For all those who've thus far measured out their opera aficionado lives in Toscas and Traviattas, this year may be just the time to try something different. Namely, Sydney's Pinchgut Opera company dares to explore fascinating operatic works that have been largely forgotten or neglected.
"When we set up Pinchgut eight years ago, we decided to gamble. Opera Australia does an excellent job with standard repertoire so we believed we should excite Sydney audiences with works that had been unjustly forgotten," Pinchgut Chair Liz Nielsen explains.
Its previous works include Handel's Semele (2002), Purcell's The Fairy Queen (2003), Monteverdi's LOrfeo (2004), Rameau's Dardanus (2005), Mozart's Idomeneo (2006) and Vivaldi's Juditha Triumphans (2007).
The company's name is equally enigmatic. Co-artistic director Erin Helyard explains that the name comes from the fortified island – officially called Fort Denison – in the middle of Sydney Harbour that was given the nickname Pinchgut around 1788 when a convict was punished there for a week, surviving with only bread and water.
"We chose Pinchgut because of its proximity to the iconic Opera House itself and it also reminds us of our humble roots and tight budgets," said Ms Helyard.
The next masterpiece the company will tackle is another tantalisingly obscure opera – David and Jonathan, by French baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The work had its first performance at the Louis-le-Grand Jesuit school in Paris on February 28, 1688 with a cast of men and boys. Following that, it was forgotten for 300 years and has only recently been performed in Europe and the US.
The opera deals with the final battle between Saul, David and the Philistines, and covers the time from when David kills Goliath until Jonathan (the son of Saul, King of the Jews) dies in the war against the Philistines. On one level, the opera is about the complex relationship between David and Jonathan, and on another it's about Saul's fear of David and his premonition that David has been chosen to replace him.
When asked about the risks that the opera company is taking with the new production, Erin Helyard points out that for Pinchgut, there are no risks, just challenges.
"One of the greatest challenges that faces every interpretation is how best to cast voice types that have either disappeared (eg, castrati) or are simply not trained anymore (eg, an entire chorus of men and boys conversant with late 17th century French performance practice)."
He explains further: "Haute-contre was the name given to an elegant high tenor voice type that was much prized in 18th century France. It is not a countertenor voice, but rather a first-mode phonation voice (ie, full voice) that extends around up to a B-flat and Rousseau describes it as being the male equivalent of a female contralto. It was replaced by the more powerful natural tenor of the 19th century."
In order to allow the audience to experience the closest thing to a haute-contre, young Swedish tenor Anders Dahlin was chosen for having just the right kind of voice for the high French baroque roles. In David and Jonathan, he will be joined by soprano Sara Macliver – Australia's foremost early music soprano – who has sung for Pinchgut on three previous occasions, though this will be her first time as a boy. The rest of the cast are basses Richard Anderson and David Parkin, baritone Simon Lobelson and tenor Paul McMahon. Antony Walker will conduct Orchestra of the Antipodes (playing authentic instruments of the period) and the chorus will be Cantillation. It will be a fully staged and costumed production with American Chas Rader-Shieber directing.
Paradoxically, while Pinchgut strives to unearth and let its audience experience such a colourful and unique repertoire, most Australians will not be able to experience its offerings first-hand as a national tour seems unlikely. Some consolation can be gained from the fact that most of its operas have been recorded and are available from ABC Classics, but for those who find themselves in Sydney and have a hankering for a tale of biblical proportions with a French baroque twist, the opening night of David and Jonathan is on Wednesday December 3, with performances on Saturday 6, Sunday 7 (early evening) and Monday 8 to follow. The venue is City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney, where bookings will open in July.
See www.pinchgutopera.com.au for further information.
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