No fat ladies

Published on November 10, 2007

Opera

Bangkok opera aficionados are having fun this week with three events showcasing the true essence of this classical performing art. And, interestingly enough, fat ladies or lavish costumes and sets haven't been requisite.

Last Thursday the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit's Arts Theatre hosted the European Chamber Opera's production of Verdi's "La Traviata" in its Grande Ballroom.

"In chamber operas," says Stefan Sanchez, artistic director of this London-based troupe, "there's much more connection between the performers and the audience because of the smaller hall, which is [in the case of our productions] usually not a theatre but a ballroom.

"We like performing in chamber operas as well because we can see and feel the audience, and we're not surrounded by the normal trappings of opera, which can reduce our own input quite a lot. For example, there are the enormous sets, orchestra and perhaps certain [staging] directions that aren't straightforward.

"From the audience's perspective, this is a different form of communication that they don't get from the big opera house. They feel more, as a part of the whole process, which they enjoy a great deal. It's smaller but the integrity of the music is still there.

"All European Chamber Opera productions aim to tell the stories very clearly. The story and the music must come first. Also, we're performing in the operas' original languages [with no surtitles]. What's going on onstage must be clear, and that's what we do all the time."

On Wednesday the Italian Embassy screened the DVD "Pavarotti Forever" at the Scala cinema in honour of the world's greatest tenor.

Tonight the operatic delight continues as a new local company, NUNi, stages its first production, "Mozart in Mischief", presenting highlight scenes and arias from Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte", "Don Giovanni" and "Le nozze di Figaro".

NUNi stands for "Never Underestimate New ideas", though it's not clear why the "i" in "ideas" isn't capitalised.

Director Pattarasuda Anuman Rajadhon wants to make sure that ticket-holders aren't expecting a "concert".

"It's a chamber opera, but we're not doing the whole opera," says Pattarasuda, a theatre actress and opera fan who earned her master's degree in performance at the University of London.

"For example, we'll present 'Cozi' first, in half an hour, instead of its two and a half hours' normal length. We're not telling the whole story, we're highlighting and linking the themes of these three operas.

"The reason we picked Mozart is because, as a mission of our company, we want to showcase young local talents, and Verdi and Puccini's operas are perhaps too difficult for them and don't quite fit their singing voices. From the audience's point of view, Mozart's operas are more familiar and accessible - his comic scenes are really funny.

"The theme of 'mischief' is the link. In the contemporary interpretation, all three stories show how we can't always reveal our true selves in certain kinds of relationship. This may be because we want to have fun, we lack confidence or we want to trick others."

The production features the country's best baritone, Saran Suebsantatiwongse - another head honcho of NUNi, along with performers who have been working as an ensemble for several months, something rare in opera.

"This is a true showcase for the performers' singing and acting talents," Pattarasuda says. "Their acting is clear enough for [those who can't follow the Italian lyrics] to understand right away what's happening."

"This is the first time I've really felt that opera is comprehensible even when you don't understand the language. It's about human beings, after all."

Neither English nor Thai translations will be projected on the side screen - no visual distractions here. Instead, the translated text will be printed in the programme.

"Watching opera isn't as difficult as most Thais think," says Pattarasuda. "First, the story is universal, dealing with love, greed, hatred, etc. Second, the details of the music enable us to understand what's happening."

Part of the ongoing Bangkok Theatre Festival, NUNi's "Mozart in Mischief" is tonight 8pm at the Thailand Cultural Centre. Tickets are Bt1,000, Bt700 and Bt500 (students Bt150) at Thaiticketmajor. Call (08) 6900 0445.

The writer can be contacted at Pawit.M@chula.ac.th.

Pawit  Mahasarinand

 The Nation