This being the first opera I have ever attended I thought the singing was amazing.

Was happy to see the subtitles up on the wall so I could understand what was happening.

I don’t think Opera is the right genre for me as it felt like it was a bit dragged out.

Just don’t think it’s my thing.

The latest from Opera Queensland and opening show of the 2022 season is an exploration of women in Opera, how they have been portrayed and remembered.
Written by Sarah Holland-Batt with direction by Laura Hannsford and Patrick Nolan I feel grossly under qualified to speak to the technical prowess of Opera so from that I will refrain.

That said, to me it seemed flawless.

The Sopranos themselves, with their powerful voices filling the auditorium in perfect tone and holding notes for what seemed like inhuman duration were impressive to say the least (unfortunately I cannot credit all the singers as there were a lot of understudies in the matinee performance and I could not keep up with my note keeping).

Supported by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the conductorship of Jessica Gethin and supported by the Opera Queensland Chorus it was a delight to behold.

The orchestra was sat at the back of the stage which to the front had naked mannequins that would soon be dressed with the fragments of tragedy and torment of the heroines of the first act.

We were taken on a journey of individual operatic numbers from Tosca to Sappho, Carmen to Nabucco.

If this all sounds too highbrow for you then fear not.

English subtitles are projected on the front of the balcony above the stage to allow one not fluent in multiple languages to follow along and each scene was introduced by a narrator giving you a ‘cliffs notes’ style background for context.

Adjacent to the subtitles were on occasion live projections of the scene on stage, ordinarily I believe this sort of mixing of video and live performance can be distracting but not here; this just complimented live action perfectly even enhancing the emotion portrayed.  

Act one was strong, one really felt the pain of the leads as they suffered on stage as they have time and time again for hundreds of years, it was moving and powerful to say the least.

Costuming (Karen Cochet and Bianca Bulley) throughout was perfect and excellent in its simplicity adding a wonderful mix of modernity and the classic.

During the interval I remember thinking to myself that I would appreciate an act two that was not as tragic and tortured.

Which brought to mind my privilege as a man and thought that all of these characters from act one would I am sure appreciated the same.

Act two started as strong as act one with that feeling of hope that I desired – did I desire that or did I need some relief from traumatic lives of those that had come before?
I am not sure what I expected from the rest of the second act, maybe it’s that opera does not have many examples of women that are not in distress or maybe as a society we take more pleasure in watching the suffering of others.

Either way act two did not have the same impact as act one.

Act three was short ending with a Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly which felt like a time to reflect.

One hopes that the audience did take time to reflect, not only on the representation of women in Opera but how as a society we treat women in general because I truly do believe that heroines are addictive. 

As not a regular to the opera it was with anticipation that I attended this performance.

A minimal set and simple costume the first half performance set the scene for a deep, thought-provoking and, at most part, a depressing portrayal of the female character over the centuries.

Dark or dispiriting the performances and the music were rich in their sorrow and despair.

I must admit that by the end of the first scene I was feeling sad for the female characters and hoped the second scene was more uplifting.

Thankfully the second scene presented a stronger female character, both bold and in control of her destiny; ending on a high note of female strength and resilience.

A fabulous and emotional performance by all singers, supported by a cast ensemble and orchestra.

Opera Queensland’s new work, The Sopranos, explores eras of expectations of women’s roles in the world of opera, which usually end with madness and/or an intense death.

With a majority-female cast and crew, and 10 of Opera Queensland’s leading voices performing some of opera’s best-known scenes, it is an inspiring work, that rejoices strong, powerful women taking down patriarchy and feels very current today.

Each piece merged into the next , in a dream like sequence with enchanting, emotive, spoken words narrating in the background, while the artists walked off stage and the next ones entered.

The use of video footage of the vocalists as they performed, projected onto the screen behind in arty cinematography added to the spectacular staging.

The costumes were stunning with structured dresses and suits that were intense, edgy, and looked fit for any couture runway.

Every performer leaving a portion of their ensemble behind on the inventive mannequins  scattered across the stage helped to intertwine each act and meld the whole show together.

The arias were performed equally as beautifully as the ones they followed but I found the non-English pieces more dramatic and impactful.

Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s accompaniment was commanding and magnificent, again led by a fabulous female.

I loved them all but Eva Kong and Hayley Sugars were standouts for me.

Closing everything off was the “Humming Chorus” from Madame Butterfly which was understated but absolutely exquisite.

Overall, I found the night to be a wonderful, emotionally powerful celebration of ‘best of’ women’s operas from throughout the centuries and I would highly recommend to all.

I must confess – I’m an opera virgin.

Apart from a few brief encounters, I’ve largely steered clear of the genre.

So I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the opening night of Opera Queensland’s The Sopranos, apart from some amazing vocals in a language I probably wouldn’t understand, and a touch of tragedy.

It was so much more.

This opera is a powerful portrayal of brave, strong, and at times slightly mad women throughout history, wrapped in beautiful and emotive music.

It’s gruesome in places, funny in others, includes some works in English, and the subtitles were wonderful for keeping track of the various storylines.

The poetic narrative throughout added to the ambience.

For me, the songs in English took away from the magic, perhaps because I couldn’t adjust to the rhythm of opera vocals.

But overall The Sopranos is a wonderful introduction into this world of musical storytelling.