Review: Semiramide by a first time opera-goer

Photo: Annemie Augustijns

By Órla Murray

My first opera experience was a four hour and twenty minute baptism of fire, with Vlaamse Opera's production Rossini’s Semiramide severely testing both my clapping etiquette and endurance. Having never before seen an opera, and having a variety of expectations – it would be incomprehensible; I would become bored; the audience would be old and posh – I was suitably nervous about attending. Although it did feel a little like the opening of an Edith Wharton novel (being at the opera to see and be seen), the performance itself was so phenomenally beautiful and engaging, that Semiramide retained my attention and managed to evoke a potent emotional response.

With strong overtones of Sophoclean tragedy and Shakespearean level plot twists, accompanied by melodramatic music, my expectations that the musical talent and plot would be exceptional, were heartily met. An astonishingly powerful level of singing told the musical story well with each piece ebbing and flowing appropriately, catching the audience up in its relaxing and elegant embrace. It did all become a tad too soporific at certain points, however, as I felt my attention drifting and eyelids drooping in a content and relaxed state.

This may have been more so due to my attending the performance straight after an 8-hour shift at work rather than a comment on it as a performance. It thankfully transpired that I enjoyed the performance despite its length and my tiredness; in my appreciative amateur opinion the event was most certainly worth setting time aside for, as I thoroughly enjoyed my night and felt someone cleansed afterwards.

The performance was staged to perfection with exquisitely painted scenery and set from Nigel Lowery, both of which had a versatility and storyline all of their own. The costumes and lighting were subtly effective; bathing the golden furniture in green hues, and set on a hugely expansive stage, making things seem simultaneously expensive and mouldy. This captured the decaying decadence of the story’s Babylonian backdrop, which hung ominously over the delicately dressed lead characters. The addition of what appeared to be a real fire roaring in a fireplace added that little bit extra to the final scene, proving that at this level of opera no holds are barred when providing the perfect atmosphere for the outstanding music.

However, whilst the setting proved a wonderful match for the sublime music and singing, conducted by Alberto Zedda, the directing and most of the supporting chorus cast unfortunately seemed dramatically out of their depth. The chorus made very visible mistakes throughout the performance, with their movement pieces seeming crowded and messy which ultimately distracted from the main action and singing.  Additionally, there were moments when the performance seemed to rely too heavily on the power of the music, when in fact the huge stage and dramatic staging dwarfed the singers onstage, making it seem ill thought out rather than allegorically important as it might have been intended. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my first night at the opera, but would like to see a production which ensures its dramatic aspects match the musical elements, which unfortunately was not always the case here. As a piece of beautiful performance, both musically and visually, it is well worth the lengthy experience, with any storyline or dramatic elements being mere bonuses to the aural treat that is Semiramide.

Semiramide
Thursday 25 and Saturday 27 August, 6pm
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

eif.co.uk/semiramide

The Edinburgh International Festival runs from 12 August – 4 September. Browse and book online at eif.co.uk or call 0131 473 2000.