘the big smoke’ to regional Australians, then why aren’t we
giving them what we ourselves like to see? And what kind of assumptions
are we making about people who live in the country? Perhaps its time to
take a fresh look at what culture in the arts really means. If it’s
just about exposing people to things they can already ‘understand’ then
surely we’ve missed the boat!
Oz Opera in association with Riverside Theatres presents
Puccini’s Madame Butterfly
Venue: Riverside Theatres, Cnr Market and Church Streets, Parramatta Dates: Friday Aug 15 - Monday 18 August Times: Fri, Sat, Mon at 8pm Tickets: Mon Eve Adults $52, Conc & Groups $47, 30 & Under $39, 16 & Under $34
Fri & Sat Eve Adults $55, Conc & Groups $50, 30 & Under $42, 16 & Under $37 Riversidesaver Prices: Mon Eve Adults $44, Conc &
Groups $39, 30 & Under $34, 16 & Under $29 Fri & Sat Eve
Adults $47, Conc & Groups $42, 30 & Under $37, 16 & Under
$32 Bookings: Riverside Box Office 02 8839 3399 or www.riversideparramatta.com.au
Performances of Puccini et al in the vernacular are almost as time-honoured a tradition as the opera itself. OzOpera also uses English translations because the theatres they perform in haven't the facility for surtitles which the Opera Theatre and its like possess. And Opera Australia does present operas in translation. Not the Italian standards, true; but Vec Makropulos this year and Jenufa in 2006 were both sung in English. Singspiels like Zauberflote and Entfuhrung keep the sung text in its original language but translate the dialogue into English. For my tastes, there was plenty of authenticity about the stylish singing from Jane and David (on August 15th) and the translation did a better job than others I've heard of drawing out many of the libretto's subtleties without resorting to clumsy, unidiomatic English. Personally, if I rolled up to the theatre in my fancy frock and discovered excellent singing in an elegant and sensitive production, it would take a lot more than hearing my native language to leave me as aghast as you seem to think I should be.
With portable video projectors cheaply and readily available these days it seems improbable that subtitles could not be provided for regional productions if they were so desired. To talk of a lack of facilities seems a poor argument for having to perform productions only in English - and note that my objection surrounds Oz Opera's policy of touring productions 'only' in English. I certainly wouldn't see a problem with some productions being presented in English as is the case with Opera Australia. But the question remains, why would Oz Opera choose to adopt this approach to begin with? Could it be that they are making patronising assumptions about the taste of regional audiences? Let's hope not!
I don't think they are making patronising assumptions. Is ENO making a patronising assumption by existing? Or is it just contributing to greater understanding of, and access to, the riches of opera? I mentioned the lack of facilities as an additional reason to give surtitles a miss, not the whole of the argument. Anyway, availability of gadgets notwithstanding, surtitles also require a musically literate operator; and given the variety of venues Oz Opera tours to - they're not all fully functional theatres - they'd also be reconfiguring the set-up for every show. Not impossible but hardly desirable when they can achieve their artistic aims beautifully with the kind of show they have. In English.
I am Italian and I saw this opera production.I grew up in Milan and was member of the La Scala chorus for many years before moving to Australia.I understand your critic Miss barry,but,this opera was outstanding and my grand children loved it as did my son.Opera should move you,whatever the language,this was an outstanding evening of opera.
S: I take your point, and I'd just like to make it clear that I'm not complaining about English translations per se, I'm just concerned about the lack of access to anything but these versions for regional audiences.
Via Peni: I'm so glad that you enjoyed the performance and I agree, opera should move you whatever the language; sadly, this one failed to move me. But that's only my opinion and as we've seen there are at least two people out there who disagree with me!
Thank you both for your comments, it's always nice when readers get involved and make their voices heard.
