Like most people I expect, I always thought opera was sung in Italian by rotund men and women wearing funny helmets. So it’s come as a pleasant surprise to find both the Sydney Chamber Opera and the passion of their musical leader Jack Symonds for the work of Benjamin Britten. Their latest offering is Owen Wingrave, Britten’s 1970 opera. The narrative is of the tensions that exist between a young man, Owen Wingrave, and his militaristic family, when Owen comes to the conclusion during his military training than war is abhorrent, and his decision to leave the army. The metaphor is a scathing critique of British military imperialism. While it’s still odd at times when the actors sing rather than say, the tension that come together with the words and music builds a compelling combination. There’s lots of meat in this story. A good night’s entertainment, and so compelled were the audience that the good characters gained louder applause than the bad guys. Good stuff.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 23:34:30 +0000
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