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Lessons Of Sydney’s Rival Opera SeasonsLast year, Ihc opera group*; ol Sydney and Melbourne joined forces lo present a season that gate Sydney music-lovers high hopes for the future of Australian opera.This year, the same.two groups, no longer allied or esen friendly, hae been giving separate competitive seasons of opera at the Sydney Tivoli, and last year’s hopes have been somewhat deflated in the process. But there is no great cause for audiences to despair.[ ByOurMl SICCRITIC.' I.imhi’ylimitin'apeMinnspmANCI: again it has been ^ encouragingly clear from the best work of both groups that local singers, musicians, and sccnc-dcsiencrs can. under direction that is vigorous and inflamed and highly self-critical in detail, prc-scnt opera of richlv entertaining value.On the .Mhcr hand, there h is x’cn much poor wotk. and I mm this ii has not been at all dear whether these striving Australians are receiving the ^irid o! direction that can bring heir work to a consistently worthwhile level—the only cvcl where prosperous survival :an be expected.They arc much more likely to cccivc that kind of direction— ♦nd to survive, and to make ewer limp claim* for audiences' neicy —if ihc two groups sink heir difference*, pool their noncv and talent and problems, mil so arrive at a ha*i* upon Much one opera companx can *ork ii' wav through Australia dmost all Ihc venr round.Such continuity of work is vital for the singer', a puaranice of rvpetiencc Neither group can iope to achieve such continuity separately, so precariously aie hcv prevsed for time, talent, and noncv1 he Sydney group has re-:en11y staged Carmen. ‘The Haiher of Seville. Boheme. The Flying Dutchman. ( aval eria and Papliacci. and. also i« one programme. John Anull's I ndymion and Arthur Beniamin'' Devil lake Her.(If all these ventures. the onlv one that moved on i level ol Inch pmfc'Monal 'kill and appral w o •Devil lake Ik'. though Itohcmc had much r Rt i.cfullv .oinmcitd it to sympathetic audi-ihai even ihc diHci :ni orchestt.il plavmg be . ime lr noticeable, or iisclf look inspi'aiion. through theconductor. trom ihc spectacle on MageI he kon ol it is obvious.Both companies need several more producers like them, and if good ones cannot be found locally, a* Mr. Lovcjoy was found, then plans for importing one or two should be worked out.Slagc illusion is vital in pro cnl-day opera; it is in Australia where Iras, its in tlii' sc nor really ‘killed enough to g to the eventstspecially viu opera orche'-isoii. me Mill or practised emotional proof stage.organisation* that aie draining to learn their craft by Inal and error, so far n« they and their directors arc capable of understanding trial and interpreting error.1 he real discouragement lay in Mich sagging, listless, rudder less presentations as Carmen and ”lt; avallcrin. for they showed ih?r ihc Sydney group had Icarni much too little from its experience* with ihe '.one two operas in earlier croons1 ho lc.nl' to a general doubt a in whether the group*- Nyd nr. ' especially - .m really learn tng Horn experience.Rcpeitiion of Ihc same mis lakes from sca.su. In season cannot be euphemistically explained away as gaming valuable experience.lo learn from experience, there will have to he more . criticism within the organisation, together in Sydney lor the Mel which i* only another wav of bourne groups season here saving there will have to he more together, the two opera group' fanatically thorough, selective could probably nitrnct enough »n» from nil over Al)«|H-rato ProblemI lie nrchc'lral problem is .if desperate one. Ihc Sydney group's orchc'tr.i sometime'1 showed a worthwhile advance m ck and v it.ility on the humble 2 .st.md.xrds, hut thcie was mils h coarse and streaky : ing—nil of which was as vcn compared to the unhappy ■ ing of Ihc little hand scrapedplay«nanistry1st'within are cr itit. for all ics lo whomreal*u. hmi ti arbi'.ISC'a* itwa. near enr.ugh,;;11 Hsly’’PtcitygoodconsideringBCt«*io mi 1 armv d'flilathemacultics in the Ar: ovenyv a •.;omc*IVllliditltcultir*. i! iIocs not usethema cirutch. Hnd docs notwishAide ProducersThis nrultssionnlly thorough and self critical approach to opera, with imagination ranging wide vet never escaping discipline, was delightfully apparent in the work of the producers who prepared the season's mucc m s Stefan Haag lt;Melbourne's C onsul .md I osi an.I Robin I o .. jov 'Svdnev * Devil lake Hetl IIk-sc two met- sc; Hie full livclv picture of their opera'I hev work thoroughly ,.n smallest detail* with Ihc full pic-to form an articulate and oh otvhc'tra. helpful to *m eutct taming lo audience*, ’nps th. \Blt; vO! Ml help c, a* ti helps the Melbourne ip m its work in Melbourne tbor Paul, among the Svdncv conductors, showed that he. at | anv rate, is learning lioni the n pet te nee afforded him by ho many opportunities lie re; he o developing a keen and service-1 able routine which account* lor mush of the Sydney orchestra's! improvement.Diino (iiiiiiingi. of Sydney. also could shoyv a good deal about attack and vitality to others like Is.ui Riven, of Sydney, and I tic Cl.iph.im, of Melbourne I*that apa weight a.inr.il I k .1lit11tils goedu• theill. ISharp ContrastThe Melbourne group has it aged I he Consul and Cosi Ian I urte. both with line professional si.If in the acting and singing, and Madame Butterfly. which wa* slow, savourless, and amateurish.Three or four really stimulating evening* cut of a possible nine ought not to be regarded a* a lrptCing score from pioneeratntidIn itfrom them butright .md vir.il.In the Haag nnj I nvejov productions. singers who h.u1 not been at nil sure or convincing in other ventures suddenly found that they could sing with confidence. sivlc and diam.ilic flair. Everything had meaning and delight lor them, and so for the audience, tooIt is a significant thine that theInofPo Have New al Hosnital System•Devil lake Her. lot stance, there vy.is no; -n, re. spcuactiliit voice, and vet nil It was delightful to hear \N understanding meant almost much .is physical elegance tone, too, in m.ich of I osi.Ihctc have been spect.wulai individual successes hv the Mel bourne sopranos. Marie Colhei the Consul) and Betty I ret well rcwiI he scotching emotional mien lt;' tv of Mis- « trifle i s passionate * singing, not iilway- well-shaped, 'howerl just how f.it out pallid -lt; irtnens and s.mtii/.-is h.» - set rI he exquisite line and c. ol M I «mw.-I I Ml.showed how much rchn vet ti* be di*iic In mn go to people with income* mder J. l.tMtO a year and to ifnble bodieshere are lt;00,IKH1 shareholdcis Australian industry, quite rt from those who benefit n the investments made by assurance companies and rranmiation. charitable, and iioiift funds.he Commonwcnllh Ciovem-u gets loughlv two thirds of company profits and. of the ince abi'iit pci cent i* tncd for the improvement of bnsines' io compared with AH cent so dealt with in the ted Slateshi* document is worth study those who believe that tacts mure important than oratoryilitrNadequatesniy 'hrey*to Ice! n« about thcs..nppi ..foe 1 pleasedicrgy and . the nccvcrv rightIhe tocl me Iwelcome sign* of pro-lMIE result of the Lcgixlali I Council election in theHe took advantage of Educa-ion Week to announce an inter wiing new development- the ipemng of a departmental corre-•pondcnce school radio station aid to be the first in the world p.irtictiliir field, wro built hv slap ii the radio school me Icchmcal v olution of the I* MX I ' Department, and ir will be mamt.imod and operated by that school Ihc Mai ion wa» opened by the Minister this week.this I he station and students of the Melhoi lege, yvrlh the «(plished appealing.A gif *t ill* chorus wor untidv when th. thing to was the principal: Keltic k.aid Dowd lohn Shaw can. Neil bastiin 4 cvl Hod,, lac . ar d I cdre \dam* mn.h that «j*ppointmcnl was thewhi i «u oftenknd unst male ' ontribuii nscmhleha -\ gr,aniung of thePlfMo.t ol wa* nlti.Kt; were well eisin*; Srrnrryol theiheM -Istenmp,age*Northeastern Province, which w*v easily retained by the Conn-tiv Party, ha* been hailed by both (‘ountry Party and I abour as highly satisfactory.Ihc Labour figures showed some drop from those registered in the same area for Ihc Senate, but it seems tmdulv optimistic «o hail that as a teal sole of no-con-hdencc in the ( .tin Government, and 'till mine optimistic to think that thc»e is any general desire to return to a I ountry P -ttv'i Mi limes Ah lor itrpHE Reverend Alan Walker I has opened his Melbourne visit as hc^d of the Methodist Mission to the Nation bv attract mg very large audio, numerous addresses.On Saturday, he talked 25.000 people during half-time intcival of the league football!.., match ai t.sscndon—which, how ever, lead* one to wonder what proportion of a crowd addressed in such drcumstptued oung opci * • wive lo make the*; look a* picturesque as r »* ,o that flu- eye may sonic cheat the ear. k McKenzie's Roheme.pieitilv deorated; Louis Kahan's ( onsul , marvellous contribution ro hi. lt;lt;hc atmosphere and mechanics ol I Ihe show, and I im Waltons '( osi iafter the first over* ggrcsMVc scene) was as delightof tho• fancv b used to grXC'H’HI building uade has acecp-I ted the Minister lor Educa lion's challenge, referred to last week, to build him P new schools by Eebiu.iry I. merely re marking very reasonably that success depend' on the early provision of complete plans and a continuous supply of the nceev lary material.Major-General Ramxay, (heol stationery mother for ( hrAn important complaint came from those people who believe •' ,ca,, ittiii National Opera. like' N .iior «i Thcarre. i' a term w inch Incidentally, those who speci-Mgnilic' something much wider alive in the manifold diflercn m scope, otganisalion, and aim which exist bctwc.ii Melbourne than ihc present Sydney opera and Sydney might reflect upon :h !group, which, nevertheless, uses reason whs cve.-v Saiurdjy at the the term, main football match of the dav at j B so doing, it is protttbly mo least 40.1100 people attend os spec leading a gornl many people io lators m Melbourne, whereas in to the group's true .status S\dne\ it seems unusual to find National Opera, in the stride;ninrc than ro.000. N it due to sense, will not cxi't before, and;Melbourne* concentration oniunlc thr Sv«lnc\ and Melbourne onr code, or is there some xufctleI group* meigc. or become full! sociological factor al work? |rartners. 1
Newspaper Details
Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney, New South Wales, AU
Fri, Aug 28, 1953
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
AU 10 Dec 2024
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