If you were to choose a great composer whose works placed sexual politics centre stage, it would be hard to look beyond Mozart. He based The Marriage of Figaro on a play that was so threatening to the status quo that it was banned. Beaumarchais’ Count did not have his “droit de seigneur” way with Susannah – a right that reflected aristocratic privilege – nor did Don Giovanni’s lordly depredations on a vast succession of women go unpunished. BK Opera’s Artistic Director, Kate Millett, has found inspiration in Mozart’s opera about the world’s most notorious sexual predator to, as Mlllet puts it, “contrast healthy communication, consent and pleasure with coercive, controlling and abusive behaviour. Don Giovanni isn’t a ‘Dom,’ he’s a rapist”.
In this production of Don Giovanni, the political emphasis is on boundaries, with the BDSM subculture as a springboard and critical element of the unfolding drama. For many of us, especially those who haven’t read or seen Fifty Shades of Gray, BDSM – B/D (Bondage and Discipline) D/s (Dominance and submission), and S/M (Sadism and Masochism) – is a fairly remote and even alienating concept. Yet it has strict rules regarding consent that make the practice safe and respectful of individual rights.
From the tinseled trimmings of the Meat Market Stables foyer, the audience entered a more extravagantly tinseled world of red drapery and atmospheric lighting. Seated in two rows on the longer walls, with a grand piano at one end and a screen on a tiered platform at the other, the audience was separated by two huge red ottomans. Playing through the sound system, and repeated during the interval, was a reconfigured techno version of Zerlina’s aria “Batti, batti” (Beat me, beat me), the words barely discernible through the electronic blur of sound.
It was an introduction to an instructor laying down the ground rules to a group of young BDSM party people in modern street clothes. The idea of blending the roles of “play master” with a female Commendatore worked surprising well, partly due to the strength of Alison Lemoh’s performance. Her rich mezzo-soprano voice and aura of authority made her an arresting figure of social order, reflecting her title. The final scene in which the unrepentant Don meets his doom was compelling in its dramatic force despite the absence of an orchestra.
After the rules had been established, the first chords of the Overture asserted themselves. Pianist Kevin Tamanini did such an excellent job at conveying orchestral colours and rhythmic drive that it was often easy to forget that the singers only had the support of a piano reduction. Close by, conductor Gloria Gamboz ensured a high degree of coordination between the singers even though they had the dual challenges of a highly physical production and performing in the semi-round.
At 150 minutes, including interval, there were inevitably several cuts made, most notably Don Ottavio’s two arias and Donna Elvira’s Act 2 aria, “Mi tradì quell’ alma ingrate”. As the Don’s spurned lover, Esther Counsel went from strength to strength vocally and dramatically, her soprano voice full and blooming in tone, so it was disappointing to be left hanging after the recitative that precedes this superb aria. Both Phoebe Paine as Donna Anna and Maya Charles Sedergreen as Zerlina sang their allotted two arias with good control even though their voices were considerably lighter than we are used to hearing in those roles. Paine was particularly appealing in the taxing Act 2 aria, “Non mi dir”, maintaining a good legato line and accuracy in the high tessitura.
Sedergreen was well suited to the role of the naïve object of the Don’s latest attentions. Her delicate physique and youthfully fresh voice made the choice of the seldom-opted-for alternative scene between Zerlina and Leporello doubly striking; here was this tiny person wielding a long razor, overpowering and “cutting “ a trembling Leporello. At the first performance of Don Giovanni in Vienna in 1798, Ottavio’s second aria was omitted and this duet was sung instead – exactly what Kate Millett could have ordered for her take on the opera’s dynamics. It was highly graphic, shocking in its way and shifted the balance of power while calling some preconceptions into question.
The comic, even “opera buffa” aspects of Leporello’s character are usually accentuated to contrast with suave machinations of his master, but Nick Beecher’s interpretation was more one of world weariness. Leporello begins the opera with his distaste for his servant role, and Millett’s idea of a giant image of an apple on the main projection curtain and having Leporello throw away his half eaten apple as he sang was one of many thoughtfully created visual details. Along with the Don’s (and Leporello’s) cocaine habit, tatts and straps, leather, vinyl, Playboy rabbit ears, and bare flesh to excite, whip and cut were part of an evocative mix. Beecher’s singing was one of the main pleasures of the evening, his attractive baritone voice well projected and produced without apparent effort.
Archie Rumsam’s performance as the Don was uneven in quality, but he handled what was a very demanding role with spirit and had moments of real strength. Although Leyland Jones’ Masetto was similarly uneven, there were times when he impressed with the strength and richness of his voice. The four men, including Alex Gorbatov as Don Ottavio, made a splendid contribution to the ensembles; the septet that concludes Act 1 was terrific – especially as it was far from being the usual static lineup at the front of the stage – as was the Act 2 sextet. The formidable trio of Anna, Elvira and Ottavio in the Act 1 quartet was a highlight.
In this age of #MeToo, where companies are legally bound to ensure a safe working environment, the question of boundaries in production choices regarding nudity was posed. It must not have been easy for Esther Counsel and especially Phoebe Paine to be so vulnerable to the audience gaze while singing such exacting music. Doubtless, Kate Millett has been extremely careful in the way she went about realising her creative vision and has done all she could to ensure the comfort of the performers and the audience.
There is much in this production to admire, and there is much more detail and matter to ponder than can be covered in a review. You need to go along and see for yourself how the many creative and performing talents involved have collaborated to give us a memorable Don Giovanni.
Photo supplied.
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Heather Leviston reviewed BK Opera’s production of “Don Giovanni: exploring the boundaries between sex and violence”, presented at the Meat Market Stables on September 25, 2024.
