Time Pieces is a perfect gem. In fact, it is two, fitting together precisely and in the most satisfying way.
The Spanish Hour, a one-act opera by Maurice Ravel, gives full licence to the actors to overact hugely.
In the nature of farce, some ridiculous things happen, all aimed at seduction. Helen Medlyn as Concepcion is the most eager to get started on the bedroom gymnastics, but she’s thwarted by the problem of getting rid of her husband Torquemada (Richard Greager) and dealing with the arrival of not only her lover Gonzalve (Derek Holt) but also the suitor Don Inigo (Richard Green) and the obliging postman Ramiro (Jared Holt).
There are some tricky comings and goings. How are they all arranged? And just in case we wondered, what happens behind the scenes as Concepcion juggles the four men, trying to keep them all apart so she can choose the most suitable?
It’s an all-star cast, with each of the singers making the most of the farfrom-memorable English translation. The small ensemble of Christchurch Symphony Orchestra members conducted by Louise Clark are wonderfully expressive, suiting their timing to the nuances of the action.
The opera brings plenty of laughs and moves at a fast clip, so all too soon it’s over. How did they manage all those tricky changes? After the interval, Ticked Off gives us a chance to see what is happening behind the scenes. Director Linda Kitchen, herself an accomplished soprano, has devised a cunning interpretation with a set of songs to match. The complete stage set is turned around and the play is staged again, out of sight.
Holt, fairly inexpressive in his Ramiro role, sings with effortless strength in Bella Siccome un Angelo from Don Pasquale. The usually energetic Medlyn shows her sensitive side in a pure rendition of Schumann’s Seit Ich Ihn Gesehen. Despite the distraction of a false stomach strapped on him, Green relishes the chance to sing about scandal in Rossini’s La Calunnia.
Kitchen and Southern Opera have done a fantastic job in assembling a cast featuring some of New Zealand’s best singers. For a small town like Nelson, it was priceless.