Review: Edmonton Opera makes the most of Rossini's Count Ory

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Italians might protest, but even with the best will in the world, prosecco can’t be confused for genuine champagne. There is something about the French original that makes it sparkle a little more, that adds a magical touch of the acerbic to the smooth sweetness, that overall just bubbles a little better.

Edmonton Opera’s new production of Rossini’s last comic opera, Count Ory, which opened at the Jubilee on Saturday (April 6), is fun, and well presented and sung, but in the end it is prosecco, not champagne.

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It is not really Edmonton Opera’s fault. Rather the opera, written by an Italian for the French (and performed in French), doesn’t have quite the verve of, say, The Barber of Seville. That’s hardly surprising, since Rossini re-used much of the music — admittedly some of the best music he ever wrote — from an earlier opera, written for a special occasion. Eugène Scribe’s libretto, whose new words are very cleverly fitted to the old music, recobbled an old play of his.

The problem is that the story, set in the 13th century, doesn’t carry any punch. Yes, there are quite a few comic moments, but the possibilities of a failing casanova character — the Count Ory of the title — are never fully realized, the ending is weak, and the moral is all too predictable (wives, stay with your husbands).

There isn’t really any dramatic tension, comic or otherwise, and while we enjoy observing the characters and their antics, we never actually empathize with any of them. That 13th-century setting, complete with returning Crusaders, doesn’t help — it doesn’t have the intimacy that top quality opera comedy requires.

Having said all that, Edmonton Opera does make the most of it. Brian Deedrick, the director, suggested that the opera is “one long cartoon”, but Camellia Koo’s sets recall much more children’s pop-up books, with vivid colours, just a few props, and consistent stylization.

They are matched by the poster-paint colours of Deanna Finnman’s quasi-period child-like costumes, russets and reds and oranges and greens. It all looks splendid.

Deedrick’s direction shows all his virtues. There’s excellent handling of movement, especially from the chorus who play such an important role in this opera — this production never once feels static. He has a wonderful eye for detail, choreographing the smallest gestures to the music, producing effective surprises such as the sudden freezing of the chorus, and thankfully avoiding any kind of slapstick humour.

There are also some more subtle touches. There is a continuous throwing of things off the sides of the raised platform playing area into the wings, be they food, flowers, or baskets. I wasn’t quite sure of the significance, but it provided a kind of visual trope.

Deeper things are also suggested. Ory’s tutor is very much dressed as Mephistopheles, in his red suit, tights, and shoes under a black cloak. That makes one think of Ory as a Giovanni-type character, who is dragged into hell at the end of Mozart’s opera. This idea of a Faustian fate is reinforced by staging Ory’s exit from the castle through a trap door in the floor.

Ultimately, though, a Rossini opera succeeds on the quality of the music performance. John Tessier takes the title role and his lighter tenor, with that very distinctive and pleasing colour, is ideally suited to the part. He can also act, too, with considerable energy. If, as was announced before the performance, he had been ill during the week but had decided to do the performance anyway, it certainly didn’t show. Those who go to the performances on Tuesday (April 9) and Friday (April 12) are in for a treat.

He was matched by the Countess of the young Albertan soprano Caitlin Wood. She has shown promise on the Jubilee stage before, but her command of the fast bel canto that Rossini requires was unexpected. She too can act — here one felt her frustration at being a young widow — and even better, can express those emotions in her voice. This was the standout performance of the evening.

They were well supported in particular by Stephen Hegedus as the tutor, who made the most of rather a thankless role. Both Megan Latham as Ragonde and Sarah Mesko as Isolier started out a little hesitantly, but both soon opened out. The chorus, especially the women, were excellent.

Occasionally, though, the singing got lost a bit in the cavernous Jubilee. I suspect that was in part due to the set. The playing area was both smaller than the Jubilee stage (presumably to fit smaller theatres if Edmonton Opera sells the production) and there was no solid backdrop to help project the sound forward into the hall.

The weakest area was once again the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Gordon Gerrard’s conducting was solid, but (understandably, given the difficulty of the music) unadventurous, not risking any super-fast tempi. The orchestral playing, though, was unidiomatic and colourless, with, for example, Rossini’s splendidly robust storm sounding rather weak and feeble.

There was also one oddity recently introduced by the Jubilee. An usher walks occasionally up the aisle, looking from side to side, in the middle of the performance. It’s very distracting, and I asked what the purpose was, since I have never come across this in any other concert hall or opera house.

I was told that it was to check for ill people, or someone in distress. Is this a comment on opera audiences, that the Jubilee thinks they must all be in their dotage, and likely to keel over at any time? Or does it really think that if there was someone in distress, the audience either side would not notice it, and take action?

Fortunately this didn’t spoil what is an enjoyable evening at the opera. Not Rossini’s best work, but some of his best music, and well worth the visit.

REVIEW

Rossini’s Count Ory by Edmonton Opera

Director: Brian Deedrick
Conductor: Gordon Gerrard
Starring: Sarah Mesko, John Tessier, and Caitlin Wood
Where: Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
When: Saturday, April 6
Next performances: Tuesday, April 9, (7:30), Friday, April 12, (7:30)
Tickets: $29-$165, available at www.edmontonopera.com