Opera by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and Arrigo Boito
Simone Boccanegra
Conductor: Simone Young ( Sept. 23, 26)/Stephen Mould (Oct. 7)
Director: Moffatt Oxenbould
Set Designer: Peter England
Costume Designer: Russell Cohen
Lighting Designer: Stephen Wickham
Chorus Master: Johannes Mikkelsen
Paolo Albiani: Michael Lewis
Pietro: Richard Alexander
Simon Boccanegra: Jonathan Summers
Jacopo Fiesco: Daniel Sumegi
Amelia Grimaldi: Elena Prokina
Gabriele Adorno: Michael Sylvester
Lady-in-Waiting: Caroline Vercoe
Captain: Han Lim
OPERA AUSTRALIA CHORUS
AUSTRALIAN OPERA AND BALLET ORCHESTRA
It has evenings at the opera, which makes the visit to a very special occasion.
Evenings, which are just perfect. They are seldom like precious diamonds. One of this
special diamonds was the Simone Boccanegra performance of September 23, 2000 at the Sydney
Opera House during the 2000 Olympic Games. What made it even more special, also the
performances of September 26 and October 7 were coined by the same excellent quality and
intensity.
Fiesco (standing, Daniel Sumegi) and Adorno (Michael Sylvester)
Like in maybe no other opera of Verdi Simone Boccanegra reflects the personal fate of
the composer and his political convictions. All through his life Verdi has fought for the
unity of Italy and how much could he, the father, who had lost his two small children and
his wife to death just within one year, identify with the sorrow and pain of a father in
the figure of Simone Boccanegra as well as of Fiescos. How much might have spoken Fiesco's
sentence 'All luck on earth is nothing more than a illusory assuming.' out of the depth of
Verdi's own heart.. All these feelings the singers, chorus and orchestra were able to take
across in to the audience under the conducting of Simone Young, but as wel Stephen Mould.
So exciting, so touching opera can be ! Its part in this had also the staging of Moffatt
Oxenbould and the cleverly worked out one-for-all-acts set (Peter England) with a refined
lighting (Stephen Wickham) and splendid costumes (Russell Cohen).
Simone Boccanegra (Jonathan Summers) blesses Adorno und Amelia
To pick out one of the five protagonists is not very fair, since no matter if as Simone
Boccanegra, Amelia, Fiesco, Adorno or Paolo, all produced top performances in their
individual roles, as singers and as actors. But, nevertheless, special credits should be
given to Jonathan Summers in the title role. No matter, if in the dramatic parts like when
he let curse himself the traitor Paolo or in the lyrical parts like when he described to
Fiesco the moment when he searched in vain for his daughter, his voice is seductive, his
appearance of unbelievable stage presence. His voice forms a wonderful symbiosis with the
voices of Amelia and Fiesco. In the first instance as loving father, in the second as for
forgiveness asking, even imploring, unwelcome lover of Fiesco's daughter and later as
dying Doge respectively. Here the entreaty, the leniency, there the irreconcilable
coldness of Fiesco, who believed his dauthter, the mother of Amelia, seduced by
Boccanegra. The menacing bass of Daniel Sumegi and the silky baritone of Jonathan Summers
they both embody in really perfect manner the psychological deep portrayal of the
characters by Verdi's music.
Elena Prokina as Amelia/Maria
Elena Prokina as Amelia/Maria with her crystal-clear and nevertheless lovely soprano
and Michael Sylvester as Adorno with a tenor of equal quality present the impetuous youth
and Amelia at the same time as well a woman, who determines her own fate by her courage
and power. In the end she wins at least the hand of her lover, though she is not able to
prevent that her father will die by the poison Paolo - embodied by a great Michael Lewis -
had given in to his water bottle. Inspite the gloomy words of Fiesco finally also he
forgives and the love wins. In this production and with this ensemble a victory for the
genre opera !
Birgit Popp
