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.

Preview: Peking Opera at Festival 2011

Photo: Liu Haifa

By Alice Longhurst

What do you get when you cross an Elizabethan playwright with a traditional Chinese opera troupe? This is not a joke, but one of the exciting cultural fusions set to grace this year’s Edinburgh International Festival.  EIF Director Jonathan Mills’ vision is to explore the bonds between Europe and Asia, making Shakespeare adaptations a natural choice. The programme features several cultural translations of the Bard’s works, including the Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe’s lavish production which reimagines Hamlet as The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan. It’s a thrilling idea, the transformation of a dark, verbose European tragedy into a characteristically Chinese blend of acrobatics and martial arts, music, singing and graceful ritual dance, flamboyant costumes and vibrant painted faces.

Interestingly Shakespeare has only recently become well recognised in China. Nineteenth century European missionaries made his name known, but Chinese versions of his plays were not available until the early twentieth century. Cultural Revolution clamp-downs followed hot on the heels of the 1967 publication of his complete works, resulting in the book being banned. Fortunately the political climate is more relaxed today - China’s economy and population is booming, and its arts scene is developing and shifting in response, reinvigorating ancient artistry with new influences, often taken from the Western literary canon. Alongside the Bard, the choice of whom is reflected in innumerable copied Tudor buildings, popular playwrights also include Ibsen and Beckett.

Peking Opera is one of some three hundred regional types of opera, and according to Dr Ashley Thorpe, a lecturer in theatre at the University of Reading, it’s the nearest China has to a 'national drama'. Such performances have deep roots in Chinese culture; the founding of the first dramatic school, the Pear Garden, was by Emperor Ming Huang in 740 AD, although the tradition of Peking Opera came together around 250 years ago.

As a sumptuous, sophisticated art form it occupies a similar place to that of classical opera here, although actors are required to dance, sing, fight and perform acrobatics, all within the same performance. This type of opera is highly symbolic, with vivid colours of make-up and costumes denoting emotion and rank, for example yellow represents strength and is also worn by emperor characters, while red indicates courage.

In keeping with tradition, the performance at the Festival is delivered in Mandarin, and the wealth of symbolism, the accompanying music, and gestured movements both clarify the story and give audience imaginations a good workout. To make matters even clearer, English supertitles are also provided.

So what can we expect from this show? Dr Thorpe encourages audiences to anticipate something very different. In contrast with much of traditional Western drama, Peking Opera is about far more than plot. It’s a showcase for actors’ skills, and appreciation of their wide-ranging talents is a crucial part of the experience. And since visits to these shores by high calibre Chinese opera troupes occur just one or twice a decade, The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan is a rare chance for Edinburgh audiences to glimpse this uniquely Chinese art form.

The Revenge of Prince Zi Dan
Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe

Friday 19 and Saturday 20 August, 8pm, Sunday 21 August, 3pm
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

www.eif.co.uk/revenge

You can also watch behind-the-scenes films from Festival 2011 on Festival backstage. Produced in partnership with Standard Life, don't miss exclusive interviews with experts, artists and performers and the chance to find out more about the inspiration behind this year's programme from those who've made it happen. Visit eif.co.uk/festivalbackstage.

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

This article has also been published on stv.tv which features reviews, previews and features from this year’s Festival.

From Russia with Love!

Festival director Jonathan Mills recently returned from Russia where he saw the Russian premiere of the Polish opera Król Roger.

Jonathan was invited to St.Petersburg as a guest of the Mariinsky Opera to officially launch the EIF 08 programme.

Along with the great Russian conductor and opera director Valery Gergiev the EIF director held a joint press conference for the Russian media.
It was touch and go back at the EIF press office with flight delays threatening to intervene, but after a frantic taxi dash Jonathan arrived to greet the Russian press right on time. The press conference created a real buzz with hoards of journalists and TV crews packed into the room.

Jonathan was joined by EIF media relations manager Susie Burnet and some Scottish journalists. The resounding verdict: the opera is a bonafide hit! Things are looking very good for this production’s EIF premiere.

The Mariinsky Opera will appear at EIF under the direction of Gergiev in Król Roger, the rare Rachmaninov opera Aleko, Semyon Kotko (Act3) and The Enchanted Wanderer. Valery Gergiev is also conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in Prokofiev’s The 7 Symphonies.

Alan Morrison of the Sunday Herald joined Jonathan on the trip. To read his report click here.

Król Roger is supported by The EIF Patrons and Muses, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland and Adam Mickiewicz Institute.