MADELINE ROYCROFT
Lucia di Lammermoor
Victorian Opera
Her Majesty’s Theatre, 12 April
Melbourne’s opera-going masses cram into Her Majesty’s Theatre to witness Jessica Pratt’s extraordinary performance as Lucia di Lammermoor, the role that marked her European debut back in 2007. Among operatic powerhouses Dame Nellie Melba and Joan Sutherland, Pratt is one of only three Australians to have sung the title role of Lucia at La Scala, Italy’s leading opera house.
Victorian Opera’s latest production is a must-see, purely for Pratt’s mesmeric rendition of one of the most famous ‘mad scenes’ in the operatic repertoire. In the third act of Donizetti’s gruesome, tragic opera, the young bride murders her husband on their wedding night, then descends into bloody madness before a chorus of horrified wedding guests.
For 20 electrifying minutes, we watch as Pratt delivers a hypnotic showcase of raw emotion and unmatched technical skill. The highlight is Lucia’s hauntingly tender interpretation of the ethereal glass harmonica duet. The power of Pratt’s voice is certainly in the control – it is not often that we hear a vocal pianissimo executed with such clarity and precision.
The male lead Edgardo is sung by Carlos E. Bárcenas, a warm, valorous tenor whose enthusiasm is perhaps too much for the top notes of the role. Still, he is convincing as Lucia’s forbidden lover, and gives a valiant performance in the tragic finale.
Baritone José Carbó is a star of the supporting cast, yet he is only somewhat malevolent as Lucia’s manipulative brother Enrico. Jud Arthur offers a smooth, solemn performance in the bass role of Raimondo, and mezzo Shakira Tsindos is charming as Lucia’s handmaiden, Alisa. Michael Petruccelli is captivating and amusing in an appropriately smug rendition of the short-lived and flamboyantly dressed groom, Arturo.
While the vocal performance is of outstanding quality, several factors detract from the overall production. It is difficult to agree with Director Cameron Menzies’ comment that this is ‘re-imagined’ production, when so many elements are outdated. Resurrected from the late 1970s, some questionable costumes appear particularly in the first act. Lucia and Alisa enter wearing bright, puffy-sleeved gowns, draped in traditional Scottish tartan: think Disney princesses wearing picnic rugs. The gloomy, Gothic set also remains relatively uninspired, despite extensive non-interval scene-changes throughout the evening.
From the very first minute of music, it becomes more difficult to ignore Pratt’s cries for Melbourne to build its own opera house. A venue that usually hosts amplified musical theatre productions, Her Majesty’s Theatre is not the ideal choice for opera. Conducted by VO Artistic Director Richard Mills, Orchestra Victoria’s playing is of the highest quality this evening, yet many of the orchestral subtleties are unfortunately lost in the dry acoustic.
Still, Lucia di Lammermoor is well-worth seeing simply for the chance to see Pratt in action.
Image supplied. Credit: Jeff Busby.
