BY JASMINE MIDDLETON
Thirty minutes might seem like a short amount of time for a concert. But it was good enough for Gustav Holst, and now a newly formed collective will perform his one-act chamber opera Sāvitri.
Persephone Productions will host the this work at the Fringe World Festival. Under the direction of Amelia Powers with co-founder Jessica Taylor singing the title role, Sāvitri brings together past and present opera students of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
Amelia studied Classical Voice at WAAPA and completed her Honours thesis on English art song. She’s here to tell us all about this musical tale, in which Sāvitri strikes up a little deal with Death for her husband.
What’s it like directing such a unique chamber opera?
It’s interesting going through the process of discovering a piece that is so different to a lot of what’s commonly performed in popular repertoire. To start, Sāvitri is significantly shorter than the typical two- or three-act opera. It’s been a real learning curve, both for myself and the performers, because the text and the events can be quite subtle or indirect, which requires finesse to navigate.
How have you worked around the 30-minute running time – is it a blessing or a curse?
It’s a blessing in that we’ve had quite a limited rehearsal
period, but have still managed to work around that given the length of the
work. Secondly, it’s a blessing in disguise (or perhaps a curse on some level)
because how short the opera is means that there’s no time for wasted moments.
In opera, although you’re provided the blueprints for a narrative through the
music and the text, it’s your job when staging to create meaning and form a
coherent story. So in such a small one-act piece, things need to be very tight
and succinct.
What does the story of Sāvitri mean to you?
Personally I’ve always been quite intrigued by personifications of death in fiction, from Terry Pratchett’s interpretation to Schubert’s Der Tod und das Mȁdchen. I think it’s something that appeals to people because mortality loses some of its power if it’s fallible and has emotions like we do.
As grotesque as the cliche Grim Reaper image is, it’s still easier to digest than death as an emotionless reality of the universe. Holst has taken this further — his interpretation of ‘Death’ is especially susceptible to emotion, and I think that is part of why he’s such a fascinating character.
Another thing about the story which I think is beautiful is Sāvitri’s progression. Although in the beginning of the opera it could be interpreted that she’s somewhat going through the motions of married life, we get to see just how passionate she is about leading the life of a wife and mother. Her choice is as valid as any other woman’s, and I think it’s always very satisfying to see a character fulfill their aspirations.
Being a new collective of WAAPA students and graduates, how do you find the rehearsal process and dynamics within the group?
What’s great about all of us being on a relatively even footing is that it encourages collaboration in a way that both the cast and myself haven’t really experienced before. Everyone feels comfortable sharing their opinions and ideas, which I think is really fantastic. It has formed a piece that we all feel a certain degree of ownership over, as we each really have had something to do with the show becoming what it is.
The Cheeky Sparrow is certainly not your typical opera venue! How has this influenced your directorial decisions?
Part of what inspired our decision to put Sāvitri on in this venue was the work of Lost and Found Opera. They’re a fantastic Perth-based opera company who produce operas in really original, stylistically appropriate spaces. We were seeking to put on opera in a venue that encourages new audiences to feel more relaxed and, hopefully, receptive to something new.
From a directorial perspective, it’s made me incredibly aware of proximity and distance between characters, and what these two things communicate, as the stage area is very limited. It has meant that all the movement onstage has to be very tight, almost to the point of being choreographed, but I hope it’s also meant that we’ve used the space effectively.
Fringe World attracts a wide array of audiences around Perth – many who haven’t experienced the classical opera before. What do you hope for these audiences to get out of Sāvitri?
I think opera has the capacity to connect with people of any background or taste, provided it’s presented to them in the right way. I’m hoping that Sāvitri can show a new group of audience members that opera isn’t about rotund old people singing in Viking helmets – it has as much to say as any other theatrical art form.
I hope it can be somewhat of a taste-test that will give people a curiosity to discover opera and classical music, particularly when there are so many wonderful classical music performances to be experienced in Perth.
Are there any new concert ideas in the works for Persephone Productions?
Persephone’s co-founder Jessica Taylor (who, incidentally, is playing the titular role in this production) and I are hoping to continue our mission statement of foregrounding the underappreciated works and stories of women, as well as spreading classical music to new and diverse audiences.
See Amelia Powers direct this opera, with musical direction from Mitchell Price-Norgaard, at the Cheeky Sparrow on January 31 and February 1, 2, and 4. More information and full ensemble for this Fringe World Festival 2019 event can be found on Facebook.
UPDATE, 30 JANUARY 2019:
CutCommon was informed this event was the Australian premiere. However, a few of our insightful readers got in touch with us to explain that the opera was first presented in Melbourne in 1926. It was performed as a fundraiser for the British Music Society in Victoria, organised by none other than Louise Dyer.
Congratulations to Persephone Productions for choosing to host a rare opera in Australia, nevertheless!
Want to know if you’re hosting an Australian premiere?
A great place to start searching for records is Trove, where you can dive into an archive of digitised newspapers and resources. Good luck!
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READ NEXT: Did you catch our Con Fuoco series interview with Jessica Taylor?
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