Metoo and the mystique of mozart’s pantsman

William YeomanThe West Australian ‘On the fault line between classicism and romanticism, Mozart himself goes beyond anything he had done up to that point,” writes WA Opera artistic director

Brad Cohen in his latest blog, about Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. “He created musical darknesses and vistas which were entirely new to human ears. Don Giovanni sent messages into the future,

messages which obsessed the Romantics. These messages — cryptic, oracular, passionate — come to us now from beyond the grave, holding us in their seductive, imaginative embrace.” In this

age of #MeToo, there are perhaps other resonances, other messages Don Giovanni sends us. As even Cohen admits, “there are aspects of this opera which are ugly, distasteful and deeply

alienating. The Don is not a rake — he is a rapist, a murderer and a bully.” Don Giovanni is a nobleman who is anything but noble, a serial seducer who leaves a lot of angry women in his

wake, among them Donna Anna, with whom he has his way before killing her father in a duel. “Don Giovanni is not a nice guy,” says Australian soprano Anita Watson, who is Donna Anna to Teddy

Tahu-Rhodes’ Don Giovanni in WA Opera’s production which opens Saturday. “But he gets his just desserts,” she laughs. For Watson, Donna Anna is a deeply psychological role, a situation

compounded by having to deal with the imposing presence of Rhodes. “He’s such a charismatic and imposing figure on stage,” she says. “He’s so huge that with the raked stage you have to be

careful where you place yourself so you can be seen.” Don Giovanni, which also features Emma Pearson, James Clayton and Jud Arthur, brings to a dramatic close WA Opera’s 2018 season. In the

mix was a free Opera in the Park performance of La Boheme, Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen (a WAO first) and former WAO artistic director Lindy Hume’s classic production of Carmen. Next

year’s season is, if anything, looking even more dramatic, exciting and novel. Bookended by two Verdi operas — La Traviata for Opera in the Park (a first in this venue) and Macbeth (yet

another WAO first) are Barrie Kosky’s startling original production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute with animation by British theatre group 1927 and — yes, another WAO first — Stephen Sondheim’s

musical Sweeney Todd, starring Ben Mingay as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street himself. “WA Opera’s never done Sondheim before,” Cohen says. “It’s part of our widening of the window if you

like, of what opera can be in this State.” Opera Australia has performed a number of musicals, such as South Pacific and My Fair Lady. Some audiences have asked whether this is part of their

remit, and that they should really stick to opera. “We’ve been asked those same questions,” Cohen admits. “But in Europe and the US (performing musicals) is a normal part of the operatic

season. And let’s face it: (Lehar’s operetta) The Merry Widow is close to a musical. Things don’t belong in silos, it’s all on a continuum. Sweeney Todd is very much at the classy end of the

spectrum and I’m very happy to program it.” One might also ask why two Verdi operas in the same season? “There’s a very specific reason for that,” Cohen says. “La Traviata hasn’t been in

the park before. Macbeth is something new to Perth. And the two are very well-complemented by Kosky’s Magic Flute, which is so different from any other production and in some ways so

confronting.” Cohen says we are fortunate to have Perth boy James Clayton, back in town to sing the role of Don Giovanni’s servant Leporello, on hand for Macbeth. “James is singing like a

god at the moment,” Cohen says. “If he lived in Europe he’d be doing all the major houses. We’re lucky to have him.” DON GIOVANNI is at His Majesty’s Theatre on October 20, 23, 25 & 27.

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