The Abduction from the Seraglio: Opera Atelier
by Brian Hay
The performers who stood out in this production were Gustav Andreassen and Lawrence Wiliford. Their parts gave them most of the laughs but their talents had a lot to do with it. Andreassen was the best singing actor on the stage. With his powerful bass vocal and extravagant body language he stole many of the moments that shared with other performers whether he was singing or speaking. Wiliford is just a natural comedian who has physical comedy down to a fine art. His timing is excellent and his mannerisms are hilarious. He's also mastered the art of making himself noticed while the action is focused elsewhere. And he can do all this whether he's singing, speaking or silent.
The singing and acting in Opera Atelier's production of Wolfie Mozart's 'Abduction from the Seraglio' is strong though. Amanda Pabyan has booming soprano voice, enormous range and the sort of vocal agility that's hard to describe. It isn't enough to say that she was equal to the demands placed on her voice because she made it all sound easy. Her acting was good as well, though it's safe to say that the role Konstanze placed far more demands on her singing than her acting. Frederic Antoun however, had to be strong in both areas. The role of Belmonte probably has the most emotional depth of all the characters in the opera. For his part Antoine was able to project great pathos, emotional despair, great longing and even tremendous joy in his vocal delivery. He wasn't always a great straight man for (Gustav) Andreassen or (Lawrence) Wiliford though. Carla Huhtanen was just a joy to watch and listen to. Her voice lacks the raw power of (Amanda) Pabyan's but her tones are exquisite to listen to. She, like Wiliford, is also good with physical and vocal comedy. She also had some of the prettiest music to sing and she ran with it. That never hurts. Curtis Sullivan didn't sing but he brought as much depth to his role as the text allowed.
The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, under David Fallis, was (as usual—I've seen a few of these productions) fabulous. Aside from being fantastically precise and incredibly tight this ensemble plays with a spring in their musical steps that just doesn't quit. They make it sound urgent, like there's a need to do it now, or sooner if possible. There's a spark, a chop, jump—can we use the term 'rock and roll' here? If not we should because they play with the intensity that goes with the best of it.
This production didn't rely on the music alone though. Opera Atelier's staging is always really lively and this one didn't disappoint. The piece was rich with vivacious dance segments that took place during the instrumental interludes and (sometimes) through the vocal segments. Jeannette Lajeunesse-Zingg found many ways to incorporate dance or just dance like movements into the action on stage. The sets were vibrant and colourful. Gerard Gauci went with a look that was opulent and garish but it suited the period. Kevin Fraser's lighting kept it lit vividly or subtly according to the demands of the material. There was plenty of movement on stage. Opera Atelier isn't a company for singers who stand in one spot to deliver their numbers. Credit for this goes to the Directors, Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse-Zingg. They understand that Theatre (and this is theatre) while being a reflection of life also has to be larger than life. It's entertainment, and they never forget that. They're both masters of their crafts and consummate artists. A lot of the reviews I've read about other productions love to needle Pynkoski about his obsession with tights but that just seems to be part of the company's signature look. The truth is the collective hats of the artistic community should be off to them for bringing new life to an already lively form of art.
The big problem (and really the only one) with this production was the material itself. Of the operas Mozart wrote in the last ten years of his life 'Abduction' is (for me anyway) the one that never quite worked. It lacks the dramatic force of 'Idomeneo' (which this company did a magnificent production of). And it's far from being as consistent musically as the four great works that followed it. The music that Mozart wrote in the "Turkish" style sounds forced. It's as if he was writing what he thought would satisfy people instead of just doing what he felt would work. Worse still, the arias (songs) he wrote for the character of 'Konstanze' seem as if he catered to the demands of the singer (probably Katerina Cavalieri) he wrote the music for. The soaring coloratura passages he wrote for 'Martern aller Arten' and 'Ach, ich Liebte ('Tortures of Every Kind' and 'Ah, I was in Love') are magnificent showcases for singers. They make great concert pieces but they don't flesh out the woman's character near as effectively as the thrilling runs from the Queen of the Night's do.
This doesn't mean the opera is a poor work. It's not. It's far from it. The characters are generally well defined. There's a lot of excellent music sprinkled throughout. The second act especially features some stunning pieces. The quartet for Konstanze, Blonde, Pedrillo and Belmonte, 'Ach Belmonte! ach mein Leben', (which means 'Ah Belmonte! My Life') is singularly brilliant. Pedrillo and Osmin's duet to the wine is a slice of musical fun. The list could be a long one. Opera Atelier's production takes the work, has fun with it, and makes it fun to watch. The story is a good one and has plenty of hilarious moments. Tafelmusik played the music for it brilliantly. And Wolfie Mozart, even if he wasn't at his best, wrote plenty of music to smile about.
That's a strong recommendation on its own.
Opera Atelier's production of The Abduction from the Seraglio runs at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Ontario from Saturday November 8, 2008 through to Saturday November 15, 2008. This review pertains to the performance that ran on Saturday November 8, 2008.
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Tenor Lawrence Wiliford
Pedrillo in Opera Atelier's Production
Photo by Bruce Zinger © 2008
Opera Atelier:
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Lawrence Wiliford:
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Amanda Pabyan:
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