By Reviewed by Michael Shmith
The Turk in Italy
Opera Australia,
State Theatre
Until May 13
Il Turco in Italia is not classic Rossini comedy in the style of Il Barbiere di Siviglia or La Cenerentola, but it's first-rate, second-rate Rossini - to paraphrase Richard Strauss' droll self-reference to his own composing skills. Besides, it has some terrific music, and, as it proved on Thursday night, it can be a tremendous ensemble piece.
Opera Australia's The Turk In Italy.
Simon Phillips' production (rehearsed by Grace Barnes) updates the action to a seaside town near Naples in the 1950s. This is cleverly achieved, with the action around a stylish carousel-like bar, complete with juke box, spiral staircase and neon sign, proclaiming ''Geronio's Bar'' (Geronio being the elderly husband of the flirtatious Fiorilla, who falls for the visiting Turk, Selim). Gabriela Tylesova's droll and affectionately derivative set design is idiomatically complemented by her gelato-hued costumes. Good lighting also from Nick Schlieper.
The only problem was the relentless playing for laughs. Not a moment, it seemed, went by without someone falling over, doing funny walks and double-takes, removing items of clothing or putting on someone else's, squirting water or dropping ice-cubes down trouser fronts. The idiosyncratic surtitles, written by Phillips, introduced to Rossini such terms as ''root rat'' and ''what a spunk!'' Why didn't they simply rename the opera Carry on up the Seashore?
Musically, it was a bit of an antipasto. There was no faulting Emma Matthews' stellar performance as Fiorilla. Her fearless top notes and florid, lyrical lines were as astonishing as ever. Shane Lowrencev's hirsute Selim was nobly and sonorously sung, and mezzo Anna Dowsley was an excellent and characterful gypsy-girl Zaida. Andrew Moran was stalwart as the cuckolded Geronio, as was Samuel Dundas as the poetic waiter Prosdocimo. John Longmuir has settled in as Narciso, but still sounded forced at times.
In the pit, Anthony Legge conducted a fairly stolid performance, but Orchestra Victoria played well, as did Siro Battaglin on fortepiano - especially his continuo version of Love Me Tender.
Ah, yes: Elvis. Many of them – and a host of Marilyn Monroe lookalikes, too. Praise be to the fine OA Chorus for such bravery.