Impresarios and producers are frequently enticed by the idea of opera performed somewhere other than the sanctity and security of the opera house, despite the fact that the removal of this less-than-robust art form from its natural home often leads to untold difficulties. In the case of Fidelio on Robben Island — arguably the most appropriate alternative home for Beethoven’s freedom opera concerning a political prisoner freed through the will and cross-dressing endeavours of his faithful wife — the problems proved to be many, but not entirely insurmountable.
Aside from the raising of funds and support for the venture, there were other obstacles in the path of this production — the building of industrial-looking sets at a national monument, the bureaucratic hurdles, and the transportation of an opera audience from the mainland, not to mention the singers and TV crew. In the event the only visible hitch was the late arrival of the last boatload of dignitaries, journalists and dedicated opera lovers. However, staging an opera in the open also means that you are at the mercy of nature — in this case represented by some pretty chilly weather and a few overly vocal seagulls that proved capable of drowning out even Fidelio‘s punchy overture.
Sound production was undeniably a problem. The performance was recorded for television and so could not be amplified for the live audience. The orchestra was frequently inaudible — nestled as it was among the walkways of the prison. Much of Beethoven’s more subtle pieces of orchestration were sadly lost. The cold seemed to affect different parts of the orchestra at different times — unfortunately for the horns they were most undermined during their big moment in Leonora’s showpiece aria.
This production may have been a triumph of wills, but it was only a qualified success for the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. Visiting conductor Heinz Fricke of the Washington Opera seemed not always to be on top of his players — there were some untidy entries and ill-defined pacing — much of this criticism can be blamed on the weather. I suspect the televised version will prove to be a huge improvement on the live experience.
As for the voices, quite appropriately the Norwegian soloists were the least affected by the cold. Carsten Stabell as Rocco gave the most consistent and reliable vocal performance of the evening. South Africa was represented by Durban-based husband-and-wife duo Bongani Tembe and Linda Bukhosini, who took the roles of Jacquino and Marzelline. Characterful and bright, they filled them well and performed admirably the difficult music at the beginning of the evening. Abel Moeng gave a proud, noble and warm-voiced rendition of the cameo role of Don Fernando.
Our indulgence was craved for the throat-infected Moises Parker, but frankly, he should have been replaced. Florestan is a strenuous role, but on this occasion strain became painful to the ear and did nothing to elicit the sympathies of the audience.
The big star of the evening was Irish singer Elizabeth Connell as Leonora/ Fidelio. One of the world’s leading dramatic sopranos, she effortlessly proved worthy of her reputation, producing all the big German sounds, singing with clarity, confidence and vocal grace.
It was unfortunate, however, that her mobility and acting were limited to fairly stock operatic responses and she was further hindered in her portrayal by what must have been the least flattering costume of her career — reminiscent more of a Benny Hill character than an heroic youth. Even once her femininity was released from under her gardener’s hat, Leonora had clearly suffered a bad hat-hair moment.
Leonora aside, the look and feel of the production was updated to 1990s South Africa, which, given the setting, gave relevance to the work and added to the sense of occasion.
I shall end as the evening did, positively. Witnessing prisoners edge forward from their subterranean cells singing Beethoven’s glorious music in this most historically significant of prisons was a truly moving experience and the additions of recorded speeches by Nelson Mandela interspersed throughout the work drove home Beethoven’s vision of freedom, equality and universality. The opera ends with a rousing choral tribute to freedom and democracy. The Cape Town Opera chorus was nothing short of superb with toyi-toying and South African flags waving, the audience were brought to their feet with all the relatively minor hiccups of the evening forgiven.