Within two years Lyric Opera has presented works by a succession of female composers in performances of exceptionally high quality. Last year we heard all the surviving art songs for voice and piano by Peggy Glanville Hicks – one of Australia’s most internationally recognised composers during the 20th century but comparatively little-known nowadays – plus a highly successful performance of Iphis by Elena Kats-Chernin, who is now almost a household name. Mary Finsterer is rapidly gaining such wide recognition as a major Australian composer that it is perplexing as to why it has taken six years for her award-winning chamber opera, Biographica, to be performed in Melbourne. Lyric Opera’s willingness to bring these works to us illustrates just how vital our small independent opera companies are to Melbourne’s cultural life.
Premiered by Sydney Chamber Opera for the Sydney Festival, the twelve scenes that comprise Biographica are based on the diaries of Gerolamo Cardano (1501 – 1574), an Italian mathematician and inventor of mechanical devices, including the combination lock and the gimbal – three concentric rings allowing a supported compass or gyroscope to rotate freely. Amongst a bewildering number of other accomplishments, he was also a gambler, astronomer, physician and, importantly, an astrologer.
In what was a superbly integrated team effort, Heather Fairbairn (Director), Nathan Burmeister (Designer), Niklas Pajanti (Lighting Designer) and Savanna Wegmann (Set and Costume Design) drew on all of these elements to create an arresting and complex visual experience. Video projections reflected the whirling abundance of Cardano’s imagination in an ingenious way, but omitted one crucial factor that would have given audiences a deeper appreciation of Tom Wright’s brilliant libretto: surtitles.
This was not an issue for the role of Cardano, played by an actor. Wearing a body mic and often addressing the audience directly, Dion Mills’ spoken narration was generally well articulated and matched his intense, energetic and colourful physical performance. Unfortunately, the five singers were not as clear, especially the female voices in the upper register or with the orchestra much above moderate volume. Although comprising only twelve musicians, having the band spread across the back wall appeared to amplify their sound. Under their attentive conductor, Patrick Burns, they played very capably, but volume sometimes impeded clarity to the point where even the language being sung was not always obvious.
Despite having to negotiate a fairly congested set, incorporating a two-tiered rostrum, giant gimbal rings and a large curtain of gleaming strands, the singers’ movements were assured and serene, even in the preview performance, when Raphael Wong stepped into the baritone roles at very short notice. The Thursday performance was, understandably, smoother with Bailey Montgomerie’s return after recovering from COVID. Given the short preparation time, Raphael Wong’s performance showed tremendous professionalism in all respects, but Montgomerie’s performance was simply extraordinary. Not only was his portrayal of the dying Archbishop, resurrected by Cardano’s enlightened treatments, breathtakingly convincing, his intense focus never wavered throughout the opera. There was more subtle detail evident in the group movement and his confident, resonant voice provided a solid underpinning for the musical ensembles. He was also vocally and dramatically impressive as Cardano’s son, who poisons his wife as revenge for her infidelity. The sensuous singing and acting of mezzo-soprano Juel Riggall, along with some graphic action from the other singers, presented a chilling scene.
As Cardano’s daughter, Chiara, Rachael Joyce was outstanding. Another deathbed scene shows Chiara dying from syphilis and calling for her father, who remains aloof, intellectualising her plight without a shred of empathy The combination of Finsterer’s poignant music and Joyce’s beautiful singing of a simple, yearning text was heart wrenching. The sweetness of her soprano made the scene where she shares a delight in the wonders of a starlit sky in the following scene reinforced the tragedy of the situation.
A nominee for a Greenroom Award for his leading role in Iphis, tenor Douglas Kelly once again proved his excellence as Cardano’s youngest son, who is arrested for theft and has an ear cut off. Although the exact nature of the gruesome punishment might have been a little ambiguous in Thursday’s performance, Kelly’s stinging reproach as he accused his father of providing a poor example and never showing love could not have been clearer. The scene towards the end of the opera, where the three children appear as ghosts, was as haunting as anyone could wish, and sung with great beauty of blended tone. Kelly’s dynamic range is a formidable weapon in his vocal armoury. He could be powerfully assertive or blend with others in a light tenor, soft high notes woven in seamlessly.
Belinda Dalton also displayed a wide dynamic vocal range, her soprano voice strong and well-projected – perhaps a little too much at times for the comparatively small space – yet most attractive in softer passages and when adding lustre as the top soprano in ensembles. In her role of Cardano’s mother, she sang with great passion, although the text was not always clear.
All five singers gave outstanding performances both as soloists and ensemble members, making a potent contribution to one of the most important elements of this production: emotional atmosphere. As the audience entered candles flickered on Cardano’s “memento mori” strewn desk at the front of the stage. With house lights directed on the seating, the singers gradually emerged and very slowly took their place on a set bathed in a soft warm glow. As they stood waiting to strike metal bowls or gongs like participants in a religious ritual, we heard faint sounds of whispering wind and the audience became still and silent. The houselights were switched off, the harp provided a note and the orchestra tuned. Then the Latin chant began. During the twelve scenes, a series of living tableaux were formed, evoking Renaissance paintings of Caravaggio-inspired chiaroscuro beauty. We wondered at the stars with little Chiara as the heavens were projected onto the ceiling – and us. Finally, beginning with a solid drumbeat immediately recognisable as music from the Renaissance, Cardano ceremoniously faced death – the death that he had predicted to the day even though he failed to predict the lamentable fate of his children. As in the beginning, the ensemble completed the opera in Latin, in keeping with Finterer’s aim to “capture an essence of Renaissance music by filtering it through a contemporary lens”.
Biographica is an extraordinary achievement, and Lyric Opera’s production has brought it to life in a strikingly memorable way. Not surprisingly, many people have seen it more than once, especially those who hadn’t seen Bailey Montgomerie in the early performances. Don’t miss it!
Photo supplied.
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Heather Leviston reviewed Lyric Opera’s production of “Biographica”at Theatre Works on September 22 and 28, 2023. There are two more performances: Saturday September 30 at 7.30pm and Sunday October 1 at 2.30pm.
