PINCHGUT OPERA'S PLEASURES OF VERSAILLES

 

‘ Let all yield to the sweet enchantments of my harmonies “

Pinchgut have brought us another luscious, elegant, luxuriously captivating , musically superb production. We are to imagine we are at the court of Louis XIV The Sun King , attending a performance in his private apartments , light entertainment after an arduous day at his Court . It has been updated to now to a degree - the cast is dressed in fashions sort of 1920’s-1940’s  .Designed by Melanie Liertz , the set  includes a topiary-set and raised fake plastic grass stage, a giving the impression of a broad terrace, some cushions , rugs etc , a high tea trolley and a changing background composed of a trellised arch to which it overlooks .We we have projections of the garden , fountain , birds , butterflies ,  mirrors and the famous portrait of Louis among other things .

Directed by Shannon Burns, and with Artistic Director Erin Helyard leading the Orchestra of the Antipodes , the performance begins with a rich , flowing and eloquent version of  Charpentier’s Sonate à 8, magnificently played , at times giving each of the musicians a chance to shine in  a solo .There is a dance like atmosphere for some of the movements with the moods fluctuating between somewhat dispirited, contemplative and buoyant .

 The opening opera,Les plaisirs de Versailles (The Pleasures of Versailles) is a sort of allegorical philosophical argument , here depicted as a delicious , exquisite battle of wills between La Musique, a dignified,elegant Lauren Lodge-Campbell, in a magnificent textured pale mauve outfit and the chatterbox La Conversation, the vivacious Cathy-Di Zhang in a comic argument that details the various delights of Court life handsomely . La Musique just wants to sing for the King but La Conversation continually interrupts As Le Jeu (The Game) Michael Petrucecelli showed off his passionate , enthusiastic tenor with concise vocals and endearing sprightliness .David Greco ,as the God of Feasts, provided hot chocolate to almost everyone’s satisfaction,with animated facial expressions and a robust ,poised baritone while mezzo-soprano Hannah Fraser joined the ensemble  The opera concludes with a laughing chorus and a burnished quintet praising Louis.  

The other operattina Amor vince ogni cosa (Love Conquers All ) is light and about who loves who and why or why not in a pastoral idyll of shepherds and shepherdesses . Costumes are slightly altered (a large clown ruff, an oversized open yellow half crinoline)and there are ‘ fake’ sheep lifted and wafted over Filli . Linco (Hannah Fraser) adores Filli (Lauren Lodge-Campbell ), Silvo (Michael Petruccelli )is smitten by Eurilla, (Cathy-Di Zhang )but the women are feisty and resilient and don’t listen .But then Filli’s favourite pet lamb is stolen and Eurilla only just survives a confrontation with a bear .  With  Filli’s shepherdess crook are we meant to think of Little Bo Beep , All is sorted by the pleasantly imposing David Greco as the god Pan , god of shepherds and flocks. And everything ends happily.

Pinchgut Opera have once more expanded their repertoire and reinforced their reputation as Baroque specialists with this captivating, diverting, musically and vocally exquisite performance.

 

Cathy Di-Zhang soprano
Lauren Lodge-Campbell soprano
Hannah Fraser mezzo
Michael Petruccelli tenor
David Greco bass

Erin Helyard Conductor
Orchestra of the Antipodes
Melanie Liertz Designer
Shannon Burns Movement Director
Veronique Benett Lighting Designer & Designer

Program

Sonate á H. 548

Les Plaisirs de Versailles H. 480

Amor vince ogni cosa H. 492 all by Marc-Antoine Charpentier

Artists

Erin Helyard – conductor

Lauren Lodge-Campbell, Cathy-Di Zhang, Hannah Fraser, Michael Petruccelli, David Greco – singers

Karina Schmitz, Simone Slattery, Anthea Cottee, Laura Vaughan, Simon Martyn-Ellis – strings

Melissa Farrow, Mikaela Oberg – woodwind

 

https://athome.pinchgutopera.com.au/#concerts

running time just on 70 minutes