Magical Mozart

Published on July 19, 2007

Sophie's conquest was manifold. She founded the Metropolitan Opera of Bangkok, produced the Mozart opera with Pakdi Tanapura, acted as artistic director, vocal coach, costume designer and sang the part of Susanna.

She made history not just by staging this opera, but more significantly by spectacularly disproving the old adage that opera in this country must forever be doomed to be performed in empty auditoria.

The small hall of the Thailand Cultural Centre was full (except for some corporate bookings who failed to turn up) and the applause was rapturous with shouts of "bravo" from an enthralled audience. How did she do it?

Sophie's productions are not only authentic, but are also accessible to those who are new to opera thanks to the informative programme in Thai, English and Japanese, the ingenious use of a Thai narrator and the provision of subtitles in both English and Thai.

Yet, most remarkably, the feel of the production was not Thai, but distinctly 18th-century European. And what a success it was!

"Ooohs" and "aaahs", loud chuckles and guffaws could be heard throughout the performance. The atmosphere was exactly what's needed if opera is to have a future in Thailand.

It is easy to be a critic, to ridicule and belittle with clever turn of phrase to amuse the reader. But a critic who does this with this production would be a vandal and a fool. Bangkok is not London, Paris, Vienna or New York, and the Metropolitan Opera of Bangkok is not the Royal Opera House, Opéra de Paris, Wiener-Staatsoper or the Met.

There is no operatic tradition here. The business of a critic at the birth of opera in Thailand is to be the guardian of authenticity and good taste, and to nurture artists so that the art may flourish.

Critics must be humbled by the knowledge that they don't build monuments to critics. Some shortcomings must be overlooked in the light of the overall achievement; and criticisms made must plant seeds of the finest western operatic tradition here.

This production of the "Marriage of Figaro" was refreshingly traditional. The voices were better than I had expected, although what impressed me most was Sophie's pursuit of that highest ideal of operatic production - have each singer uniquely interpret the vocal personality of the character.

The result was an opera with distinct personalities quite unlike many modern western productions where, for example, despite their fine voices, the sopranos are indistinguishable. When this is coupled with period costumes (designed by Sophie herself), good make-up and hairdos that weren't only harmonious with the music and the story but also done to enhance characterisation, there is real drama and a great production.

The 28-member orchestra under the baton of Yoko Takahashi, a student of Maestro Dante Mazzola of La Scala Academy, proved itself easily to be the finest in Thailand. The problem, however, was that the hall has no orchestra pit, so the music sometimes overwhelmed singers and even the chorus.

This compromised the balance between the singers and the orchestra. However, for those who had never seen a live classical concert, let alone an opera, it was a wonderful opportunity to see the orchestra and its conductor at work.

Stage direction by Thailand's famous Ajarn Napisri Reyes was very effective theatrically though not operatically correct. The first canon of operatic stage direction is that when good acting conflicts with good vocal production, good vocal production prevails. The operatic stage is not the stage of the spoken drama.

The period set by Supot Soponsirinand could have been better had he researched what an 18th century palace in Seville looked like, and if he had made it more congruous with the requirements of the story. The first canon of operatic set design is that the inspiration for the design must grow out of a deep understanding of the music itself.

However, despite its shortcomings, I shall always remember this production for its authenticity and good taste, its absence of vulgarity, its intelligent use of vocal resources, its superb sense of drama and for the magical atmosphere it generated in the hall.

I shall remember being seated in Thailand's first full auditorium when an opera was being performed and the rapturous applause at the end. I shall remember being there when history was being made by Sophie and the Metropolitan Opera of Bangkok.

Mozart would have approved of the performance, and, like all who were there, he would have felt grateful to Sophie Tanapura, to the Metropolitan Opera of Bangkok, the patrons and sponsors who made it possible.

Dr Charles Henn

Special to The Nation