Review - Turandot (Puccini), Opera Hong Kong, 12 October 2018

Oksana Dyka (Turandot)
Alfred Kim (Calaf)
Valeria Sepe (Liu)
George Andguladze (Timur)
Sammy Chien (Ping)
Chen Chen (Pang)
Chen Yong (Pong)
Apollo Wong (Mandarin)
Alexander Chen (Emperor)

Edge 'n Pointe Dance Centre
Opera Hong Kong Chorus and Children Chorus
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Paolo Olmi (conductor)
Michael Capasso (director)

For its 15th anniversary celebration, Opera Hong Kong puts out a lavish production of Turandot that heavily decorates with gold and red, auspicious colours for prosperity and happiness in Chinese culture. John Farrell's stage set looks grand and would have satisfied those after an elaborate visual spectacle. The opera topic also feeds those fascinate by imperial China from the past as drama topic with a touch of western opera.

Yet the narrative approach, for all things look bright and beautiful, is naive and uninspiring by dressing up with a comfort blanket than addressing some questionable aspects. Despite the director's claim of not creating a faithful historical realisation and some kind of European perspective, the purpose of costume style for the crowd and ministers resembling stock characters in Pantomime is unclear. With Venetian long nose mask, Panama hat and slim fit disco glitter shirt, Ping Pang Pong seems more at home if they are at a broadway show. Whereas the lead characters are in some sort of traditional Chinese costume mixing with middle Asia outlook that not really defining their roles among the crowd. These all feel like a random visual twist yet no insight reflects by the dramaturgy nor any directorial indication. Although adding dancers enhance the mobility of the choreography, the routine is mostly conventional with many 'park and sing' moments for the singers and the chorus.

Capasso is also more concerned about the scene locations than, more importantly, exploring Puccini's dilemma on Liu and Turandot. In this production, Liu's innocent sacrifice feels rather sudden since there are not many moments to support why she is so determined to keep the secret for Calaf. Whereas Calaf is no hero but a forceful predator to make Turandot succumbs to his knees for the love union that so bizarrely celebrates. While male dominance and power progression are presented, the women are left to be a subordinate body and obedient to the populist demands that bend them to their knees. The mise-en-scène lacks the level of insight and depth, neither entirely success in its visual spectacle portrayal as explains above.

Yet the most problematic part I found was the conductor Paolo Olmi, who did not really able to get the orchestra and singing on stage together until the third act. His window washing conducting style not able to give a clear indication to keep the everyone together but uncertainty instead. There were moments that he followed the orchestra rather leading them the way, which resulted in some dangerous corners for the singers as how to synchronise with the orchestral playing. The busy trio by Ping Pang Pong went ahead of the orchestra for several bars in act one. The oboe solo sounded always behind during Liu's tender solo 'signore, ascolta!'.

Turandot's riddles for Calaf were rather unnaturally sung and Oksana Dyka did not quite knowing how to finish a phrase while the orchestra dragged behind. She managed to secure the top notes with ease but her timbre sounded grainy and thin in body. Her portrayal of Turandot felt rather unimaginative than the icy tough impression I would have in mind. Alfred Kim possessed a more powerful voice with the energy to sustain his lines in full, which helped the orchestra to stay more together with he was singing. Though his lower range nearly disappeared like Valeria Sepe that resulted in some inaudible moments.

Sepe carried more warmth in her timbre and her less forceful singing style suited the tenderness in Liu's part very well. George Andguladze was rather muddy in his diction and not really connecting the vocal lines. The three local singers for Ping Pang Pong coordinated more successfully in act two than the confusion they had in the first act. The chorus might have a hard time with the director from some rumour I heard, yet one did not find they had a difficult choreography to master. Diction was marginally clear and the tenors sounded rather thin on the top. Perhaps due to tiredness the choral energy dwindled slightly after two evenings, the blending was good but dramatically underwhelming.

(Photo credit: Opera Hong Kong)

Review - Otello (Verdi), Opera Hong Kong, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre, 16 October 2016

Otello - Carl Tanner
Desdemona - Valeria Sepe
Iago - Matias Tosi
Cassio - Chen Chen
Emilia - Samantha Chong
Roderigo - Frankie Liu
Lodovico - Gong Dongjian
Montano - Sammy Chien
Herald - Frankie Fung

Opera Hong Kong Chorus and Children Chorus
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Maurizio di Mattia (Director and Lighting)
Gianluca Martinenghi (Conductor)

To commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, Opera Hong Kong mounts a new production of Otello, which is one of Verdi's most dramatic and musically progressive grand operas. The winged lion of St Mark, a notable symbol of Venice, makes a bold visual image on the safety curtain. The new staging by Mattia, in collaboration with Rome opera, attempts to bridge convention stage directions with conceptual approaches of psychology and atmosphere. Though as a whole the idea far from a developed one that often being random, inconsistent and far from making a statement.

Instead of a black and white imagery, lightning effects along orange-red-blue stage lights do not make an effective representation of the opening stormy scene. The choir choreography at first is alike a chaotic revolution scene than a nervous observation of the naval battle from afar. Neither circular blocks that dominate the centred stage are unable to create the physical sense of a public space but only tall structures. The quasi Islamic costume and drunken actions have some similarities of the pirate town portrays in the Hollywood blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean. The outfit of Iago also resembles captain Jack Sparrow in the film. Whether the director is suggesting the two are similar, Iago is supposedly a more cunning and terrifying figure. The silenced dancers, later as metaphorical representation of evilness and temptation, are introduced as seductive figures during the celebration of military victory.

When the blocks turn into an oval courtyard with a hanging city gate in act two, it becomes a rather gentle and soft as backdrop, not really able to produce the platform for Iago's declaration of revenge and sinister remarks. The dance choreography is entertaining to see and captures the pastoral rhythmic movement of the music, but far from portraying the bad spirits that probably in mind at first place. The stage direction is then at the basic level with the chorus forming a cardboard human wall. It may be an opportunity to display a full and happy choir with children members, but the dramaturgy is lost that not realising the atmospheric change in line of Otello's diminishing faith, poisoned mind and jealousy towards Desdemona. The purpose of a man dies after kissing a woman, behind a transparent screen at the beginning of act three, is again unclear except foretelling the tragic outcome. Though the stage set should be credited for its beautiful appearance of the evening as Otello's exotic decorated study, with Islamic lanterns and a hanging crucifix. Upon the arrival of Lodovico, the Venetian ambassador, his outlook with powdered wig and silver coat strangely recall the presentation scene of silver rose by Octavian in Otto Schenk's staging of Der Rosenkavalier.

Reference to classic stagings continues further into the last act with ballet blanc, which silenced figures wear veils and dress in full white bell shaped skirts. This leaves us to puzzle whether these are spirits or supernatural beings congregate in a murder scene and if their purposes are spectators or metaphor of death. The murder and confession moment is also dramatically underwhelming. The bedroom stage set is atmospheric on its own, but the dramaturgy far from creating the crushing emotional breakdown of Otello before his suicide. Singers seems on their own device in figuring out the death sequence than delivering a natural progression.  In sum, the staging can be more coherent and focus without too much references since any directorial approach is to articulate and develop the key aspects. It also needs to develop a style of its own than a mixture of borrowed ideas.

Acoustically the grand theatre is not that dry, but the projection of produced sound does not carry to the hall in full even I am hearing eight rows away from the stage. The orchestra does not produce the wall of sound at the suppose violent and tempestuous passage in the beginning, though the chorus is heard more prominently in terms of balance. Throughout the performance, voices of the adult choir blend well together with a healthy vocal volume. Diction fares better at tutti moments and long vowels, but the men hurry at the heavy texting passage in act one, which results a sudden drop in vocal volume and untidy entries.

Among all soloists, the dramatic tenor Carl Tanner as the protagonist is vocally most consistent and technically capable. A full tone with the sheer body of sound and projection. Many thoughts put in phrasing and diction is convincing enough to sound Italianate. His voice never sound tired, ably to sustain the energy and comfortable with the tessitura throughout. There is a differentiation in his vocal colours that make it interesting to appreciate and enjoy. Although some coordination issues with the orchestra in the beginning of act three, that is quickly rectified and back in place again. His role portrayal is a classic one to display the war hero in jealousy, rage and nervous breakdown, but the stage direction does not help to make a strong impression is unfortunate.

One have mixed feelings for Valeria Sepe, who sings the role of Desdemona. Her voice condition is healthy, especially soaring upwards for higher vocal range with a ringing tone, but diction is surprisingly poor as native speaker and often shaky with intonation. It takes some time to settle with tuning in her first entry of act one and at the danger in out of sync with the orchestra. The passionate duet with Otello is all loud in volume but vocal richness is in absence. The most bothering part is she uses this undesirable approach to close up and darken the vowels. The method produces a worn out voice alike an elderly woman singing quality and greatly reduces the vocal support in projection. The lack of phrasing is also why she struggles to coordinate with the orchestra, especially the Ave Maria in last act which is neither moving and a mess. Otherwise, she looks beautiful and youthful for the role, also the singing is more comfortable in act three when Desdemona asks for forgiveness from Otello.

Matias Tosi is better with his dance moves as a young and cunning Iago, resembling the eccentric Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, than in his singing. Vocally he lacks a differentiation in tone and belting out the notes without any phrasing. Then tiredness sinks in and unable to sustain the vocal energy at the duet with Otello on disloyalty in act two. The projection diminishes to a barely audible level and becomes throaty that struggles to complete a phrase. He also sounds more as a baritone than bass baritone that struggles to produce low notes and lacks the depth of richness. Diction is very often muddled and the voice is not an exciting one to hear repeatedly. One is more convinced that Gong Dongjian would have made a capable alternate Iago with the right vocal colour and volume. Chen Chen convinces me as an oratorio singer than in opera by being too polish and underwhelming in projection as Cassio. Other minor roles are presentable but generally need to improve the diction to sound more Italianate. Gianluca Martinenghi appropriately employs a rather broad tempo in his conducting that the music playing is neither rush nor drag. The very capable philharmonic orchestra produces many fine moments and saves the performance with good musical directions and maintains dramatic impulse.

(Photos: Opera Hong Kong Facebook Page)