opera – Fever Pitch Magazine

What happens when you combine a solo violin with the physical prowess of an acrobat? Australian composer Chloé Charody and violinist-acrobat Sonja Schebeck have been exploring this combination for years, and their latest collaboration – LIMBO: Sonata for acrobatic violin – is a breathtaking success!

Charody has teamed up with Nightingale Performing Arts to present Stories That Must Be Heard at Melbourne Recital Centre’s Salon. For Charody, this isn’t merely a concert. It is “a form of artistic resistance – a way of giving voice to the voiceless.” The featured works are Charody’s response to the Australian Government’s long-standing policy of indefinite detention for stateless asylum seekers, which led to decades of untold suffering in Australian detention centres.

The concert began with Truth in the Cage: song cycle for soprano – performed by Livia Brash and pianist Jerry Wong. It is a setting of seven harrowing poems by Iranian refugee Mohammad Ali Maleki, who was imprisoned on Manus Island for seven years. Brash performed the English translations of Maleki’s poems from memory, enabling full dramatic commitment, and crafting her richly dark soprano voice to superb effect, while Wong wrung a broad palette of colours from the piano, highlighting the peculiar sweetness of Charody’s harmonic language against the rawness of Maleki’s poetry.

But it was LIMBO that blew the audience away. This is no ordinary violin sonata. The work explores the inner plight of a refugee named Amin (portrayed by Schebeck), who is trapped for nine years in the terrible limbo of immigration detention. She is supported by pianist Allie Wong, and fellow acrobat Josh Frazer, who embodies the external forces acting on Amin – ranging from absurd and harmful bureaucracy, to tender hope and longing.

The result is astonishing. Across seven movements, Schebeck combines violin virtuosity with extreme physicality, as she and Frazer engage in a wild and beautiful pas de deux. Schebeck is lifted, spun, thrown to the ground, and at one point, lifted by her upper teeth – all the while playing Charody’s stirring score with impressive musical vigour and nuance. At such close quarters, the performance feels viscerally dangerous, eliciting gasps from the audience. Yet this wasn’t mere circus novelty. Every movement served the emotional inflections of Charody’s music, enhancing the score with each awe-inspiring act.

Stories That Must Be Heard is a sublime and moving admixture of circus and art music that invigorates both art forms. Furthermore, it powerfully amplifies the voices of refugees, who have been deeply wronged by successive Australian governments. This is Charody’s artistic resistance.

By Stella Joseph-Jarecki Enquiries

Note: A ticket was supplied by the artist in expectation of a review on the blog. No further payment was made.

The cast and crew of Fat Pig take a bow. Credit: Teresa Ingrilli.

Fighting blisteringly cold winds, on Friday 5 June I made my way to the Australian premiere of American opera Fat Pig. My first thought was, what a title! It’s memorable and a conversation-starter.

Presented by Forest Collective and BK Opera, Fat Pig follows the story of Helen and Tom. It’s not your average melodramatic opera love story: rather than a dizzyingly intense affair ending in typical soprano-stage-death, it’s a relatable modern dating story with emotional vulnerability and moments of insecurity on both sides.

Amanda Windred and Kiran Rajasingham in a promotional image.
Credit: Cameron Grant.

The copy around this show sums it up brilliantly:

How many insults can you hear before you have to stand up and defend the woman you love? Tom faces just that question when he falls for Helen, a bright, funny, sexy young woman who happens to be plus-sized – and then some. As Tom faces the taunts and judgment of his peers, Fat Pig questions whether anyone can really see past the surface.

Adapted from Neil LaBute’s award-winning 2004 play, by Australian librettist Miriam Gordon-Stewart and American composer, Matt Boehler, this black comedy examines the nature of beauty and attraction, revealing the operatic reserves of human truth that lie beneath the surface of a workplace rom-com.

It’s not often that I have nothing constructive to say. After all, entirely positive reviews are boring to read. Also, I’m not that easy to please – I’ve seen a lot of average and downright bad shows in my time.

But this production really was quite flawless. Everything worked together in harmony: the direction, the set, the lighting, the music, the acting, and the cast.

I also brought along a friend who had never seen a live opera before, who is otherwise very experienced in the arts and works in the not-for-profit sector. This was an excellent litmus test for how entertaining the show was, without any prior knowledge of the artform… Considering he kept repeating ‘I get opera now!’, and was full of specific compliments towards the cast and direction, I’d say Fat Pig succeeded with flying colours.

There were no weak links in this cast. Amanda Windred was luminous as Helen with an easy warmth on stage and a powerful dramatic soprano voice. She carried the burden of being the protagonist and so-called ‘fat pig’ of the title with absolute grace and star power. It was easy to imagine falling in love with her as Tom does.

She had ample chemistry with baritone Michael Honeyman, who deserves a special shout-out. Not only was his acting and singing full of nuance, but he was a last minute-fill in for Kiran Rajasingham, who sadly came down with covid before opening night. (How 2022 of him.) He sang from a score that he held so naturally in character, you didn’t even notice it at first. I couldn’t help but feel for the embattled Tom, whose judgemental friends never give him a moment of rest for the sin of dating a larger woman. Even when his behaviour defending Helen fell short.

Tenor Daniel Szesiong Todd was exceptional, and exceptionally unlikeable, as the classic office asshole Carter. He was that charismatic guy who would be fun to be around if he wasn’t such a dick all the time. Jeannie, Tom’s petite and beautiful ex, was sung to perfection by soprano Belinda Dal t on. She gave her character nuance, showing that diet culture hurts everyone – both the women who fit into the beauty standard and the ones who don’t. She was also very funny, at one point indignantly protesting (very prettily) that she could ‘bend like a BARBIE DOLLLL!’ in bed with Tom.

The set and costumes were simple and effective. Direction from Kate Millett was assured and cohesive, making great use of a space surrounded by audience on three sides. The ensemble, led by musical director Evan Lawson, played with tight unity and sounded fabulous. And of course, the music and libretto itself was fabulously written and natural. It sounded as much like talking as opera can, following natural speech patterns.

While the season is over, this is your sign to get out and support new operas. When companies like Forest Collective and BK Opera are brave enough to program them, the results are often fabulous.

A huge congratulations to all involved! I urge you to follow the future projects of Forest Collective and BK Opera, and these talented musicians and performers.

Tag: opera

Stories That Must Be Heard

Who are you calling ‘Fat Pig’? A triumphant Australian premiere