No director should ever regard trimmed-down opera as an easy ride, Martin Adams finds out how the Wexford Festival Opera Scenes at White's Barn in Wexford fares

Wexford Festival Opera Scenes

White's Barn

Martin Adams

No director should ever regard trimmed-down opera as an easy ride.

Some do; but over the last few years, Wexford Festival Opera's annual series of Opera Scenes have tended to get better at addressing one of the main challenges - appealing to a mixed audiences of opera buffs and newcomers to opera, while doing justice to the work being adapted.

In this year's Scenes, the three operas trimmed down to 90 or so minutes, with a small cast and piano accompaniment, show contrasting approaches. Each one has its own director and musical director; but all three share a team for sets (Cristiana Aureggi), costumes (Kit Peterson) and lighting (Kevin Treacy).

Damiano Michieletto's adaptation of Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia would displease many who know the original. Subtle characterisation and plot are turned into racy farce. The simplicity of sets and modern-dress costumes emphasis the characters, who are pumped up to bursting-point. The Canadian mezzo-soprano Maria Soulis plays Rosina as a determined, larger-than-life sexy bit of stuff. She is a natural comedian and shows a feel for theatre. Enrico Marabelli's Don Bartolo is an unctuous, dirty old man - Mr Collins from Pride and Prejudice meets Jack from Father Ted. In the face of such extremity, Marco Nisticó's Figaro almost becomes the straight-man. He and Simon Edwards as Conte d'Almaviva are impressive singers.

Perhaps the most striking singing came from the creepy Don Basilio of Simone Alberghini, who in addition to having a fine voice can preserve vocal and musical quality, while perpetrating the grossest inflections of expression. Throughout this 90-minute riot, a hectic pace is supported by Robert Pechanec's able musical direction and pianism.

I doubt if fans of Mozart's Don Giovanni (who isn't?) would find much to complain about in Paola Viano's sensitive direction. Again, Simone Alberghini is a star, this time as the Don himself. Another is Tereza Mátlová as Zerlina. She looks the part, is utterly natural in her virginal knowingness, and she sings beautifully. The main strength of this apparently straightforward production is the way a thread of dark humour culminates in horror. Luca Salsi is a dramatically alert Leporello, Joanna Burton a suitably histrionic Donna Elvira, and as the Commendatore, Julian Close, is stupendous - the sort of bass who could sing Fafner the dragon without the amplifying megaphone which Wagner called for.

John Shea's musical direction is impeccable, though I would have preferred more strongly projected piano playing. Compared with the simplicity of these productions, the complex approach to Verdi's Rigoletto is startling. The able musical director, Rosetta Cucchi, is also in charge of stage direction, and she places the action in a travelling circus. Set, costumes and lighting are colourful, and the scene is set by the presence of street-entertainers who move among the audience before the opera starts.

The production captures the hot-house, doom-laden atmosphere of the original; but packs it with metaphorical references which leave one thinking. Rigoletto is a clown, full of pathos and isolated by his tortured imaginations. Davide Damiani plays this part with presence and vocal power. The Duke of Mantua is a lion-tamer (or ring-master?), and in this role David Curry's singing is a highlight.

One of the most memorable performances in all the Opera Scenes is the Gilda of Ermonela Jaho, who abandons herself to the part so that her singing and acting seem as one. The rapt smiles around the audience as she sang to a beautifully costumed young child said it all.

Wexford Festival Opera's Opera Scenes continue daily until November 3rd. For details and booking telephone 053 22144