{"id":147,"date":"2018-08-30T16:29:05","date_gmt":"2018-08-30T06:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/?p=147"},"modified":"2018-08-31T11:37:15","modified_gmt":"2018-08-31T01:37:15","slug":"opera-carmen-bizet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/opera-carmen-bizet\/","title":{"rendered":"OPERA- Carmen (Bizet)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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W.A.Opera Company and Chorus<\/h2>\n

His Majesty\u2019s Theatre<\/h2>\n

reviewed by Neville Cohn<\/h3>\n

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\"Ian
Ian Westrip<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More often than not in opera reviews, comments on the chorus are usually found towards the end of the commentary. But, if ever this group of singers deserves top billing, it\u2019s the W.A. Opera Chorus. I cannot praise their contribution to Carmen too highly. Not only did they sing beautifully \u2013 a tribute to guest chorus master Ian Westrip\u2019s detailed training – they were a crucial visual factor in Lindy Hume\u2019s production. The boys\u2019 chorus did particularly well, their mischievous taunting of the soldiers outside the cigarette factory very effective. The soldier choristers, too, were on the ball. Throughout the scene, choral co-ordination was frankly excellent.<\/p>\n

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Since cigarette smoking has, to an almost total extent, become a no-no in Australia \u2013 and this is something to be celebrated – \u00a0the Act 1 scene in which cigarette girls come outside the factory for a mid-morning fag or two might pose an ethical problem for some. If there are lit fags on stage, are some members of the audience likely to rush out at interval (or even mid-performance) to buy a packet of cigarettes for a hasty puff? I very much doubt it. This isn\u2019t to suggest the chorus smokes real cigarettes while singing the famous song \u2013 but surely there are skills enough backstage to provide fake ciggies that look like the real thing \u2013 and stage smoke to enhance the impression even more.<\/p>\n

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As we\u2019ve seen from Hume\u2019s earlier productions of the work, she eschews glamour for its own sake. Verismo is well to the fore. The clothes of the locals look grubby and most of the men look down at heel. There aren\u2019t any government pensions here. Reality is high on the production list and it is almost everywhere apparent \u2013 but not in the tavern scene where a \u2018dancer\u2019 turns around and around and around \u2013 and around. What can this mean? This is the sort of locale where the traditional dance\u00a0 – flamenco \u2013 would be as natural an expression as breathing. \u00a0But the fight scene between Don Jose (Paul O\u2019Neill) and Zuniga (Paull-Anthony Keightley) was effectively choreographed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The sets are cleverly designed to underscore and enhance the action. The outside of the tobacco factory where Carmen works has a time-worn, tacky look \u2013 and that enhances the overall grubbiness of the area, reinforcing an overall impression of a rather rundown, neglected part of town.<\/p>\n

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Many\u00a0 – most? – productions of Carmen still go to great pains to ensure the eponymous (anti?-heroine) comes across as the apotheosis of a Hollywood siren, a clone of a glamorously garbed Rita Hayworth. Not so here.\u00a0 I recall one of Hume\u2019s Carmen productions of more than 20 years ago in which I commented on Carmen coming across \u201cas charming and mischievous rather than insolent and provocatively seductive\u201d. Milijana Nikolic\u2019s Carmen differs vastly, manner- and appearance-wise. Here is a characterisation that is utterly convincing, a Carmen who is a vulgar tease, a tough-as-nails type, a trouble-maker. It\u2019s a performance that radiates reality.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How very different is Emma Pearson\u2019s characterisation of Micaela. It was spot-on, Micaela\u2019s inherent goodness beautifully evoked, the very antithesis of Carmen\u2019s darkness. Here was a performance of utmost finesse, certainly the most moving I\u2019ve encountered in the many Carmen productions I\u2019ve attended over the last half-century and more. Bravo!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The W.A.Symphony Orchestra was directed with care by Antony Walker.<\/p>\n

\"Emma
Emma Pearson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Milijana
Milijana Nikolic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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    \n
  • All photos except, that of Ian Westrip, by James Rogers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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      \n
    • Due to illness – and much to my regret – I had to leave midway through the performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        W.A.Opera Company and Chorus His Majesty\u2019s Theatre reviewed by Neville Cohn   More often than not in opera reviews, comments on the chorus are usually found towards the end of the commentary. But, if ever this group of singers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[195,18,17,198,197,196],"class_list":["post-147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-performance","tag-carmen","tag-chon","tag-cohn","tag-his-majestys-theatre","tag-w-a-opera-company-and-chorus","tag-westrip"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Yv33-2n","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":195,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/centenary-remembrance-concert\/","url_meta":{"origin":147,"position":0},"title":"Centenary Remembrance Concert","author":"reviewer","date":"November 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Perth Symphonic Chorus Armistice Choir Perth Philharmonic Orchestra Perth Concert Hall reviewed by Neville Cohn \u00a0 It could not have been a more solemn occasion: a performance devoted to the fallen in World War I exactly one hundred years to the day since the curtain finally came down on a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Live Performance"","block_context":{"text":"Live Performance","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/category\/live-performance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/PSC-4-195x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":120,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/the-best-of-bernstein\/","url_meta":{"origin":147,"position":1},"title":"The Best of Bernstein","author":"reviewer","date":"July 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"W.A. Symphony Orchestra Perth Concert Hall reviewed by Neville Cohn \u00a0 If, as a result of unavoidable circumstances, \u00a0I\u2019d come very late to the WASO\u2019s concert at the weekend and managed to listen to only the last work on the program, I\u2019d have gone home well satisfied. Leonard Bernstein\u2019s Symphonic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Live Performance"","block_context":{"text":"Live Performance","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/category\/live-performance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Leonard Bernstein","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Leonard-Bernstein_5-300x214.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":245,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/w-a-symphony-orchestra-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":147,"position":2},"title":"W. A. 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But I am happy to say that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Live Performance"","block_context":{"text":"Live Performance","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/category\/live-performance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newozartsreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Masters-1_Siobhan_Stagg_FACEBOOK-1-1-1024x684.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newozartsreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Masters-1_Siobhan_Stagg_FACEBOOK-1-1-1024x684.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newozartsreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Masters-1_Siobhan_Stagg_FACEBOOK-1-1-1024x684.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newozartsreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Masters-1_Siobhan_Stagg_FACEBOOK-1-1-1024x684.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":225,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/w-a-symphony-orchestra-9\/","url_meta":{"origin":147,"position":3},"title":"W.A.Symphony Orchestra","author":"reviewer","date":"February 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Perth Concert Hall reviewed by Neville Cohn Over the decades, I have lost count of the number of times I\u2019ve listened to Gershwin\u2019s Rhapsody in Blue. 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It is too exciting\u201d. But if, through some miracle of time travel, that ancient philosopher had come along to the Concert Hall, I\u2019d like to think\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Live Performance"","block_context":{"text":"Live Performance","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/category\/live-performance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Flute","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newozartsreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Andrew-Nicholson_Principal-Flute_preview-226x300.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/w-a-symphony-orchestra\/","url_meta":{"origin":147,"position":5},"title":"W.A. Symphony Orchestra","author":"reviewer","date":"April 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Perth Concert Hall reviewed by Neville Cohn On Saturday, Shostakovich\u2019s Festive Overture was informed by a sense of immense gaiety, an ideal way to launch an orchestral program. Brass calls and woodwinds in fine fettle brought the overture to genial, pulsing life. 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