John Daly-Peoples
NZ Opera
Le comte Ory by Gioachino Antonio Rossini
Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland May 30 & June 1
St James Theatre, Wellington June 13 & 15
Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch June 27 & 29
John Daly-Peoples
Rossini’s penultimate comic opera, Le Comte Ory has many of the qualities of his other operas with great melodies virtuosic singing and an anarchic plot. However it has generally been overshadowed by his other works such as The Barber of Seville and La Cenerentola and has not attracted contemporary audiences. Recently however it has had a revival and been produced by a number of the international companies including the MET and Garsington Opera.
The gloriously ribald work was first performed in Paris in 1828, when it ran for over 400 performances. Rossini amalgamated some of his previous work and vaudeville components were altered and expanded into the two-act comic libretto with six extended musical numbers from his “Il Viaggio” recycled into the new score. At the time it was hailed as one of his wittiest and most seamless and sophisticated works.
The operas tells of a libidinous aristocrat attempting to seduce the virtuous Countess Adele and other women while their menfolk are away. In his various attempts, he dons outrageous disguises but continues to fail in his amorous endeavours. .
The work was originally set in medieval France, but this new production of Le comte Ory is relocated to New Zealand, which allows for more local humour.
Director Simon Phillips says “I have always believed that if you want people to laugh, the closer you bring something to a contemporary era, the more chance you’ll have. We can recognise ourselves, and elements of our society in what we’re watching – and it gives the satire more zing. This production felt like a brilliant opportunity to make a new version of this bonkers, madcap rom-com of an opera – unapologetic, irreverent and funny, just as Rossini intended it to be.”
The cast features some great talents including Manase Latu as The Count, Emma Pearson as Countess Adele, Hannah Hipp as Isolier as well as Moses Mackay, Wade Kernot, Andrea Creighton and Tayla Alexander.
New Zealand Arts Review 