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by
BBC South Yorkshire
contributor Ali Davies |
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This
weekend, the Russian State Opera of
Rostov performed two very different Operas: the bawdy farce The
Barber of Seville and the tragic Eugene Onegin.
The Barber of Seville
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| One
false move: The Barber of Seville. |
The
good-natured matchmaker Figaro sets himself the challenge of setting
up Count Almaviva and Rosina.
The
latter is all bust and ringlets as befits a Rossini heroine.
Along
the rocky road to happiness they are hindered by mistaken identities
and jealousy, but true love eventually finds its voice.
And what
a voice! The singing from start to finish is faultless.
The
set is simple, but the props are impressive.
Figaro’s
bed is a giant guitar, Rosina’s bedchamber is a massive crinoline
and there are musical trees with treble-clef leaves. The whole lot
highlighted with orangey-pink lighting.
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| Rosina:
All bust and ringlets. |
The
first half was slow to move, I wanted to see more lewd behaviour
(maybe I should have gone to Spearmint Rhino).
The
second half saw more comic moments with basses mimicking sopranos,
a spot of goosing and a food fight, with what else, but Seville
Oranges.
The
costumes were exceptional. Doctor Bartolo (Vladimir Taissaev) steals
the show with both costume and comic genius wearing some outrageous
outfits, memorably orange pedal-pushers, buckled court shoes and
flouncy ruff.
Eugene
Onegin
Two
dapper white suited city gents arrive in the country for a doomed
holiday with village peasants.
Lensky
is betrothed to Olga. His guest and best friend, Onegin, a complete
cad bored with the county, woos innocent women. And that includes
Olga’s sister Tatiana and Olga herself.
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| Dapper:
the city gents of Eugene Onegin. |
Jealousy
has catastrophic results as Onegin murders Lensky in a duel.
The
morose mood is enhanced by the knowledge that Pushkin, Russian literary
hero and writer of the poem Tchaikovsky's opera is based on, died
in a duel over a woman.
The
country set is a little lacklustre, but is revamped halfway through
for the duel, to stark, chic black and white, which is more fitting
with the opera’s maudlin mood.
The
music is melancholic and grand, with plenty of sweeping crescendos
and heart-rending arias. Tatiana’s (Irina Krikunova) aria of
rejection and
Lensky’s (Georgy Kovrikov) aria of nostalgia are the climax
of the opera.
-
Ali Davies
The
Russian State Opera of Rostov was at Sheffield Lyceum from 7- 9
November.
Other
opera and musical theatre coming up includes Madama Butterfly at
Sheffield City Hall, My Fair Lady at Doncaster Civic Theatre and
A Chorus Line at the Crucible Theatre.
See
Listings for full details.
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