From the moment I walked into the theatre and saw the large scale backdrop depicting rolling, sinuous sand dunes, I knew that Opera Atelier’s production of Alcina by G. F. Handel was going to be a bit of a departure from their usual style. Usually, Opera Atelier productions make use of a consistent recipe that is working for them. It consists of fairly diligent adherence to period conventions.
As an opener for the Canadian Opera Company’s 2014/2015 season, Falstaff, by Giuseppe Verdi, was an ingenious choice. The grandiosity and charm of Verdi’s music coupled with all the classic tropes of comedic opera is an almost certain crowd pleaser.
The opera was adapted from The Merry Wives of Windsor and excerpts from Henry the IV, parts 1 and 2 by William Shakespeare. Falstaff is a man of great appetites; his insatiable lust and conceit leave him vulnerable to practical joking. I am not a fan of fat jokes, which are rampant throughout this work. Nevertheless, I did laugh out loud during most of the show at the many other hilarious jokes. It was clear from the audience’s hearty laughter throughout the show that the excesses we fall prey to and the folly they lead to are themes that still resonate for all. Continue reading Review: Falstaff (Canadian Opera Company)
Tapestry’s production of the 2014 opera Shelter, by librettist Julie Salverson and composer Juliet Palmer, made thoughtful and striking use of modern, interdisciplinary approaches to set design. Video was used as backdrop in a way that brought the themes of the piece to life with beauty and humour. The set consisted of a miniature white picket fence community and minimal other props used to change the location. Continue reading Review: Shelter (Tapestry)
From the opening strains of the overture, the COC’s production of Don Quichotte by Massenet ensnared the hearts and imaginations of the audience and did not let go until the opera’s stirring conclusion. Don Quichotte is a 19th century French retelling of Don Quixote by Cervantes. Continue reading Review: Don Quichotte (Canadian Opera Company)
The head of Medusa, crawling with snakes and dripping with blood glared down at us during the opening strains of Persée by Lully in Opera Atelier’s 2014 production. In characteristic adherence to period convention there was no action during the overture, only this striking image from classical mythology that reappeared at the opening of each act.