Platée – Pinchgut Opera (2021)

PINCHGUT OPERA PRESENTS

BY RAMEAU

CITY RECITAL HALL 1–8 DECEMBER 2021 SPECIAL SOUVENIR EDITION

Platee Program.indd 1

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Help us continue making music that inspires…

Without the vital support from our donor family, Pinchgut would simply not exist. As we come to the end of another year full of challenge and triumph, we look to you once again and ask you to please consider making a contribution toward our end-of-year fundraising campaign.

To donate, visit pinchgutopera.com.au/donate or phone 02 9318 8344 All gifts over $2 are fully tax deductible Alexandra Oomens and Max Riebl in The Loves of Apollo & Dafne (photo by Brett Boardman)

Platee Program.indd 2

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE

MUSIC

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)

LIBRETTO

Jacques Autreau (1657–1745) revised for Rameau by Adrien-Joseph Le Valois d’Orville (1715–1780) and Sylvain Ballot de Sauvot (1703–1760)

CAST

Kanen Breen

Platée

Cathy-Di Zhang

L’Amour, La Folie

Nicholas Jones

Thespis, Mercury

David Greco

Momus

Adrian Tamburini

A Satyr, Cithéron

Peter Coleman-Wright

Jupiter

Cheryl Barker

Juno

Chloe Lankshear

Clarine

Amy Moore

Thalie

Cantillation

Chorus

Orchestra of the Antipodes CONDUCTOR

Erin Helyard

DIRECTOR

Neil Armfield

DESIGNER

Stephen Curtis

MOVEMENT DIRECTOR

Shannon Burns

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Alexander Berlage

VIDEO DESIGNER

Sean Bacon

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Eugene Lynch There will be one interval of 20 minutes following Act I. Sung in French with English surtitles.

The performance will finish at approximately 9.45pm on Wednesday and Thursday, at 4.45pm on Saturday and 7.45pm on Sunday. latée was first performed at the wedding of the Dauphin Louis with P Maria Theresia of Spain on 31 March 1745 at the Grande Écurie, Versailles, and received its Paris premiere in 1749. These are the Australian premiere performances.

This production uses M. Elizabeth C. Bartlett’s performing edition of Platée RCT53 (Jean-Philippe Rameau Opera Omnia, Series IV, 10) published by Bärenreiter/Alkor Kassel and supplied by Clear Music Australia Pty Ltd, as their exclusive hire agents in Australia and New Zealand. latée is being recorded by ABC Classic for future broadcast.

P Any microphones you observe are for recording not amplification. latée is being filmed in partnership with Australian Theatre Live for P cinematic and digital release in 2022.

We acknowledge the traditional owners of this land: the Gadigal people of the Eora nation – the first storytellers and singers of songs.

We pay our respects to their elders – past, present and emerging.

1

Platee Program.indd 3

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE WELCOME FROM PINCHGUT OPERA

After the enormous challenges of 2021, it seems somewhat miraculous to be writing this letter, welcoming you to our production of Rameau’s Platée. This production represents the jewel in the crown of the glittering array of events we had planned to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pinchgut Opera this year. Due to the pandemic, some of our concerts had to be regretfully cancelled, but we are thrilled to be able to present for you one of Rameau’s greatest operas with an all-Australian cast and crew in a production directed by Neil Armfield, making his Pinchgut debut.

French society in 1745 was a perilous place where an ill-timed word or action might cause one to be “cancelled” at any moment and condescension, lies and humiliation were common tactics as people scurried for positions of power. Mockery and marginalisation were rife as society structured itself around a power system that threatened to fall apart under ever-widening inequalities.

Sound familiar?

Platée is the Enlightenment opera for our time. In their biting satire, Rameau and Autreau hold up a mirror to the audience as we witness (and seemingly take part in) the cruel and utter humiliation of the gauche outsider, Platée, who – when all is said and done – is the only character who remains true and honest to herself and to others. It is Rameau at the height of his powers. Platée has polish, wit and sublime elegance in abundance. Rameau’s colourful score is full of the French Baroque’s greatest stylistic and decorative attributes.

Next year sees Pinchgut increasingly travel further afield from our opera and concert season in Sydney and Melbourne. From tours to Armidale and Newcastle, festivals in regional NSW and more concerts in Melbourne, to sojourns at UKARIA for the Adelaide Festival, in its 21st year Pinchgut continues to spread its wings.

Our 2022 season showcases two contrasting operas from the opposite ends of the 17th century.

In Orontea we have yet another masterful libretto by the writer of Giasone, set by the great Italian composer Antonio Cesti. In summer 2022 we present the only opera the great Charpentier wrote for the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris: his tragic masterpiece Médée.

Following on from our successful tour of Monteverdi’s Vespers, we present highlights from Monteverdi’s sacred collection Selva morale e spirituale (The Spiritual Forest) in addition to a superb selection of Vivaldi’s sacred music from his tenure at the all-female music school in Venice, the Ospedale della Pietà. For this concert we welcome back dear friend and Pinchgut alumna, Miriam Allan, one of the world’s greatest sopranos and Baroque specialists.

It is a great delight to share City Recital Hall with you today, and especially so after so many months when live performance was impossible. Many of you have supported Pinchgut with messages, donations, and words of encouragement. On behalf of the creative team and all the artists that we work with, I want to thank you for your enduring support as we continue to present for you the very best performances, in both live performance and digital recordings, of the finest operas and vocal music from the Baroque.

Erin Helyard Artistic Director

2

Platee Program.indd 4

22/11/21 12:05 pm

It is wonderful to welcome you back to the theatre after many months of lockdown when live performance ceased. At times there were moments when we didn’t know if we would be able to stage this ambitious and extraordinary work by Rameau with this iconic Australian cast and creative team. In true Pinchgut spirit, we carefully considered all the options and risks and made the bold decision to proceed. And as it turns out, Platée is the perfect production to rejoice in seeing each other again and celebrate Baroque opera and the magic of live performance.

Throughout this tumultuous period, we have been grateful to be able to rely on our wonderful donor family – whose generous and abiding support has enabled us to emerge from yet another lockdown to create this magnificent production for our audiences.

Many of you have been with us since the very first productions and, as we celebrate our 20th year, our donor family remains a crucial part of ensuring our future.

The excitement at Pinchgut is at an all-time high after many months apart, coupled with the chance to finally bring together this brilliant creative and artistic team for the pinnacle of our 20th year celebrations.

During the lockdown period, we lost more than 11 weeks of vital ticket sales, so we have had a mountain to climb to make up lost ground. Thank you for supporting us by coming to see Platée – and we ask you to help us spread the word by telling your family, friends and work colleagues that Pinchgut is back with what will surely be the most exhilarating and entertaining night at the opera this year.

We would also like to thank the Arts Minister the Hon. Don Harwin MLC and the NSW Government, through Create NSW, who have provided crucial support to Pinchgut Opera and the arts industry throughout the lockdown period and as we emerge.

Throughout 2021 our digital platform Pinchgut At Home has been growing in both content and engagement with hundreds of viewers. We are pleased to partner again with Australian Theatre Live to film Platée, which will be released via Pinchgut At Home in 2022 and in cinemas around Australia.

From all of us, thank you for your ongoing support and love for Pinchgut. We look forward to welcoming you back for our 2022 Season.

Cressida Griffith General Manager

3

Platee Program.indd 5

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Kanen Breen as Platée (photo: Marnya Rothe)

4

Platee Program.indd 6

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT PINCHGUT OPERA

Pinchgut Opera celebrates the beauty and breadth of emotions through music and the human voice.

Other companies do the more familiar operas and early music repertoire excellently; Pinchgut helps audiences discover something new.

Early opera is like wine: it comes in a fascinating variety of different styles, genres, tastes and colours.

Before steamships, railroads and mass production, music thrived in widespread but localised centres of experimentation and refinement. As cities became more connected, operas became less varied and more standardised. Pinchgut Opera scours this period from opera’s birth to its flowering in the Baroque to bring you the very best masterworks from this dazzling and fertile time in music history.

No one in Australia is better placed than the award-winning Pinchgut Opera to bring you these works – offering an experience true to the glory and spirit of the Baroque.

Pinchgut’s Opera Productions 2002 Handel Semele

2015 Vivaldi Bajazet

2003 Purcell The Fairy Queen

2015 Grétry L’Amant jaloux

2004 Monteverdi Orfeo

2016 Haydn Armida

2005 Rameau Dardanus

2016 Handel Theodora

2006 Mozart Idomeneo

2017 Triple Bill: Rameau Anacréon Rameau Pigmalion Vinci Erighetta & Don Chilone

2007 Vivaldi Juditha Triumphans 2008 Charpentier David et Jonathas 2009 Cavalli Ormindo 2010 Haydn L’anima del filosofo 2011 Vivaldi Griselda 2012 Rameau Castor et Pollux

2017 Monteverdi The Coronation of Poppea 2018 Handel Athalia 2018 Hasse Artaserse 2019 Monteverdi The Return of Ulysses

2013 Cavalli Giasone

2019 Vivaldi Farnace

2014 Salieri The Chimney Sweep

2021 Cavalli The Loves of Apollo & Dafne

2014 Gluck Iphigénie en Tauride

2021 Rameau Platée

In 2021 we celebrate our 20th year and with Platée our 26th stage production. Since those first performances of Semele in 2002 we have grown in reach and number of performances.

In 2014 we began producing two operas a year and this season the wickedly funny Platée has been paired with Cavalli’s Loves of Apollo & Dafne. More recently we have journeyed into concert repertoire, including acclaimed performances earlier this year of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610. Our creative response to the practical challenges of the pandemic saw the creation of A Delicate Fire, a groundbreaking opera-film featuring music by Barbara Strozzi.

We are forever grateful to you, our audience, who buy tickets and place your trust in us to lead you on a journey of musical discovery. And we especially thank our donors, whose support allows us to continue to present music that inspires, and the NSW Government through Create NSW that supports Pinchgut Opera through the Annual Organisation and Rescue & Restart Funding.

SUPPORTERS

Pinchgut Opera is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.

THANKS TO

5

Platee Program.indd 7

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Cathy-Di Zhang as L’Amour (photo: Marnya Rothe)

6

Platee Program.indd 8

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Erin Helyard Conductor, Harpsichord Erin Helyard has been acclaimed as an inspiring conductor, a virtuosic and expressive performer on the harpsichord and fortepiano, and a lucid scholar who is passionate about promoting discourse between musicology and performance.

He graduated in harpsichord performance from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with first-class honours and the University Medal. He completed his Master’s degree in fortepiano performance and a PhD in musicology with Tom Beghin at the Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal.

As Artistic Director and co-founder of Pinchgut Opera and the Orchestra of the Antipodes, he has forged new standards of excellence in historically informed performance in Australia. Under his direction, Pinchgut won Best Rediscovered Opera (2019) for Hasse’s Artaserse at the International Opera Awards in London, as well as the Best Opera category at the Helpmann Awards for three consecutive years (2015–2017).

He has received two Helpmann awards for Best Musical Direction: one for a feted revival of Saul for the Adelaide Festival (2017), the other for Artaserse (2019). And together with Richard Tognetti, he won an ARIA Award for Best Classical Album in 2020.

Erin Helyard regularly appears as a collaborator with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and as a conductor he has distinguished himself in dynamic performances with the Sydney, Adelaide, Tasmanian and Queensland symphony orchestras, the Australian Haydn Ensemble, and as a duo partner on historical pianos with baritone David Greco and pianist Stephanie McCallum. In 2018 he was recognised with a Music and Opera Singers Trust Achievement Award (MAA) for contribution to the arts in Australia. He is a Senior Lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

22nd Pinchgut opera production

Neil Armfield Director Neil Armfield AO is joint artistic director of Adelaide Festival and cofounder of Belvoir Theatre, where he was the inaugural artistic director for 17 years, directing more than 50 productions with particular focus on Australian Indigenous theatre and plays by Patrick White, David Hare, Ibsen, Gogol and Shakespeare.

His work in theatre includes Cloudstreet (Belvoir, UK’s National Theatre and a world tour); The Book of Everything (Australia, New York); The Judas Kiss (in Australia and with Rupert Everett in the UK and US); Things I Know To Be True (Belvoir); I’m Not Running (National Theatre); and The Secret River (Australian tour and National Theatre); and with Geoffrey Rush: Diary of a Madman (Russia, Australia, New York), Exit the King (Australia and on Broadway) and King Lear (Sydney).

In opera, he has directed the premieres of Alan John’s Frankie and The Eighth Wonder, Graeme Koehne’s Love Burns, and Brett Dean’s Bliss and Hamlet (Glyndebourne and Adelaide Festival). He has also directed Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, Ariadne auf Naxos, Jenůfa, Katya Kabanova, The Makropulos Secret, The Cunning Little Vixen, Sweeney Todd, The Turn of the Screw, Billy Budd, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter Grimes and Der Ring des Nibelungen, for companies including English National Opera, Royal Opera House, Chicago Lyric Opera, Zurich Opera, Bregenz Festival, Opera Australia, Canadian Opera, Welsh National Opera, Washington National Opera and Houston Grand Opera.

His television credits include Edens Lost (AFI Award for Best Director), The Fisherman’s Wake (ATOM Award for Best Original Production) and Coral Island. Films include Candy (AFI Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, AWGIE Award for Best Screenplay) and Holding the Man. Neil Armfield has won 12 Helpmann Awards and many Sydney Theatre, Victorian Green Room and Sydney Theatre Critics’ Circle awards. He holds honorary doctorates from Sydney, Adelaide and NSW universities and was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in 2007.

First Pinchgut opera production

7

Platee Program.indd 9

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Kanen Breen Platée Kanen Breen is one of Australia’s most sought-after operatic tenors and a renowned concert and cabaret artist.

He has long been established as a contracted artist at Opera Australia singing such roles as Camille in The Merry Widow, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore, Marco Palmieri in The Gondoliers, Caius in Falstaff, Monostatos in The Magic Flute, Sellem in The Rake’s Progress, Pong in Turandot, Andres/Cochenille/Frantz, Pittichinaccio and Nathanael in The Tales of Hoffmann, Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, the title role in Albert Herring, Johnny in Bliss at the Edinburgh Festival and the Scientist in The Rabbits by Kate Miller-Heidke at the Perth, Melbourne and Sydney festivals.

Appearances for Victorian Opera include the roles of Tweedledee, The White King and Violet in Through the Looking Glass, The Beadle in Sweeney Todd, the premiere seasons of Banquet of Secrets and ’Tis Pity; and for Opera Queensland, Nanki-Poo, Nadir in The Pearlfishers, Ramiro in La Cenerentola and Andy Warhol in The Perfect American.

Other roles include Rodolfo in Baz Luhrmann’s La Bohème on Broadway, appearing as Willy Wonka in the Gordon Frost Organisation production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and critically acclaimed performances as Wilhelm in The Black Rider for The Malthouse and as the Witch of Endor in the Glyndebourne Festival Opera production of Handel’s Saul (2017), for which he won a Helpmann Award for Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera.

His past appearances for Pinchgut Opera include Erice in L’Ormindo, and Arnalta in L’incoronazione di Poppea, for which he again won a Helpmann Award.

Third Pinchgut opera production Cathy-Di Zhang L’ Amour, La Folie Award-winning Australian soprano Cathy-Di Zhang is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, London. Since returning to Australia last year, she has appeared in two solo concerts for the Castlemaine State Festival as well as making her company and role debut as Micaëla in Opera Australia’s national tour of Carmen.

Appearing as L’Amour/La Folie in Platée marks her surprise Pinchgut Opera debut and she will return in the company’s 2022 season to sing Créuse in Charpentier’s Médée. Also in 2022, she will make her company debut with State Opera South Australia as Mimì in their Bohème on the Beach Puccini spectacular.

She is also looking forward to making her Victorian Opera debut in the main role of Zhu Yingtai in Richard Mills’ new work The Butterfly Lovers, in collaboration with Wild Rice Theatre in Singapore.

And she will again tour for Opera Australia, appearing as Rosina in Priscilla Jackman’s new production of The Barber of Seville.

Before the pandemic, she sang the role of Mädchen in Weill’s Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny in a new production by Tony Award-winning director Ivo van Hove for Festival d’Aix-en-Provence under Esa-Pekka Salonen and subsequently for Dutch National Opera under Markus Stenz. Other opera credits include Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), the title role in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Lauretta and Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) and Lisa (La sonnambula).

Cathy-Di Zhang has also appeared as a soloist with orchestras all over Europe and China and she performs regularly in chamber music throughout Italy in trio and quartet (with violin, cello and piano).

Cathy-Di Zhang is sponsored by Emily and Yvonne Chang for this production.

First Pinchgut opera production

8

Platee Program.indd 10

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Nicholas Jones Thespis, Mercury Brilliant young tenor Nicholas Jones won a Green Room Award for his portrayal of David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for Opera Australia and was nominated for a Helpmann Award for this same role.

Other appearances for Opera Australia have included principal roles in Carmen, Il turco in Italia, The Nose by Shostakovich and Two Weddings, One Bride. He also sang Tamino and Almaviva in Opera Australia’s touring productions of The Magic Flute and The Barber of Seville.

In 2016 he created the role of Fish Lamb in the premiere of George Palmer’s Cloudstreet for State Opera South Australia. He has sung Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia (Victorian Opera); Britten’s Canticles and Stefan Cassomenos’ Art of Thought (Melbourne Recital Centre); Britten’s Serenade for tenor, horn and strings at ANAM and Haydn’s Creation for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. He was also an original cast member in Deborah Cheetham’s Indigenous opera Pecan Summer.

Most recently, he sang Tom in Christina’s World for State Opera South Australia, and Michael Driscoll in the premiere of Whiteley and Tony in West Side Story, both for Opera Australia. And in 2020 he appeared in Pinchgut Opera’s film A Delicate Fire.

Nicholas Jones is the current recipient of the Dame Heather Begg Memorial Award.

First Pinchgut opera production David Greco Momus Internationally regarded for his interpretations of Schubert Lieder and the works of J.S. Bach, baritone David Greco has sung on some of the finest stages across Europe and has appeared as a principal in opera festivals such as Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and Glyndebourne. In 2014 he was the first Australian appointed to a position with the Sistine Chapel Choir in the Vatican.

He regularly appears with leading Australian ensembles such as the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra and, most recently, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in their Helpmann Awardwinning concerts of Bach’s cantata, Ich habe genug. As a principal artist with Opera Australia, he appeared in The Eighth Wonder and The Love for Three Oranges, and his appearance as Seneca in Pinchgut’s Coronation of Poppea received critical acclaim.

His impressive catalogue of solo recordings includes Poems of Love and War, featuring arias by New Zealand composer Jack Body (Naxos), and his first recital album, presenting music by Bach (Brilliant Classics).

David Greco is an active researcher into the historical performance practice of 19th-century vocal music and recently received his doctorate from Melbourne University. This led to the first Australian recordings of historically informed performances of Schubert’s song cycles Winterreise and Die schöne Müllerin (ABC Classic), the latter receiving an ARIA nomination for Best Classical Album (2020).

11th Pinchgut opera production Adrian Tamburini A Satyr, Cithéron Adrian Tamburini has enjoyed a long and varied career as an opera singer, concert performer, music educator, director and producer. In 2017 he won Australia’s prestigious singing award, the Opera Awards (YMF Australia Award, Armstrong Martin Scholarship). His singing has featured on cinema releases of opera, CD and DVD recordings, motion picture soundtracks, radio and television. He is proud to have worked with companies such as Opera Australia, West Australian Opera, Melbourne Opera, Lost and Found Opera, National Opera, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Zelman Symphony Orchestra, Sydney University Graduate Choir, Melbourne Bach Choir, West Australian Symphony Orchestra and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra.

Over the past few years he has focused on sharing his passion for music by teaching the next generation of musicians at Pure Harmony Music Studio in Melbourne.

Adrian Tamburini has worked with renowned conductors and directors such as Asher Fisch, Andrea Molino, Andrea Battistoni, Jonathan Darlington, Pietari Inkinen, Carlo Montanaro, Renato Palumbo, Guillaume Tourniaire, David McVicar, and Francesca Zambello, as well as Australians Jessica Cottis, Barrie Kosky, Bruce Beresford and John Bell. He is proud to be making his debut with Pinchgut Opera this year.

First Pinchgut opera production 9

Platee Program.indd 11

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Peter Coleman-Wright Jupiter Peter Coleman-Wright AO is widely considered one of the most versatile singers in the world today. His extensive and varied repertoire has taken him to many of the world’s greatest opera companies and concert halls. He has sung throughout Europe, including appearances at La Scala Milan, La Fenice Venice, Netherlands Opera, Munich, Vienna, Geneva, Paris, Bordeaux, Flanders and at the Aix-en-Provence and Bregenz festivals.

In the UK he has been a frequent guest of the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, The Barbican, Bridgewater Hall Manchester and Wigmore Hall.

In North America he has sung at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Houston, Santa Fe and Vancouver. He has sung extensively for Opera Australia and has worked with all the major symphony orchestras in all the principal concert halls in Australia.

He has sung more than 60 roles including Figaro, Forester, Scarpia, Sharpless, Don Giovanni, the Count, Onegin, Dandini, Billy Budd, Macbeth, Gunther, Germont, Wolfram, Beckmesser, Donner and Sweeney Todd. His numerous accolades include Helpmann Awards, Green Room Awards and Performer of the Year. Engagements include concerts in Madrid, Moscow and Amsterdam as well as for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Aldeburgh World Orchestra, where he received a Grammy nomination for The Rape of Lucretia.

He has recorded extensively for EMI, Telarc, Hyperion, ABC Classic and the LSO and SSO “Live” labels. Most recently, he has become Artistic Director of Pacific Opera’s Young Artist Program and, in 2019, National Opera.

Peter Coleman-Wright holds an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Melbourne and was made an Officer in the Order of Australia in 2015.

First Pinchgut opera production

Cheryl Barker Juno Cheryl Barker AO has established a distinguished operatic career throughout the UK, Europe, USA and Australasia. She has performed for the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Paris Opera, Netherlands Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Hamburg State Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Opéra National du Rhin, De Vlaamse Opera, La Monnaie, Opera Holland Park, Reis Opera, Scottish Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Minnesota Opera, Vancouver Opera, Taipei Opera, Opera Queensland, Opera Australia, State Opera South Australia, New Zealand Opera, Victoria State Opera and West Australian Opera.

Her repertoire includes the title roles in Jenůfa, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Manon Lescaut, Rusalka, Arabella, Salome (for which she won Green Room and Helpmann awards), Adriana Lecouvreur and Katya Kabanova. Other roles include the Countess (Le nozze di Figaro), Mimì (Baz Luhrmann’s production of La Bohème), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Marschellin (Der Rosenkavalier), Chrysothemis (Elektra), The Governess and Miss Jessel (The Turn of the Screw), Desdemona (Otello), Marie (Die tote Stadt) and Emilia Marty (The Makropoulos Secret).

She has appeared in concert at Wigmore Hall, the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Konzerthaus Wien and Koningin Elisabethzaal Belgium; for the Australian Festival of Chamber Music and Brisbane, Melbourne and Spoletto festivals; and with the Sydney, Queensland, Melbourne and West Australian symphony orchestras.

Her recordings include Seduction & Persuasion and Beethoven 9 (ABC Classic); La bohème, Madama Butterfly and Der Rosenkavalier (CD and DVD for OA), Madama Butterfly, Great Operatic Arias with the LPO, Katya Kabanova, Rusalka and The Makropoulos Case (Chandos); and Madama Butterfly (Belgium and Netherlands Television).

Cheryl Barker was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours and holds an Honorary Doctorate of Music conferred by the Victorian College of the Arts.

First Pinchgut opera production

10

Platee Program.indd 12

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Chloe Lankshear Clarine, chorus Chloe Lankshear is an accomplished Sydney-based soprano whose performance career ranges from operatic productions to classical contemporary recitals and commission premieres. She has performed with Pinchgut Opera and State Opera South Australia, and has been a featured soloist with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Bach Akademie Australia, and the Choir of St James’ King Street. She is also a principal artist with The Song Company.

In 2020 she appeared in Pinchgut Opera’s film A Delicate Fire, as well as their mini-series of recorded madrigals, and recorded a Behind Doors concert with classical guitarist Heathcliffe Auchinachie at Phoenix Central Park Studio. In 2021 she sang in the premiere of Paul Stanhope’s Requiem at City Recital Hall, toured with Pinchgut Opera and was a soloist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in their Baroque Revelry program. Next year she will be a featured artist at Bendigo Chamber Festival, and will sing with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

Chloe Lankshear is the inaugural Taryn Fiebig Scholar.

First Pinchgut opera production Amy Moore Thalie, chorus British soprano Amy Moore moved to Australia in 2015. She has performed as a soloist with many prominent European orchestras, including the Gabrieli Consort, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Bochumer Symphoniker and Hanover Band.

With EXAUDI vocal ensemble she premiered countless new works, performing in Europe with Ensemble Modern, L’Instant Donné and Ensemble Intercontemporain. She sang with virtually all the leading UK vocal ensembles and was a member of Norway’s Edvard Grieg Kor, performing regularly with Bergen National Opera, as well as taking the role of Iseut in Frank Martin’s secular oratorio Le Vin herbé.

She has performed as soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Bach Akademie Australia, Choir of St James’ King Street, Trinity College Choir Melbourne, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and Sydney University Graduate Choir. She received warm reviews for her performances at the 2019 Canberra International Music Festival, singing Bach’s St John Passion and the role of Vikki in Andrew Schultz’s opera The Children’s Bach.

She is a Principal Artist with The Song Company, recently performing and recording Messiaen’s song cycle Harawi with Artistic Director Antony Pitts.

Amy has performed in concert with Pinchgut Opera and makes her operatic debut with Platée.

First Pinchgut opera production

11

Platee Program.indd 13

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Stephen Curtis Designer Stephen Curtis has worked extensively as a costume and set designer for drama, film, opera, physical theatre and dance. Major credits include La bohème (West Australian Opera, Opera Queensland and Opera Australia); Lulu, The Cunning Little Vixen and The Turn of the Screw (Opera Australia, Houston Grand Opera); Der Ring des Nibelungen (State Opera South Australia); The Secret River (Edinburgh Festival, Adelaide Festival, Sydney Theatre Company); A Man with Five Children, The Government Inspector, Heartbreak House (Sydney Theatre Company); Black Diggers (Queensland Theatre Company, Sydney Festival); I Am Eora (Sydney Festival); All About My Mother, Life x 3, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Tribes, Rock ’n’ Roll and The Blue Room (Melbourne Theatre Company); The Winter’s Tale, Henry IV, The Wars of the Roses, The Government Inspector and The Servant of Two Masters (Bell Shakespeare); and Cursed!, Things I Know To Be True, Barbara and the Camp Dogs, The Drover’s Wife, Gwen in Purgatory and Scorched (Belvoir).

His credits as a production designer for film include Looking For Alibrandi, Bedevil and Night Cries.

He has also published Staging Ideas: Set and Costume Design for Theatre as a guide to the art of theatre design, and The Designer: Decorator or Dramaturg? as a Platform Paper interrogating the contemporary role of the performance designer.

First Pinchgut opera production Shannon Burns Movement Director Shannon Burns grew up in the central Queensland town of Gladstone.

At 15 she moved away from home to pursue a career on stage, studying ballet full-time at the Queensland Dance School of Excellence before continuing her training at ED5 International in Sydney.

She first worked with Pinchgut Opera in 2020 on the film A Delicate Fire, directed by Constantine Costi. This year she choreographed Opera Australia’s La Traviata on Sydney Harbour, also directed by Costi.

Other OA projects include assisting Kelley Abbey on Salome (2019), choreographing the company’s New Year’s Eve Gala and Opera for the People, and the Sydney Harbour production of Carmen. She was on the choreographic team for the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony (2020), working with the Michael Cassel Group and New Ground Collective, and her choreography has featured in other large-scale events, including the 2016 Netball World Cup Opening Ceremony. Most recently she was Resident Movement Director for Darlinghurst Theatre Company’s return season of Once.

Other stage credits include Fame – The Musical (Australian tour), Grease (Australian tour) and Le Grand Cirque. She has made regular television appearances and worked with many Australian and international music artists, including Ricky Martin, Jessica Mauboy, Ricki-Lee, Red Foo and Sneaky Sound System. She has also performed in large-scale events, held international contracts and appeared in feature films, TV commercials and music videos.

First Pinchgut opera production Alexander Berlage Lighting Designer Alexander Berlage is an award-winning director and lighting designer, and co-artistic director of the Old Fitz Theatre.

For Sydney Chamber Opera he designed the lighting for Future Remains, poem for a dried up river, Diary of One Who Disappeared, La Passion de Simone, Resonant Bodies and Victory Over the Sun. His lighting design credits also include Lord of the Flies, Cloud Nine and Lethal Indifference (Sydney Theatre Company); A Brief Nostalgia (Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sadler’s Wells); Orpheus and Eurydice (Opera Queensland and Circa); Dance Nation (State Theatre Company South Australia, Belvoir); Dead Cat Bounce and Good Cook.

Friendly. Clean (Griffin Theatre); New Breed and four Pre-Professional Year showcases (Sydney Dance Company); Young Frankenstein, American Psycho, Cry-Baby and Caroline, or Change (Hayes Theatre Co.); and Songs for the Fallen (Critical Stages). Other companies he has designed for include the Ensemble Theatre, Australian Theatre for Young People and Redline Productions.

Alexander Berlage has won four Sydney Theatre Awards including Best Direction of a Musical for both Cry-Baby and American Psycho, which won nine Sydney Theatre Awards. He is a NIDA graduate and has been awarded the Mike Walsh Fellowship.

First Pinchgut opera production 12

Platee Program.indd 14

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Sean Bacon Video Designer Sean Bacon studied video and visual arts, graduating with honours.

Nobody Nevermind, his collaboration with the dance company L’Expérience Harmaat, opened the performance section of the 2001 Venice Biennale and he was a Company Artist for the theatre company Version 1.0 from 2005 to 2015. He was the video designer for several Benedict Andrews productions: Measure for Measure for Company B (Sydney Theatre Award for Stage Design, 2011), Return of Ulysses for English National Opera and Young Vic, and The Maids for Sydney Theatre Company, which travelled to New York’s Lincoln Theatre Festival.

Other credits include Pygmalion (STC), The Glass Menagerie (Belvoir), Reflections of Gallipoli (Australian Chamber Orchestra), The Goldner Quartet (Musica Viva), Artwork and Food Fight (Branch Nebula), One Billion Beats (Campbelltown Arts Centre), Tribunal and Jump First, Ask Later (Powerhouse Youth Theatre) and Garden of the Mind (Trybal Productions).

Last year he worked on Black Ties for Ilbijerri in the Sydney Festival and The Sound of History for the Adelaide Festival. Most recently, he was the video designer for Dorr-e Dari (PYT) for the 2021 Sydney Festival, A Child of Our Time for the 2021 Adelaide Festival and A Roaring Silence, a video installation at the Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre.

First Pinchgut opera production Eugene Lynch Assistant Director Eugene Lynch is an early-career director of theatre and opera. In March 2022 he will be assistant director on Adelaide Festival’s centrepiece opera, The Golden Cockerel, directed by Barrie Kosky.

As the artistic director of The Other Theatre, he has directed Graeme Koehne and Louis Nowra’s Love Burns, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Shakespeare’s Richard II, Mike Barlett’s Cock (Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival x Brand X) and the Australian premiere of Marius von Mayneburg’s The Dog, the Night and the Knife. He was the 2019 Young Director with Pacific Opera, where he directed Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Kurt Weill’s Down in the Valley and various scenes concerts.

Eugene Lynch recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Sydney, where he was two-time recipient of the USU Bright Ideas Grant.

Eugene Lynch is supported in this role by a grant from Create NSW. First Pinchgut opera production

For Platée STAGE MANAGER ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER COSTUME SUPERVISOR PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Tanya Leach Amy Robertson Renata Beslik Byron Cleasby

HEAD ELECTRICIANS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ASSISTANT COVID SAFETY COORDINATOR LIGHTING PROGRAMMER SET CONSTRUCTION VIDEO & PROJECTION EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED BY VIDEO SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN HEAD OF WIGS, HAIR & MAKEUP COSTUMES COSTUME ASSISTANT CAKE MADE BY SURTITLES SURTITLE OPERATOR PROGRAM EDITOR LANGUAGE COACHING RÉPÉTITEURS HARPSICHORD SUPPLIED, PREPARED AND TUNED BY

Ian Garrard, Padraigh Ó Súilleabháin Jacob Lawler Madelaine Osborn Philip Paterson Thomas Creative TDC Harrison Dow (TDC) Fiona Cooper-Sutherland Margaret Gill, Melanie Liertz, Courtney New Madelaine Osborn Jemima Snars Natalie Shea Jacob Lawler Yvonne Frindle Nicole Dorigo Catherine Davis, Andrei Hadap, Claire Race Carey Beebe 13

Platee Program.indd 15

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT THE CHORUS

Cantillation Cantillation is a chorus of professional singers – an ensemble of fine voices with the speed, agility and flexibility of a chamber orchestra. Formed in 2001 by Antony Walker and Alison Johnston, it has since been busy in the concert hall, opera theatre and recording studio.

Highlights have included Liszt’s Dante Symphony, Westlake’s Missa Solis, John Adams’ Harmonium, Brahms’s Requiem, Edwards’ Star Chant, Haydn’s Creation, Vaughan Williams’ Flos Campi (also recorded for CD) and Jonathan Mills’ Sandakan Threnody (all with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra); The Crowd (Australian Chamber Orchestra), a sound installation recording for MONA Tasmania, regional tours and concerts with Emma Kirkby (Musica Viva); singing for the Dalai Lama, the Rugby World Cup, and recording soundtracks for several movies, as well as recording and filming Jonathan Mills’ opera The Eternity Man. In 2022 Cantillation will perform with the SSO in Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream in the newly reopened Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

Cantillation has made more than 30 recordings for ABC Classic, including Renaissance choral masterpieces, Prayer for Peace, Fauré’s Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah, Silent Night, Ye Banks and Braes, Magnificat with Emma Kirkby, Hallelujah! and Mozart’s Requiem. For Pinchgut LIVE, Cantillation appears on L’Anima del filosofo, Castor and Pollux, Iphigénie en Tauride and Theodora.

Cantillation is the official chorus for Pinchgut Opera, having performed in every opera with chorus since the beginning.

SOPRANOS Roberta Diamond 3rd Pinchgut opera production Anna Fraser 11th Pinchgut opera production Chloe Lankshear 1st Pinchgut opera production Amy Moore 1st Pinchgut opera production Anna Sandstrom 5th Pinchgut opera production

TENORS Tom Hallworth 2nd Pinchgut opera production Benjamin Namdarian 1st Pinchgut opera production John Pitman 9th Pinchgut opera production Ethan Taylor 2nd Pinchgut opera production Brett Weymark 6th Pinchgut opera production

MEZZO-SOPRANOS Jo Burton 7th Pinchgut opera production Natalie Shea 23rd Pinchgut opera production

BASSES Christopher Allan 3rd Pinchgut opera production Philip Barton 3rd Pinchgut opera production Mark Donnelly 4th Pinchgut opera production David Hidden 8th Pinchgut opera production Andrew O’Connor 3rd Pinchgut opera production

HAUTE-CONTRES Louis Hurley 1st Pinchgut opera production Dan Walker 11th Pinchgut opera production

20 Pinchgut Opera thanks all those who have been with us over the past 20 years.

You are our inspiration and our reason for being.

14

Platee Program.indd 16

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Christopher Allan Bass

Philip Barton Bass

Jo Burton Mezzo-soprano

Roberta Diamond Soprano

Mark Donnelly Bass

Anna Fraser Soprano

Tom Hallworth Tenor

David Hidden Bass

Louis Hurley Haute-contre

Chloe Lankshear Soprano

Amy Moore Soprano

Benjamin Namdarian Tenor

Andrew O’Connor Bass

John Pitman Tenor

Anna Sandstrom Soprano

Natalie Shea Mezzo-soprano

Ethan Taylor Tenor

Dan Walker Haute-contre

Brett Weymark Tenor

15

Platee Program.indd 17

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA

Orchestra of the Antipodes The Orchestra of the Antipodes is Pinchgut Opera’s official orchestra and has played in every production since Orfeo (2004).

Founded by Antony Walker and Alison Johnston, the Orchestra is renowned for its virtuosity, precision, sensitivity and attention to lyrical beauty. Erin Helyard conducts from the keyboard and its members, committed to historically informed performance practice, play period instruments.

The Orchestra’s debut CD and DVD, Handel’s Messiah (ABC Classic), drew critical acclaim; a subsequent disc, Bach Arias and Duets, with Sara Macliver and Sally-Anne Russell became a best seller and was nominated for an ARIA Award in 2004. The Orchestra’s most recent ABC Classic releases include the ARIA-nominated Brandenburg Concertos, Magnificat with Emma Kirkby, and Hallelujah! with Cantillation. In addition, the Orchestra appears on Pinchgut LIVE recordings, most recently Hasse’s Artaserse.

Performance highlights have included Haydn’s Isola disabitata (Royal Opera House), Handel’s Orlando (Hobart Baroque), Dido and Aeneas and Acis and Galatea (Opera Australia), and a recital with Andrew Lawrence-King (World Harp Congress). The Orchestra featured in the programming of the Brisbane Baroque festival (2015, 2016), with their performances of Handel’s operas Faramondo and Agrippina each winning a Helpmann Award for Best Opera. Other engagements include Monteverdi’s Vespers of the Blessed Virgin (St Mary’s Cathedral Choir and The Song Company), Handel’s Dixit Dominus (Sydney Chamber Choir) and Christmas concerts at St Mary’s Cathedral.

The Orchestra of the Antipodes now performs exclusively for Pinchgut’s mainstage opera and concert series. This year we celebrate its 18th year and, with Platée, its 24th Pinchgut production.

James Armstrong Violin

Anton Baba Cello

Kirsten Barry Oboe

Matthew Bruce Violin

Myee Clohessy Violin

Anthea Cottee Cello

James Eccles Viola

Melissa Farrow Flute, Piccolo

Rafael Font Viera Violin

Stephen Freeman Viola

Matthew Greco Violin (Leader)

Erin Helyard Harpsichord

16

Platee Program.indd 18

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Caroline Hopson Violin

Brock Imison Bassoon

Adam Masters Oboe

Kirsty McCahon Bass

Anna McMichael Violin

Brian Nixon Percussion

Mikaela Oberg Flute, Piccolo

Simon Rickard Bassoon, Musette

Karina Schmitz Viola

Simone Slattery Violin

James Tarbotton Violin

Laura Vaughan Viola da gamba

Timothy Willis Violin

Marianne Yeomans Viola

17

Platee Program.indd 19

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA

VIOLINS Matthew Greco (Leader)

VIOLA DA GAMBA, LIRA DA GAMBA Laura Vaughan

David Christian Hopf, Quittenbach, Germany, 1760

Viola da gamba: Henner Harders, Mansfeld, Germany, 2007, after Michel Colichon, Paris, France, 1691 Lira da gamba: Ian Watchorn, Melbourne, Australia, 2009, after Giovanni Maria da Brescia, Italy, 16th century

22nd Pinchgut opera production Rafael Font Viera Steffen Nowak, Bristol, UK, 2012 after Nicola Amati, Cremona, Italy, 1666

11th Pinchgut opera production James Armstrong Ekkard Seidl, Markneukirchen, Germany, 2002, after Andrea Amati, 1566 (On loan courtesy of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra)

1st Pinchgut opera production Matthew Bruce Valentina Montanucci, Piancenza, Italy, 2013, after Stradivari (Appears courtesy of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra)

15th Pinchgut opera production Myee Clohessy Anonymous, Mittenwald, Germany, c.1770

9th Pinchgut opera production Caroline Hopson Anonymous, Saxony, 1744

4th Pinchgut opera production Anna McMichael Camilli Camillus, Mantua, 1742 (Appears courtesy of the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance, Monash University)

10th Pinchgut opera production Simone Slattery

12th Pinchgut opera production BASS Kirsty McCahon Giuseppe Abbati, Modena, Italy, c.1750

22nd Pinchgut opera production FLUTES / PICCOLOS Melissa Farrow Flute: Rudolf Tutz, Innsbruck, copy of I.H. Rottenburgh, Brussels c.1740 Piccolo: Rudolf Tutz, Innsbruck, Austria 2005, copy of J. Hotteterre† (Appears courtesy of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra)

15th Pinchgut opera production Mikaela Oberg Flute: Fridtjof Aurin, Düsseldorf Germany, copy of J. Denner, Nuremberg, c.1720 Piccolo: Rudolf Tutz, Innsbruck, Austria 2005, copy of J. Hotteterre†

9th Pinchgut opera production OBOES Adam Masters Bernhard Schermer, Stäfa, Switzerland, 2001, after Hotteterre, c.1710

3rd Pinchgut opera production

Claude Pierray, Paris, France, 1726

Kirsten Barry

8th Pinchgut opera production

Mary Kirkpatrick, Ithaca, NY, 2005, after Naust, late-17th-century French

James Tarbotton Jan Pawlikowski, Poland 2021, modelled after Stradivari, 1715

1st Pinchgut opera production Timothy Willis Hendrik Willems, Ghent, ca.1680

2nd Pinchgut opera production FIRST VIOLAS Karina Schmitz

8th Pinchgut opera production BASSOONS Simon Rickard Olivier Cottet, France, 2012, after Charles Bizey, c.1720 †

20th Pinchgut opera production Brock Imison Olivier Cottet, France, 2012, after Charles Bizey, c.1720†

4th Pinchgut opera production

Francis Beaulieu, Montreal, 2011, after Pietro Giovanni Mantegazza, 1793

MUSETTE Simon Rickard

3rd Pinchgut opera production

Bart van Troyen, Bornem, Belgium, 2020, after anonymous 18th-century

Marianne Yeomans Australia, 1992, after Techler, Austria, 18th century

7th Pinchgut opera production SECOND VIOLAS Stephen Freeman Matthieu Besseling, Amsterdam, 2013

16th Pinchgut opera production James Eccles Hiroshi Iizuka, Philadelphia, USA, 1992 (original model based on a viola d’amore design)

10th Pinchgut opera production CELLOS Anton Baba Peter Elias, Aigle, Switzerland, 2000, after Stradivari

11th Pinchgut opera production

20th Pinchgut opera production PERCUSSION Brian Nixon 11th Pinchgut opera production HARPSICHORD Erin Helyard French double harpsichord by Carey Beebe, élève de D. Jacques Way, 1991, after originals by Blanchet, mid-18th century

22nd Pinchgut opera production Harpsichord prepared by Carey Beebe Pitch: A = 392Hz Temperament: Lambert †

Instrument commissioned by Pinchgut Opera

Anthea Cottee Peter Walmsley, London, England, 1735

14th Pinchgut opera production

18

Platee Program.indd 20

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

ORPHEUS RAMEAU

© Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon / François Jay

As an old man, Jean-Philippe Rameau sat for the “sculptor to the king”, Jean-Jacques Caffieri. The resulting terracotta bust (right) survives in the city of his birth, Dijon – a portrait of a composer and thinker in his late 70s, successful but modest.

Rameau had emerged from relative obscurity as a provincial organist to become the greatest French composer and theorist of the 18th century.

Around the time when a modern man might splash out on a sports car, Rameau had written his first opera. He’d just turned 50 when Hippolyte et Aricie took Paris by storm in 1733, and he was immediately embroiled in controversy that would surround him for the rest of his life.

Those supporting the operas of Jean-Baptiste Lully – by this time long dead and entrenched in the canon – ranged against Rameau’s faction (whom they dubbed the “Ramoneurs” or chimney sweeps). Some Lullistes objected to the complexity of Rameau’s style, some feared the extinction of the traditional repertoire, while composer André Campra worried the newcomer would “eclipse us all”. And not without reason.

Rameau’s transforming approach to opera was powerful and intensely dramatic, characterised by extreme contrasts and a vast emotional range. Every aspect of the dance and music had to serve the plot. In Platée, for example, he makes the traditional chaconne integral to the action – its extraordinary length functioning as a stalling tactic. And he gave the orchestra an equal role in the music-making with soloists and chorus. (It feels right that Neil Armfield has placed the orchestra on the stage.)

What the Lullistes failed to acknowledge was that, for all its revolutionary qualities, Rameau’s music honoured French operatic tradition. His achievement was to continue and revitalise Lully’s legacy. And despite the controversy, Rameau won support: from the public, from patrons, from the king. In 1745, the year of Platée, he was awarded a royal pension and named a court composer. By 1749 he was so popular that the comte d’Argenson, who oversaw the Paris Opéra, rationed productions of Rameau’s operas to just one or two a year.

Rameau became the “grand old man” of French music – “Orpheus Rameau” as Voltaire called him – which may have played against him when his name was dragged into yet another controversy, the Querelle des bouffons, a pamphlet war pitting the Italian comic style (think Pergolesi) against the “serious opera” of the French. The irony here is that Rameau remained open to new musical fashion throughout his career, incorporating elements of the Italian and German styles to suit his dramatic and musical goals.

As an artist and as a theorist, Rameau was not a man to stand still. And at his death, the sometime “distiller of bizarre harmonies” was now celebrated by the Mercure de France as the “god of Harmony”.

Yvonne Frindle © 2021

baptism 25 September 1683 in Dijon musical background Taught by his organist father, he learns his notes before he can read.

Sees his first opera at the age of 12. early obscurity Wanders the French provinces working as an organist and violinist; briefly visits Milan. He is already developing his theories on music.

Paris arrival Settles in Paris, aged 39. Comes to public attention with the publication of his 450-page Harmony Treatise (1722) as well as several important collections of keyboard pieces. marriage In 1726 marries the accomplished young singer Marie-Louise Mangot. opera Shortly after his 50th birthday, his first opera, Hippolyte et Aricie, is premiered, inviting strong reactions.

From the 1730s until his death he writes almost exclusively for the stage, producing 30 powerful and imaginative works. librettos Many critics – like Voltaire – think Rameau is somewhat indifferent to the quality of his texts. theorist or artist?

He is prolific as a theorist, leaving an important legacy of thought that remains influential today. Personally, he would like to be recognised as a theorist first, but his supporters prefer to think of him as a composer. death 12 September 1764 in Paris. He dies shabby but comparatively well off: threadbare clothes and just one harpsichord but a drawerful of cash.

19

Platee Program.indd 21

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT THE OPERA

A NEW SPECTACLE FROM THE DIRECTOR When asked by Erin to direct Platée some years ago – well before the words “global pandemic” became the most oft-repeated phrase across the international airwaves – I agreed partly because I love Pinchgut, partly because it was such a long way off, but mostly because I knew the work would take me so far out of my comfort zone that it must be good for me.

A work that begins post-orgy, with the characters hungover, picking themselves up and dusting themselves off in order to create a new kind of theatre, is a pretty challenging and thrilling premise!

As always, in the beginning of the process it’s the designer who does the heavy lifting, and Stephen Curtis (2021 marking the 40th year of our collaboration) suggested our world: a wedding celebration that has, if you like, gone feral.

Placing our story on the stage of the City Recital Hall means we are thrown back onto our own invention to supply the visual spectacle that Rameau was assuming would come with the theatres, in Paris and Versailles, for which he was writing. It’s been a pleasure, across the weeks of rehearsal, testing the limits of that invention.

Most of all, we knew we wanted to place Erin and the orchestra at the heart of the production, so they assume the central position on our stage: the focus of the glorious acoustic of this wonderful hall.

Just as Kanen Breen is “the reason we are doing Platée”, so the celebrated Pierre Jélyotte was central to the first production. An haute-contre (a high and agile voice type with remarkable dramatic and lyrical presence), he created the role of Platée, one of the few travesty parts in French opera at the time. Charles Antoine Coypel’s portrait of Jélyotte in costume shows a heavily made-up operatic heroine with coquettish expression.

But more than anything else, and the reason the work has endured as Rameau’s masterpiece, is the extraordinary creation at its centre – part pantomime dame, part deluded Cleopatra – the Queen of the Swamp, Platée. You do not attempt this work unless you have a performer who can meet her challenge: Kanen Breen is the reason we are doing Platée.

Like Malvolio in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, she resides in what I call ‘the comedy gap’ – the space between self-image and the image the world sees. Like Malvolio, there is delight in every entrance, every nuance of self-delusion. And, like Malvolio, there is a cruelty ultimately in a device that goes too far. Unlike Twelfth Night, however, in Platée Rameau manages, in one single, brilliant stroke, to turn the opera on its head and reverse its hilarity – in this world whose ruling deity is Madness (or Chaos – “Folly” is too polite a translation of La Folie) we choke on our own laughter.

Neil Armfield ao © 2021

Erin Helyard (left) with Neil Armfield (photo: Marnya Rothe)

20

Platee Program.indd 22

22/11/21 12:05 pm

FROM THE CONDUCTOR “Formons un spectacle nouveau” (Let us create a new entertainment) sings the chorus in the prologue to Rameau’s Platée. Ostensibly they are referring to the allegorical birth of comedy itself. Thespis (the inventor of comedy) plans with L’Amour (Cupid), Momus (the god of ridicule) and Thalie (the muse of comedy) to expose and satirise the frailties and faults of both the mortals and the gods. But this “spectacle nouveau” was also something else completely: the birth of a comic opera every bit as sophisticated and sublime as the epic tragedies that dominated the French stage at the time. A contemporary observed that “Platée will remain without a rival as it is without a model”. Platée was unique and original. And as such it utterly divided audiences.

Platée and the philosophers… “it is the height of indecency, boredom, and impertinence” VOLTAIRE

“the best musical play ever to be heard in our theatres” ROUSSEAU

Platée was first presented at Versailles in 1745 as part of the court’s wedding festivities for the dauphin. Many in the audience were completely shocked by Autreau and Rameau’s extreme departure from tradition. Here was a tragédie en musique in drag. It had all the characteristics of a serious French opera (a prologue, three acts with the traditional divertissements or dance sequences, and a plot taken from ancient mythology), but everything was subverted. The heroic tenor was playing a female nymph, the leading soprano was playing Madness (La Folie), and the Graces – usually depicted as quite literally graceful and elegant – “cavorted lewdly”, noted an aristocrat in the audience.

Voltaire – who was nursing the hangover of a fractious relationship with Rameau – was in the audience at that Versailles performance. He hated it. “You didn’t miss much except a large crowd and a very bad work,” he wrote to his niece, “it is the height of indecency, boredom, and impertinence.”

But the large crowds of courtiers were the first evidence of its enormous popular appeal.

After its controversial premiere at Versailles, Platée moved to that veritable temple of French music, the Académie royale de musique in Paris or, as it was more simply known, the Opéra. Here again it divided the opinions of the connoisseurs but took in enormous box office receipts. If its humour did not meet the approval of its sniffy and snobbish critics, who thought it beneath the dignity of the court and the Opéra, it did match the tastes of the audience, as the Baron d’Holbach observed.

Some thought the words were indecent and unworthy of the sublime traditions of French opera, but that Rameau’s music was very fine. The dramatist Charles Collé wrote: “I admit that the music is very pretty, but it is dishonourable for our nation that works as execrable [as this one] are performed in public.” Rameau’s supporters claimed that Platée was “the most original, the most beautiful, and the strongest piece of music that he has written”. Even Rousseau, who was generally critical of Rameau, thought that Platée was the “best musical play ever to be heard in our theatres”.

Platée is full of 18th-century in-jokes. It was produced at the height of the debates about the relative attributes of Italian and French opera. Rameau satirises the debate by theatricalising what were considered to be the worst excesses of both forms. On the Italian side he has La Folie and Platée sing tuneful arias with long cadenzas in which the words are poorly (and hilariously) set or exaggerated, and there are all the Italianate special effects that many French critiqued: the sound of storms, winds, rain, frogs, owls, cuckoos, the braying of donkeys, slides, cries, and hoots. On the French side Rameau parodies the ridiculousness of the long divertissements that were completely extraneous to the plot: the chaconne is in the wrong spot (in the middle of an act and not at the end), and Platée is constantly sighing of boredom in the long-drawn-out marriage ceremony, as many a French operagoer must have in those long ballets. When La Folie steals Apollo’s lyre we might expect to hear a heavenly evocation in the orchestra of the god’s instrument. Instead, we hear the droning sound of a poor man’s instrument: the hurdy-gurdy. In Platée, Rameau’s sophisticated approach to musical parody takes on many forms.

You don’t need to know all the in-jokes to find Platée hilarious and wildly entertaining. Platée’s enduring brilliance comes from the fact that it is burlesque adorned in the finest trappings of tragédie en lyrique. The mounting horror of Platée’s cruel humiliation is the final twist of the knife and a stroke of operatic genius. The audience cannot help but fall in love with Platée’s vocal brilliance and vividness as the opera unfolds. So, as we witness her final moments, in which she is so horribly demeaned and mocked, we somehow feel partly responsible for witnessing the lead-up to such a cruel conclusion.

When considered along with all the other disguises and subversions in the piece, this extraordinary about-face makes Platée one of the greatest works of the Enlightenment. We are forced to critique ourselves and our emotions and rationality, and as such Platée was considered to be one of Rameau’s greatest operatic achievements. The philosopher D’Alembert, who co-edited the Encyclopédie with Diderot, certainly thought so: “at first torn to bits with passion [by snobs], but later [in revival] almost all applauded with enthusiasm, Rameau gave us his opéra bouffon, Platée, his masterpiece and that of French music.”

Erin Helyard © 2021 21

Platee Program.indd 23

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE LIBRETTO

Unlike in Rameau’s day, it is now the custom for house lights to be turned down during dramatic performances. This libretto is provided for later reference.

PROLOGUE SCENE 1 UN SATYRE A SATYR Le ciel répand ici sa plus douce influence, Heaven pours out its sweetest powers here, Bacchus a comblé nos désirs.

Bacchus has satisfied all our desires.

Coulez, jus précieux, Flow, precious juice of the vine, coulez en abondance, flow in abundance; Vous êtes l’âme des plaisirs. you are the soul of pleasure.

CHŒUR Coulez, jus précieux, coulez en abondance, Vous êtes l’âme des plaisirs.

CHORUS Flow, precious juice, flow in abundance; you are the soul of pleasure.

LE SATYRE THE SATYR En vain l’affreux hiver s’avance, Hideous winter advances in vain.

L’Amour, par vos présents, augmentant sa puissance, By your gifts, Love’s powers increase Rend à nos cœurs la saison des Zéphyrs, and spring returns to our hearts.

Vous ranimez nos feux You rekindle our passions et nos tendres désirs. and our tender desires.

CHŒURS Coulez, jus précieux...

CHORUS Flow, precious juice...

LE SATYRE Que vois-je? Est-ce Thespis?

Oui, c’est lui qui sommeille, Ce doux jus sur ses yeux fait l’effet des pavots: Doit-il en ce beau jour se livrer au repos, Lui qui chante si bien le grand dieu de la treille?

Ranimez vos sens assoupis, Réveillez-vous, chantez, agréable Thespis.

THE SATYR What do I see here? Is this Thespis?

Yes, here he is asleep: the wine, potent as poppies, has closed his eyes.

Why is he taking his ease on this beautiful day?

His lovely voice should be ringing out in praise of the great god of the vine.

Rouse yourself, sleepy-head, Wake up and sing, Thespis, there’s a good chap.

LE CHŒUR Ranimez vos sens assoupis...

CHORUS Rouse yourself...

THESPIS Rendons grâce à Bacchus du sommeil qu’il nous donne, Qu’il est tranquille! qu’il est doux!

(Il se rendort.)

THESPIS Let us give thanks to Bacchus for the slumber he gives us.

How peaceful it is! How sweet it is!

(He goes back to sleep.)

LE SATYRE et le CHŒUR Thespis, chantez, réveillez-vous.

THE SATYR and CHORUS Thespis, sing, wake up.

THESPIS Chantons, vous m’y forcez; mais songez qu’en Automne, Dans mes chansons, je n’épargne personne.

THESPIS I’ll sing, since you’re forcing me to; but remember that in Autumn, I spare no one in my songs.

DEUX VENDANGEUSES Joyeux Thespis, point de courroux.

TWO GRAPE HARVESTERS Don’t be angry, joyous Thespis.

THESPIS Je sens qu’un doux transport me saisit et m’inspire.

Charmant Bacchus, dieu de la liberté, Père de la sincérité, Au dépens des Mortels, tu nous permets de rire.

Mon coeur plein de la vérité, Va se soulager à la dire: Dussé-je être mal écouté.

Ménades et jeunes et belles, A vos amants êtes-vous bien fidèles?

On ne le crois pas parmi nous.

THESPIS I feel a sweet ecstasy taking hold and inspiring me.

Delightful Bacchus, god of freedom, father of honesty, you allow us to laugh at the expense of mortals.

My heart, full of truth, will find relief in letting that truth out, even though I may be misunderstood.

You Maenads, young and beautiful, are you really faithful to your lovers?

No one here believes that.

CHŒUR DE MÉNADES Thespis, rendormez-vous.

CHORUS OF MAENADS Thespis, go back to sleep.

22

Platee Program.indd 24

22/11/21 12:05 pm

THESPIS aux Satyres Dignes amants de ces jeunes coquettes, Invincibles buveurs, tous trompés que vous êtes, Vous n’aimez pas assez pour en être jaloux.

THESPIS (to the Satyrs) Worthy lovers of these young coquettes, invincible drinkers: cuckolds, every one of you!

You don’t love enough to feel jealous.

CHŒUR DE SATYRES Thespis, rendormez-vous.

CHORUS OF SATYRS Thespis, go back to sleep.

THESPIS Au milieu d’une orgie où règne la licence, Ménades, vos secrets sont mal en assurance, On me les a dit presque tous.

THESPIS In the midst of an orgy where anything goes, your secrets are far from safe, Maenads.

I’ve pretty much heard them all.

CHŒUR DE SATYRES ET DE MÉNADES Thespis, rendormez-vous.

CHORUS OF SATYRS AND MAENADS Thespis, go back to sleep!

SCENE 2 THALIE Poursuivez, Thespis, livrez-vous à Thalie; Pour exercer votre aimable folie, Je remets mon masque entre vos mains.

A vos chants, à vos jeux, rien ne peut faire obstacle.

Je viens avec Momus en former un spectacle, Pour corriger les défauts des humains.

THALIA Don’t stop there, Thespis, put yourself in my hands.

So that you can carry out your delightful comedy, here is my mask for you to use.

Nothing can stand in the way of your songs and your games.

I’ve come with Momus to turn them into a show to teach humans the error of their ways.

MOMUS Aux seuls humains bornez-vous la satire?

Vous pouvez jusqu’aux dieux, étendre son empire; Je vous prêterai mon appui.

La raison dans l’Olympe est souvent hors d’usage.

Hé, qui pourrait résister à l’ennui D’être immortel et toujours sage?

MOMUS Why limit your satire just to humans?

You can extend its sway to the gods themselves.

I’ll give you my support.

Reason is often in short supply on Olympus.

Hey, who could resist the boredom of being immortal and always well behaved?

MOMUS, THALIE, THESPIS Cherchons à railler en tous lieux, Soumettons à nos ris et le ciel et la terre: Livrons au ridicule une éternelle guerre, N’épargnons ni mortels ni dieux.

MOMUS, THALIA, THESPIS Let’s spread our mockery everywhere: heaven and earth shall both be subject to our laughter.

Let’s wage war forever against absurdity, sparing neither mortals nor gods.

MOMUS Dans ces lieux, Jupiter lui-même Descendu de sa gravité, Par un risible stratagème Guérit jadis d’une épouse qu’il aime, La jalousie et la fierté.

Je veux avec Thespis en retracer l’histoire, La Grèce en garde encore la célèbre mémoire.

MOMUS In this very place, Jupiter himself once left his gravitas behind: by means of a completely ridiculous stratagem, he cured his beloved spouse of her jealousy and pride.

I want to revisit that tale with Thespis.

All Greece remembers it to this day.

SCENE 3 L’AMOUR Que veut-on sans l’Amour entreprendre ici-bas?

Quittez un projet téméraire.

Quels sont les jeux qui pourraient plaire Que l’Amour n’animerait pas?

LOVE How dare you try to achieve anything down here without Love? Stop it at once.

There’s nothing that can give pleasure without Love in command.

THALIE Venez, Amour, soyez notre dieu tutélaire.

Les plaisirs naissent sous vos pas.

THALIA Love! Come and be our guiding spirit.

Pleasures spring to life wherever you walk.

L’AMOUR Confondons nos jeux et nos ris.

Voulez-vous critiquer les feux que je fais naître?

Je vous en offrirai des plus mal assortis, Je me réserve après, d’en ordonner en maître: Vous verrez qu’à la fin, chacun aura son prix Quand l’Amour se fera connaître.

LOVE Let’s band together with our merry schemes.

My arrows land where I choose.

I’ll give you some utterly mismatched lovers, and then later, I’ll sort everything out again.

You’ll see that in the end, everyone will be a winner when Love reveals herself.

THESPIS Momus, Amour, Dieu des raisins, Divinités charmantes, Par des leçons réjouissantes Nous corrigerons les humains.

Et vous, heureux témoins d’une union si belle, Montrez, pour la servir, ce que peut votre zèle.

THESPIS Momus, Cupid, God of the Vines, delightful spirits, we’ll use laughter to teach these humans a lesson.

And all you happy witnesses of such a fair union, let’s see what you can offer to help it along.

23

Platee Program.indd 25

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ABOUT THE OPERA

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ In order of appearance…

A Satyr

Follower of Bacchus

Thespis

According to Autreau, the inventor of comedy

Thalie

Muse of comedy

Momus

God of mockery and scorn

L’Amour

God of love

Cithéron

King of Greece

Mercury

Messenger of the gods, son and confidant of Jupiter

Platée

A naiad, or water nymph, queen of the swamp

Clarine

Follower of Platée

Jupiter

King of the gods, husband of Juno

La Folie

Madness

Juno

Queen of the gods, wife of Jupiter

24

Platee Program.indd 26

22/11/21 12:05 pm

SYNOPSIS Prologue: The Birth of Comedy It is the aftermath of a big wedding celebration. The sleeping Thespis is woken by a Satyr. Although nursing a hangover, he agrees to entertain everyone but warns: “I spare no one in my songs.” Thalie and Momus arrive and remind Thespis that the infidelities of the gods are even more worthy of mockery. “Who could resist the boredom of being immortal and always well behaved?”

Together with L’Amour, they plan to mock and expose the faults of both mortals and gods. Their vehicle: a re-enactment of the incident in which Jupiter cured his wife Juno of jealousy. The chorus sings of a new entertainment: “Let’s put on a show like nothing ever seen before!”

Act I After a storm, vividly depicted by the orchestra, Mercury descends to Platée’s swamp and explains to Cithéron that the terrible weather is caused by Jupiter and Juno’s jealous quarrelling. He has been sent by Jupiter to find a way to teach Juno a lesson. Cithéron suggests a prank: Jupiter will pretend to marry the vain swamp queen Platée; Juno will look foolish when she realises her jealousy is unfounded. (The plan should also solve Cithéron’s own problem, since Platée is convinced he is in love with her.)

Platée enters. She attributes Cithéron’s indifference at first to shyness and then to cruelty.

Mercury arrives to announce that Jupiter is infatuated by Platée’s beauty and will soon come to lay his heart at her feet. The returning storm is a sure sign of Juno’s fury. Platée is undaunted: she is a marsh nymph, after all.

INTERVAL

Act II Mercury has sent Juno to Athens to keep her out of the way and Jupiter arrives surrounded by clouds. As Cithéron and Mercury watch from hiding, Jupiter manifests himself to Platée first as a donkey, then as an owl, and finally as himself. He declares his love; Platée is overwhelmed.

Jupiter commands Momus to present an entertainment while the wedding ceremony is prepared.

Accompanying herself on a lyre stolen from Apollo, La Folie sings a brilliant aria recounting the story of Apollo and Daphne. The act ends with a call to crown the “new Juno”.

Act III Juno is consumed with rage. She hasn’t found her cheating husband and is sure she’s been sent on a wild goose chase. But Mercury persuades her to be patient: “Wait for the right time to reveal yourself, and put your jealous feelings on hold.”

A veiled Platée arrives with Jupiter and Mercury. She notices that L’Amour is not present and the prolonged pageantry makes her impatient. Stalling for time in anticipation of Juno’s arrival, Mercury and Jupiter make a long dance longer. Momus arrives, standing in for L’Amour who is “otherwise engaged”, and paints a very sorry picture of marriage, much to Platée’s disappointment. Finally, Jupiter begins his wedding vow, delaying until…

Juno bursts in, tears the veil from the bride’s face and is… astounded. The joke is over. Jupiter and Juno make up and depart. Platée is furious. She blames Cithéron as the architect of her humiliation and swears revenge.

25

Platee Program.indd 27

22/11/21 12:05 pm

LES ACTEURS et les CHŒURS Formons un spectacle nouveau.

Les filles de mémoire Publieront à jamais la gloire Des auteurs d’un projet si beau.

Formons un spectacle nouveau.

Bacchus, c’est ta victoire, Livrons-nous au plaisir de boire, L’Hippocrêne est sur ce côteau.

ACTORS and CHORUS Let’s put on a show like nothing ever seen before!

The muses will forever proclaim the genius of those who dream up such a beautiful plan.

Let’s put on a show like nothing ever seen before!

Bacchus, this is your victory!

Let’s abandon ourselves to the pleasure of drinking; this is the fountain of inspiration.

THESPIS et CHŒUR Chantons Bacchus, Chantons Momus, Chantons l’Amour et ses flammes, Que tour à tour Dans ce séjour, Ces dieux remplissent nos âmes.

Sans le vin, Sans son ivresse, La tendresse N’est que chagrin.

Veut-on rire?

C’est à Bacchus qu’on a recours, Momus lui dût toujours Son plus charmant délire.

THESPIS and CHORUS Let’s sing the praises of Bacchus, of Momus, god of ridicule, of Love and her darts!

As we take our ease here, let these gods, one by one, fill our souls.

Without wine, without its intoxicating power, tenderness is nothing but grief.

If you’re looking for laughter, Bacchus is the one you need!

He’s the one Momus has always turned to for his most delightful raptures.

ACT ONE SCENE 1 CITHÉRON Dieux, qui tenez l’Univers en vos mains, Voyez les éléments nous déclarer la guerre: S’il est de coupables humains, Punissez-les par le tonnerre, Et rendez à la terre Le calme et la douceur de ses premiers destins.

Mais je vois Mercure descendre!

Mes cris se sont-ils fait entendre?

CITHERON O gods, who hold the universe in your hands, see how the elements have declared war against us: If humans are the guilty ones, then punish them with your thunder, and let the earth return to the gentle calm which has always been its destiny.

But I see Mercury descending!

Have my cries been heard?

SCENE 2 CITHÉRON Mercure, apprenez-nous par quels malheurs nouveaux Le ciel nous fait sentir sa vengeance ou sa haine?

Des Aquilons fougueux la dévorante haleine Menace à chaque instant nos champs et nos côteaux.

CITHERON Mercury, tell us: what is this new calamity that heaven is sending to wreak its vengeance or its hatred on us?

The north wind’s all-consuming blast threatens to destroy our fields and vines.

MERCURE D’une cruelle jalousie La Déesse des airs suit l’aveugle transport; Pour calmer la fureur dont son âme est saisie, On fait un inutile effort; Jupiter s’en impatiente, Et je lui cherche un doux amusement.

MERCURY Cruel jealousy has provoked the goddess of the skies into a blind passion.

Her soul is seized with fury, and all efforts to calm it are in vain.

Jupiter has had enough of it; I’m looking for something to cheer him up.

CITHÉRON Par quelque feinte ardeur, quelque ruse innocente, Ne peut-on guérir son Epouse aisément?

Si Junon paraît implacable, Que d’un nouvel hymen il feigne les apprêts, Bientôt il cessera de paraître coupable: Et bientôt leur amour reprendra ses attraits.

CITHERON Surely with a bit of faked passion, some innocent little trick, his wife would be easily cured?

If Juno’s rage won’t be calmed, let him pretend to be about to marry someone else. It will soon become clear that he has done nothing wrong and soon their love will be back on course.

MERCURE Mais si l’objet lui paraissait aimable...

MERCURY But it couldn’t be someone he would really fall for...

CITHÉRON Ne craignez rien du pouvoir de ses traits.

Dans un Marais profond, monument du déluge, Que vit jadis Deucalion, Une Nymphe a fait son refuge Au pied de ce sombre vallon.

Cette Naïade ridicule,

CITHERON Have no fear – this one’s no beauty.

In a deep swamp, a remnant of the flood from Deucalion’s day, there’s a nymph who has made her home at the bottom of a dark valley.

This ridiculous water spirit,

26

Platee Program.indd 28

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Et que de tous les temps a proscrite l’Amour, Sur ses comiques traits aveuglément crédule, Espère chaque jour Que mille amants viendront l’adorer tour à tour.

Que Jupiter, feignant de ce rendre à ses charmes, Vienne lui proposer un tendre engagement: Informez-en Junon, excitez ses alarmes, Nous l’attendrons à l’éclaircissement.

Voulez-vous voir l’objet de cette amour nouvelle?

who has been banished by Love forever, has no idea how stupid she looks, and waits every day for thousands of lovers to come and adore her, one by one.

Let Jupiter, pretending to succumb to her charms, offer to marry her; Let Juno know, get her up in arms about it, and we’ll wait for all to be revealed.

Do you want to see the object of this new love?

MERCURE Je monte aux Cieux où Jupiter m’appelle.

C’est à lui de juger d’un objet si charmant.

MERCURY I’m going up to the heavens; Jupiter is calling me.

He can be the judge of the charms of such a creature.

SCENE 3 PLATÉE Que ce séjour est agréable!

Qu’il est aimable!

Ah, qu’il est favorable, Pour qui veut perdre sa liberté!

Dis-moi, mon coeur, t’es-tu bien consulté?

Ah, mon coeur, tu t’agites!

Ah, mon coeur, tu me quittes!

Est-ce pour Cithéron? T’as-t-il bien mérité?

PLATÉE What a lovely place this is!

How pleasant it is!

Ah, what a perfect spot for someone to give up their freedom!

Tell me, my heart, have you considered well? Ah, you’re all in a state!

Ah, my heart, you’re leaving me!

Is it for Citheron? Is he worthy of you?

CLARINE Sur quoi fondez-vous l’espérance Que Cithéron se soumette à vos lois?

CLARINE What gives you cause to hope that Citheron would yield to you?

PLATÉE Sur ce que je le vois, De plus loin quelque fois, Comme un amant timide, éviter ma présence.

PLATÉE The fact that I see him, sometimes far off in the distance, avoiding my presence, like a shy lover.

CLARINE Quoi! Devenir sensible...

CLARINE What! You think he would develop feelings...

PLATÉE Hélas! Oui, je le crois.

PLATÉE Alas, yes, I do believe it.

CLARINE Pour un simple mortel!

CLARINE ...for a mere mortal?

PLATÉE Il faut bien faire un choix: Dans l’ardeur qui me presse, Où porter ma tendresse?

Nos Dieux des fleuves sont si froids.

L’Amour avec moi s’intéresse.

Mon amant vient, je l’aperçois.

Habitants fortunés, voisins de ces bocages, Quittez vos sombres marécages, Hâtez-vous, venez promptement Vous rassembler sous l’herbe tendre; Si l’on ne vous voit pas, qu’on puisse vous entendre Célébrer cet heureux moment.

Que vos voix m’applaudissent, Que les airs retentissent; Chantez et criez tous, Que vos accents s’unissent A ces charmants oiseaux dont les chants sont si doux.

PLATÉE It’s time to make my choice: in this urgent passion I feel, where should I direct my affections?

Our river gods are so cold.

Love is taking an interest in me.

My lover is coming, I can see him.

Fortunate denizens, neighbours in these groves, leave your dark marshes, make haste, come quickly and assemble beneath the tender grass.

Though we may not see you, we will hear you celebrating this happy moment.

Let your voices acclaim me, let the air resound, sing and shout, all of you!

Raise your voices in unison with those charming birds whose songs are so sweet.

CHŒUR qu’on ne voit pas.

Que nos voix applaudissent, Que les airs retentissent; Chantons et crions tous, Que nos accents s’unissent A ces charmants oiseaux dont les chants sont si doux.

CHORUS (unseen) Let our voices acclaim her, let the air resound, let us all sing and shout!

Let us raise our voices in unison with those charming birds whose songs are so sweet.

SCENE 4 PLATÉE Quelque douce inquiétude Vous conduit en ces lieux?

PLATÉE Is it some sweet heartache that brings you here?

CITHÉRON Non. Je cherche la solitude.

CITHERON No. I want to be alone.

27

Platee Program.indd 29

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE On y peut trouver mieux.

Il s’y rencontre des Dryades Qui viennent volontiers dans ces lieux écartés, Et jusqu’aux humides Naïades, Tout doit sentir ce que vous méritez.

PLATÉE We can do better than that here!

Here you will find dryads who come willingly to these private groves, and even watery naiads: they are all ready to give you the rewards you deserve.

CITHÉRON Oserais-je aspirer à des Divinités?

C’est au respect à m’en défendre.

CITHERON Should I dare to dream of loving divine spirits?

Out of respect I should turn away.

PLATÉE On aimerait autant un sentiment plus tendre: Les discours obligeants sont toujours écoutés.

Pour un amant qui sait plaire, Il n’est point de rang trop haut: Dût-il avoir le défaut D’en devenir téméraire.

PLATÉE It would be nicer to hear something more tender!

Flattering words always find an audience.

For a lover who knows how to please, no rank is out of reach, even if he should sin in becoming too bold.

CITHÉRON L’amour audacieux...

CITHERON Such daring love...

PLATÉE Le vôtre est circonspect.

PLATÉE Your love is discreet.

CITHÉRON Il est vrai, je le vois, tout le monde vous adore, Et mon profond respect...

CITHERON It’s true, I see that all the world adores you, and I respect you profoundly...

PLATÉE Quoi! du respect encore: Je m’attendris!

Cruel, tu ris!

Je vois à tes mines Que tu me devines, Ah! Charmant vainqueur, Tu n’aimes point?

Non, non, tu dédaignes mon coeur.

Serais-tu timide?

Non. Tu n’es qu’un perfide, Un perfide envers moi.

Dis donc, dis donc pourquoi?

Quoi? Quoi?

Dis donc pourquoi?

PLATÉE What! again, this talk of respect: My heart had melted!

You are cruel, you are laughing!

I can tell from your face that you can see me; Ah, charming conqueror of my heart, do you feel no love?

No, no, you scorn my heart.

Did I say you were shy?

No, you’re just devious, faithless towards me.

Tell me, tell me, why?

Why? Why? Why? I repeat...

CHŒUR qu’on ne voit pas.

Quoi? Quoi?

CHORUS (unseen) Ribbit! Ribbit!

CITHÉRON Naïade, apaisez-vous à l’aspect de Mercure: Il descend des cieux, je le vois.

CITHERON Water-spirit, calm yourself, you are in the presence of Mercury: I see him descending from the heavens.

PLATÉE Mercure! Ah! Se peut-il?

PLATÉE Mercury! Ah, could it be?

CITHÉRON Sans doute, et j’en augure Que quelque Dieu rempli d’amour...

CITHERON Yes indeed, and I foresee that some god, overcome with love...

PLATÉE Quoi? Quoi?

PLATÉE What? What? I repeat...

LE CHŒUR caché.

Quoi? Quoi?

CHORUS (unseen) Ribbit! Ribbit!

SCENE 5 MERCURE Déesse qui régnez dans ces Marais superbes, Sur des Sujets sans nombre errant parmi les herbes, Ne trouverez-vous point indigne de vos fers, Le Dieu qui lance le tonnerre?

Ce Dieu, par vos attraits attiré sur la terre, Veut soumettre à vos pieds son coeur et l’univers.

MERCURY O goddess, ruler of these magnificent marshes, whose subjects multitudinous roam among the reeds: surely you would not judge the God of Thunder to be unworthy to serve as your slave?

That God, drawn down to earth by your beauty, comes to lay his heart at your feet, and with it, the whole universe.

PLATÉE Le croirai-je, beau Mercure, Que d’une flamme bien pure On brûle pour mes appas?

Puis-je en être assez sure Pour soupirer tout bas?

PLATÉE Handsome Mercury, shall I believe that one so exalted is aflame with passion for my beauty?

Can I trust what you say enough to sigh with longing, just quietly to myself?

28

Platee Program.indd 30

22/11/21 12:05 pm

MERCURE et CITHÉRON Platée a mérité cette gloire éclatante.

MERCURY and CITHERON Platée is worthy of this dazzling glory.

CITHÉRON Vous ne blâmerez plus une âme indifférente Pour un bonheur qui n’eût pû s’achever.

CITHERON Never again will you reprimand an indifferent heart for not having been able to attain bliss.

MERCURE et CITHÉRON Tout annonçait en vous la fortune brillante Où l’amour d’un grand Dieu devait vous élever.

Platée a mérité cette gloire éclatante.

MERCURY and CITHERON Everything about you proclaims the shining destiny to which you should be exalted by the love of a great God. Platée is worthy of this dazzling glory.

PLATÉE Mais ce Dieu plein d’ardeur, Pour attaquer mon coeur, Se fait longtemps attendre.

PLATÉE But this God, full of passion, ready for the conquest of my heart, is taking his time to get here!

MERCURE Il va se rendre, Et bientôt, près de vous.

Le ciel qui s’obscurcit m’en donne le présage: La Déesse des airs y signale sa rage, Mais rien n’arrête son Epoux.

MERCURY He is about to arrive, he will soon be here with you.

The darkening sky foretells it: it shows the fury of the goddess of the skies, but nothing can stop her husband.

PLATÉE Je crains peu son courroux, Dans mon humide Empire on crie après l’orage.

Annonçons ce beau jour, Aux Nymphes de ma Cour.

Quittez, Nymphes, vos demeures profondes; Un torrent de célestes ondes Est prêt d’inonder ces climats.

Et vous, Junon, pleurez, arrosez mes Etats.

PLATÉE I have little fear of her anger.

In my watery empire, we love storms.

Let’s proclaim this fair day to the nymphs of my court.

Nymphs, leave your deep abodes: a torrent of water from heaven is about to flood these climes.

Weep away, Juno! Water my realm.

SCENE 6 CHŒUR de Nymphes CHORUS OF NYMPHS Epais nuages, Thick clouds, Rassemblez-vous; gather yourselves together, Tombez sur nous; rain down on us, Enflez nos rivages: flood our shores: Jusqu’à vos ravages, whatever you bring, even devastation, Tout nous sera doux. will be a pleasure for us.

CLARINE Soleil, fuis de ces lieux, Cesse de tourmenter les humides Naïades: Venez, favorables Hyades, Étaignez pour jamais son éclat et ses feux.

CLARINE O sun, flee this place, torment the watery naiads no longer!

Come, kindly rain spirits, extinguish for ever the sun’s fiery glory.

MERCURE Nymphes, les Aquilons viennent troubler la fête.

Je vois Iris qui s’avance à leur tête.

Un vent impétueux agite les roseaux, Retirez-vous au fond des eaux.

MERCURY Nymphs, the north wind is coming to throw all into disarray.

I see Iris leading the charge.

Gusts of wind are shaking the reeds.

Take shelter in the watery depths.

ACT TWO SCENE 1 MERCURE Je viens de soulager Junon dans sa colère, Par un aveu qu’elle croyait sincère, Athènes deviendra l’objet de son courroux: Et déjà l’espoir la console D’y surprendre à la fois la Nymphe et son Epoux.

Vous voyez qu’elle y vole.

En toute liberté, Jupiter va paraître.

Il vient...

MERCURY I have just managed to calm Juno’s anger.

I swore an oath, which she believed, that she should turn her fury on Athens.

She is already taking comfort at the prospect of catching the nymph there with her husband.

You can see her rushing away there now.

The way is clear for Jupiter to appear.

Here he comes...

CITHÉRON Retirons-nous dans ce bois écarté.

CITHERON Let’s hide over here in this grove.

MERCURE Nous verrons tout sans nous faire connaître.

MERCURY We’ll see everything but no one will see us.

29

Platee Program.indd 31

22/11/21 12:05 pm

REHEARSAL SHOTS/ OR SIMON PLAYING THE MUSETTE IN THE PICTURE IN PLATÉE Simon Rickard and the musette he plays in this production (photo: Lando Rossi)

The Frog chorus in rehearsal (photo: Jasmin Simmons) 30

Platee Program.indd 32

22/11/21 12:05 pm

SCENE 2 JUPITER JUPITER Aquilons trop audacieux, North wind, you are too bold.

Craignez ma colère; Fear my rage, Fuyez de ces lieux. flee this place!

Pour voir de près la beauté qui m’est chère, I want to see up close my beautiful beloved, Pour lui rendre un hommage aussi vif que sincère, I want to pay her deep and sincere homage Je quitte le séjour des Cieux. and so I have left my heavenly realm.

Aquilons trop audacieux, North wind, you are too bold.

Craignez ma colère; Fear my rage, Fuyez de ces lieux. flee this place!

SCENE 3 PLATÉE A l’aspect de ce nuage; Je ne saurais m’abuser!

Jupiter sait tout oser: Mais aurai-je le courage De recevoir son hommage, Ou de le refuser?

Le nuage s’entrouvre Je vois du mouvement: Je crois qu’il me découvre Mon adorable amant.

Quelle métamorphoses!

Dois-je approcher? Je n’ose.

C’est une épreuve assurément Que Jupiter prépare à ma flamme nouvelle.

Venez, venez, j’y suis fidèle, Quelque soit ce déguisement.

Apprenez-moi ce qu’Amour vous inspire; Et ce que votre coeur prétend.

Vous soupirez, et je soupire; Il suffit d’un si doux accent, Vous dites tout sans rien me dire.

Ah! Que l’amour est éloquent!

Quoi! vous disparaissez!..

Sous quel nouveau plumage Me représentez-vous Le plus beau des Hiboux?

Oiseaux de ce bocage, Venez tous, chantez!

Quels cris! Quel ramage!

Oiseaux, vous en êtes jaloux, Changez de langage, Rendez hommage Au plus beau des Hiboux.

Hélas! Il s’envole?

Je ne le vois plus.

Jupiter... Jupiter... mes cris sont superflus.

Il faudra donc que mon cœur s’en désole.

Hélas! Il s’envole!

Je ne le vois plus.

Ciel! Quelle terrible rosée!

PLATÉE The sight of that cloud leaves me in no doubt!

Jupiter can dare all, but will I have the courage to receive his homage – or to refuse it?

The clouds part, I see something moving: I think he has seen me, my adorable lover!

So many different forms he is taking!

Should I draw near? I don’t dare.

This must be a test that Jupiter has prepared to prove that my love is true.

Come on then, I am faithful however you disguise yourself!

Teach me whatever Love inspires in you, whatever your heart demands.

We are both languishing for love; such sweet sighs are enough; without uttering a single word you have told me everything. Ah, how eloquent is love!

What! You have disappeared!

In what new plumage do you appear before me as the most handsome of owls?

Let all the birds of this grove come forth and sing!

What twittering! What warbling!

Why, birds, you are jealous!

Change your song and pay homage to the most handsome of owls.

Alas! he has taken flight!

I see him no more.

Jupiter... Jupiter... my cries are in vain.

Then my heart must despair.

Alas! He has taken flight!

I see him no more.

Heaven! What is this terrible rain of fire?

JUPITER Charmant objet de mes dignes amours, Ne soyez plus longtemps abusée.

Comptez sur mon secours.

J’éloigne de mes mains la foudre redoutable; Je ne viens point vous alarmer.

Jupiter avec vous devenu plus traitable, Ne s’occupera plus que du plaisir d’aimer.

Seriez-vous infidèle à mes tendres vœux?

JUPITER Delightful object of my most worthy passions, I will play no more tricks on you.

You can place your trust in me.

I have set aside my fearsome thunderbolts; I have not come to alarm you!

Jupiter will do your bidding, and henceforth concern himself only with the pleasures of love.

Would you turn your back on my avowals of love?

PLATÉE Ouffe.

PLATÉE Wow!

JUPITER Je vous offre des vœux constants: Vous ne répondez rien...

JUPITER The promises I offer are true.

Do you have no reply for me?

PLATÉE Pardonnez-moi, j’étouffe, Et je soupire en même temps.

PLATÉE Forgive me: I’m choking and sighing, all at the same time.

31

Platee Program.indd 33

22/11/21 12:05 pm

JUPITER En attendant qu’un doux hymen s’apprête, Qu’on réjouisse ici ma nouvelle conquête: Momus, rassemblez tous vos jeux; Que l’allégresse de la fête Egale l’excès de mes feux.

JUPITER While we await the delightful wedding that is being prepared, let all rejoice that I have conquered a new heart!

Momus, gather together all your arts: Let the festivities be as joyful and wild as my passion.

MOMUS Sujets divers que le délire Enchaîne à jamais dans ma cour, Venez, du Dieu qui vous inspire Soutenez la gloire en ce jour.

MOMUS All you who are bound forever to my service in rapturous frenzy: come now and affirm the glory of the god who inspires you.

SCENE 4 LE CHŒUR Qu’elle est aimable!

Qu’elle est belle!

A tant d’appas Qui ne se rendrait pas?

Qu’elle est aimable! Qu’elle est belle!

Jupiter soupire pour elle.

Le charmant objet que voilà!

CHORUS How delightful she is!

How beautiful she is!

Who would not yield to such charms?

How delightful! How beautiful!

Jupiter languishes for her.

Behold the delightful object of his passion!

MOMUS Mais une nouvelle harmonie Annonce apparemment Terpsichore, ou Thalie.

MOMUS But the music has changed: this must be Terpsichore arriving, or Thalia.

SCENE 5 LA FOLIE Vous vous trompez, Momus, non, non.

MADNESS No, no, Momus, you’re wrong!

MOMUS Que vois-je? Ô ciel!

MOMUS What’s this I see? Oh heaven!

LA FOLIE C’est moi, c’est La Folie Qui vient de dérober la Lire d’Apollon.

MADNESS It’s me, Madness, with Apollo’s lyre, which I have just stolen.

MOMUS et LE CHŒUR Honneur, honneur à la Folie, Qui tient la Lyre d’Apollon.

MOMUS and CHORUS All honour to Madness who holds Apollo’s lyre in her hand.

LA FOLIE Formons les plus brillants concerts; Quand Jupiter porte les fers De l’incomparable Platée, Je veux que les transports de son âme enchantée, S’expriment par mes chants divers.

Admirez tous mon art célèbre.

Je fais d’une image funèbre Une allégresse par mes chants.

Aux langueurs d’Apollon, Daphné se refusa: L’Amour sur son tombeau, Eteignit son flambeau, La métamorphosa.

C’est ainsi que l’Amour de tout temps s’est vengé: Que l’Amour est cruel, quand il est outragé!

MADNESS Let our music outshine all other concerts!

Once Jupiter is enslaved to Platée, who is beyond compare, I will translate the ecstasy of his enchanted soul into songs of every kind.

Let all admire the art for which I am famed!

My songs can turn scenes of mourning into joy.

Daphne rejected the desperate passions of Apollo: Love stubbed out her torch on her tomb, and transformed her.

So you see that Love is always avenged: how cruel she is, when she is offended!

LE CHŒUR Honneur, honneur à la Folie, Elle surpasse Polymnie; Honneur à ses divins accents.

CHORUS All honour to Madness: she is greater than the Muses!

Give honour to her divine songs!

LA FOLIE Jugez par du beau simple et des sons plus touchants, Si je connais la mélodie.

Ecoutez bien... surtout ma symphonie.

Aimables Jeux, suivez mes pas, Plaisirs badins, c’est dans vos bras Que notre ardeur se renouvelle.

Si Zéphyr ne badinait pas, Flore lui serait moins fidèle.

Vous admirez mon art suprême, J’attriste l’allégresse même, Par mes sons plaintifs et dolents.

MADNESS Hear its simple beauty, hear how moving are its tones, and then tell me if I know how to write a melody!

Listen carefully – especially to the music of my instruments.

Let pleasant pastimes follow my steps.

Playful pleasures, in your arms is our passion renewed.

If Zephyr did not tease, Flora would be less faithful to him.

You admire the surpassing power of my art: I can turn joy itself to sadness with my plaintive, mournful tones.

32

Platee Program.indd 34

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Je veux finir Par un coup de génie.

Secondez-moi, je sens que je puis parvenir Au chef-d’oeuvre de l’harmonie.

Hymen, hymen, l’Amour t’appelle Prépare à Jupiter une chaîne nouvelle, Viens couronner la nouvelle Junon.

To finish, I have a stroke of genius.

Help me, I feel that I shall attain the summit of musical excellence.

Hymen, Hymen, Love summons you: Prepare a new wedding bond for Jupiter, come and crown the new Juno.

PLATÉE Hé, bon, bon, bon.

PLATÉE Ah, yes, yes!

TOUS Dans son ame Viens joindre ta flamme Aux feux de Cupidon.

Hé, bon, bon, bon.

ALL Come and unite your passion with Cupid’s fires in her heart.

Ah, yes, yes!

ACT THREE SCENE 1 JUNON Haine, dépit, jalouse rage, Je vous livre mon coeur.

Etouffez mon amour pour un époux volage, Inspirez-moi votre fureur.

JUNO Hatred, spite, jealous rage, I give my heart over to you.

Smother the love I had for my fickle husband, inspire me with your fury.

SCENE 2 JUNON Arrêtez: Jupiter n’était point dans Athènes: Vous m’abusiez: vous trompiez mes désirs.

Quel charme trouvez-vous à redoubler mes peines.

JUNO Mercury, stop right there!

Jupiter was not in Athens.

You were lying to me; you were trying to foil my plans.

Do you take pleasure in making my suffering worse?

MERCURE Non. Je verrai bientôt renaître vos plaisirs.

Si je sers Jupiter, applaudissez mon zèle, Qui tend à vous servir bien plus que votre Epoux.

MERCURY No. I will soon see your pleasures reborn.

Though I serve Jupiter, praise me for my diligence: I shall serve you much better than I serve your husband.

JUNON Ne croyez pas apaiser mon courroux: Je veux confondre l’Infidèle.

JUNO Don’t think you can calm my rage: I will bring the faithless wretch down.

MERCURE Hélas! Il ne tiendra qu’à vous.

En ce lieu même il va paraître, Attendez le moment de vous faire connaître, Et suspendez vos mouvements jaloux.

MERCURY Alas! He will be true to none but you.

He will soon appear in this very place.

Wait for the right time to reveal yourself, and put your jealous feelings on hold.

SCENE 3 LE CHŒUR Chantons, célébrons en ce jour Le pouvoir de l’Amour.

Par lui, la Nymphe peut prétendre A s’unir au plus grand des Dieux; Et le roi le plus glorieux, A la Bergère peut se rendre.

Chantons, célébrons en ce jour Le pouvoir de l’Amour.

CHORUS Let us sing, let us celebrate this day the power of Love.

Through Love, the nymph can aspire to be united with the greatest of the gods, and the most glorious of kings can yield himself up to the shepherdess.

Let us sing, let us celebrate this day the power of Love.

PLATÉE Dans cette fête, Mon coeur s’apprête A recevoir ardemment Les voeux de mon amant.

Mais il nous manque en ce moment Pour mon bonheur et pour le vôtre, L’Hymen, l’Amour; ou du moins, l’un ou l’autre.

PLATÉE During these festivities my heart makes ready to receive with passion the vows of my lover.

But what we are missing right now, to make my happiness and yours complete, are the gods of Marriage and Love; or at least one of the two.

JUPITER Mercure, dites-moi pourquoi ces petits Dieux Ne me suivent pas dans ces lieux?

JUPITER Mercury, tell me why these little gods have not followed me here?

33

Platee Program.indd 35

22/11/21 12:05 pm

MERCURE Ces Dieux, vous le savez, vont rarement ensemble, C’est un hasard qui les rassemble Sur la terre, sur l’onde, et même dans les cieux.

MERCURY You know yourself that those gods rarely travel together.

It’s only by luck if they appear together, whether on land, on sea, or even in the heavens.

PLATÉE Quoi, faut-il les attendre encore?

Mon coeur tout agité, Est impatienté De l’importante gravité De ces beaux fils de Terpsichore.

PLATÉE What, must we wait for them still?

My heart is in a whirl, impatient for the weighty authority of those fair sons of Terpsichore.

SCENE 4 JUPITER Que vois-je? Est-ce l’Amour?

Vient-il avec ses armes, Pour lancer dans mon coeur encore de nouveaux traits?

JUPITER What’s this I see? Is this Love?

Is she coming armed, ready to fire new darts into my heart once more?

PLATÉE Puisqu’il vient pour moi tout exprès; Qu’il avance; il ne peut m’approcher de trop près.

PLATÉE It’s for me alone that she has come, so let her come forward; she can’t get too close to me.

JUPITER et MERCURE C’est Momus!

De l’Amour n’a-t-il pas tous les charmes?

JUPITER and MERCURY It’s Momus!

Doesn’t he look just like Love?

MOMUS Le tout-puissant Amour, ayant affaire ailleurs, Ne peut ici venir lui-même, Il m’a chargé pour vous de toutes ses faveurs.

MOMUS All-powerful Love, being otherwise engaged, cannot come in person, so she has given me all the blessings she had for you.

PLATÉE Donnez, donnez, ce sera tout de même.

PLATÉE Give them here, it will work out the same.

MOMUS Ce sont des pleurs.

MOMUS They are: tears.

PLATÉE Fi...

PLATÉE Gah!

MOMUS Des tendres douleurs.

MOMUS Tender pains.

PLATÉE Fi...

PLATÉE Gah!

MOMUS Des cris, des langueurs.

MOMUS Cries and languishing.

PLATÉE Fi, fi, ce sont-là des malheurs; Et s’il faut que j’aime, Je veux des douceurs.

PLATÉE Gah, those are curses!

If I must be in love, I want to taste its sweetness.

MOMUS Ah! Du moins, recevez la timide Espérance.

MOMUS Ah! At least you can have shy Hope.

PLATÉE Eh, Fi, votre espérance N’est qu’une souffrance, Un vrai signe d’ennui;

PLATÉE Gah, your Hope is nothing but suffering, a true sign of trouble.

LA FOLIE Amour, lance tes traits, épuise ton carquois, Étends jusqu’à nous ta victoire.

Ajoute à ta gloire De nouveaux exploits.

MADNESS Fire your darts, Love, empty your quiver, let us be part of your victory.

Let new adventures add to your renown.

SCENE 6 CITHÉRON Du plus grand des Immortels Platée a fait la conquête, De son triomphe embellissez la fête, Et préparez-lui des autels.

CITHERON My subjects, Platée has won the heart of the greatest of the immortals: lend your graces to this celebration of her triumph, and prepare altars in her honour.

LA FOLIE Chantez Platée, égayez-vous, Chantez le pouvoir de ses charmes.

MADNESS Sing the praises of Platée, be merry, sing of the power of her charms.

34

Platee Program.indd 36

22/11/21 12:05 pm

LE CHŒUR Chantons Platée, égayons-nous, Chantons le pouvoir de ses charmes.

CHORUS Sing the praises of Platée, let’s be merry, sing of the power of her charms.

TOUS ENSEMBLE. Le dieu qui lui rend les armes Va nous combler de ses biens les plus doux.

ALL The god who has yielded to her will pour out on us his sweetest blessings.

LA FOLIE et LE CHŒUR Chantons, dansons, sautons tous.

Chantez Platée, égayez-vous.

Chantons le pouvoir de ses charmes.

MADNESS and CHORUS Let’s all sing and dance and leap about.

Sing the praises of Platée, be merry.

Sing of the power of her charms.

JUPITER, à Mercure, à part Voici l’instant de terminer la feinte; Mais, Junon ne vient point.

JUPITER (to Mercury, aside) This is the moment to put an end to this pretence; but Juno hasn’t arrived.

MERCURE Elle est près de ces lieux.

MERCURY She is already here, close at hand.

JUPITER Que de noeuds solennels...

Mais d’où naît cette crainte; Vous qui ne doutez point du pouvoir de vos yeux?

JUPITER Let the solemn bonds...

But where does this fear come from?

Surely you do not doubt the conquering power of your eyes?

PLATÉE Je songe à votre ancienne épouse.

PLATÉE I’m thinking about your former wife.

JUPITER Hé quoi! Qu’en appréhendez-vous?

JUPITER Ah, what! What do you know about her?

PLATÉE Elle est, à ce qu’on dit, jalouse.

PLATÉE I’ve heard that she is jealous.

JUPITER Nous laisserons agir son impuissant courroux.

Pour célébrer ce noeud si légitime; Je jure...

JUPITER Her anger is harmless, we will let it run its course.

To solemnise this lawful bond of marriage, I swear...

SCENE 7 JUNON Arrête, ingrat, Tu n’achèveras pas cet horrible attentat.

Heureuse en ma fureur, saisissons la victime.

Que vois-je! O ciel!

JUNO Stop, you ungrateful wretch!

You shall not carry out this horrible crime.

Exultant with fury, I shall seize the victim.

What’s this I see? O heavens!

JUPITER Vous voyez votre erreur.

JUPITER You see your error.

JUNON Ma surprise est extrême, Quelle confusion succède à ma douleur!

JUNO I am utterly astounded. My misery has given way to such embarrassment!

JUPITER Douterez-vous encore que je vous aime?

JUPITER Can you still doubt that I love you?

JUNON Non. Vous rétablissez le calme dans mon coeur.

JUNO No. You have set my heart at peace again.

JUPITER Montons au séjour du tonnerre, Venez, quittons ces lieux Il n’appartient point à la terre D’arrêter plus longtemps le Souverain des Dieux.

JUPITER Let us go up to the home of thunder, come, let us leave this place.

It is not fitting that the earth should detain the King of the Gods any longer.

FINAL SCENE LA FOLIE avec tous les CHŒURS Chantons Platée, égayons-nous, Chantons le pouvoir de ses charmes.

MADNESS with CHORUS Sing the praises of Platée, let’s be merry, sing of the power of her charms.

PLATÉE Taisez-vous.

Ou, par la mort, je vous punirai tous.

PLATÉE Be quiet, or I swear by death itself, I will punish you all.

LES CHŒURS Le Dieu qui lui rend les armes Va nous combler de ses biens les plus doux, Chantons, dansons, sautons tous.

CHORUS The god who has yielded to her will pour out on us his sweetest blessings.

Let us sing and dance and leap about.

35

Platee Program.indd 37

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE Quoi! L’on craint si peu mon courroux?

Je brouillerai, je troublerai mon onde, Et c’est du sein de ma grotte profonde, Que je vous porterai, je lancerai mes coups.

PLATÉE What! Is my rage so little to be feared?

I will stir up the waters, I will whip them into a frenzy and from the heart of my deep cave I will hurl blows at you.

LES CHŒURS Chantons Platée, égayons-nous, Chantons le pouvoir de ses charmes.

CHORUS Sing the praises of Platée, let’s be merry, sing of the power of her charms.

PLATÉE Taisez-vous.

Ou, par la mort, je vous punirai tous.

Tu vois ma rage, Frémis d’effroi: D’un tel outrage Je n’accuse que toi.

PLATÉE Be quiet!

Or I swear by death itself, I will punish the lot of you.

Citheron, you see my fury: tremble with terror!

You are the one I blame for this insult.

CITHÉRON Que moi!

CITHERON Who, me?

PLATÉE Oui, toi.

PLATÉE Yes, you.

CITHÉRON N’accusez que l’ingrat qui vous manque de foi.

CITHERON You should rather be accusing the ungrateful wretch who betrayed you.

PLATÉE Je n’accuse que toi, je n’accuse que toi.

PLATÉE I accuse no one but you.

LES CHŒURS Chantons Platée, égayons-nous, Chantons le pouvoir de ses charmes.

CHORUS Sing the praises of Platée, let’s be merry, sing of the power of her charms.

PLATÉE Quoi! L’on prétend braver mes coups?

Courons, allons contre eux exhaler mon courroux.

PLATÉE What! Do they think they can stand up to my blows?

I’ll chase them down – they shall feel my rage.

Translation by Natalie Shea © 2021

Kanen Breen and Erin Helyard in rehearsal (photo: Jasmin Simmons)

36

Platee Program.indd 38

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PINCHGUT BEGINNINGS Pinchgut founders Ken and Liz Nielsen, artistic director Erin Helyard and the people who were there at the beginning spoke to Yvonne Frindle about what it’s like to build an opera company.

Pinchgut founders, Liz and Ken Nielsen. “They made me Life Patron for my sins,” jokes Liz.

If the Pinchgut story were itself an opera it would be a work in progress – the turmoil of a plague and the festivities of a birthday celebration making a dramatic conclusion to Act I. The Prologue would begin with founder Ken Nielsen entering the office of Alison Johnston, an arts administrator.

“Do you think Sydney needs a chamber opera company?” he would sing.

Our prologue would break Aristotle’s unities by taking us to several locations – cafes at the Museum of Sydney and Sydney Dance Company among them – over the course of many months. It would introduce more of our principal characters: fellow founder Liz Nielsen, Anna Cerneaz, baroque violinist Anna McDonald, a young harpsichordist Erin Helyard – musicians and music tragics all. “Yes,” they would sing over lattes and espressos, “Sydney needs a chamber opera company.” We’d meet a conductor, Antony Walker, and Alison’s brother, Andrew Johnston, an actor and production manager.

Together they would plot and scheme in the best operatic tradition, setting the stage for a project of breathtaking vision and more than a little audacity and whimsy. Someone would suggest the name “Pinchgut”. They’d agree to create what would be, for Sydney, a new entertainment – to put on a show like nothing ever seen before.

For their first vehicle they would choose Handel’s Semele, telling the story of Jupiter, his mistress and a thoroughly jealous Juno. For the setting they would take us not to a gilded theatre but to a recital hall, a big white box that would focus attention on the sound – on the music. Curtain. Or rather, no curtain.

W

“If we’d known even ten per cent of what we now know about putting on an opera we would never have attempted it,” recalls Alison Johnston, Pinchgut’s artistic manager. But everything about the business of bringing Semele to the stage, she says, was exciting: the planning, the casting, even the costume fittings. According to Anna Cerneaz – the company’s marketing manager then general manager for the first 12 years – it was all hands on deck, with everyone doing everything they could to make it a success. It should have been chaotic, she says, but it wasn’t.

That first production, in December 2002, was conducted by Antony Walker. Erin Helyard played harpsichord continuo and Anna McDonald led the Sirius Ensemble, a period-instrument they’d founded. The cast included Anna Ryberg as Semele, with Sally-Anne Russell and Angus Wood as Juno and Jupiter, Tobias Cole as Athamus and Stephen Bennett as Cadmus/Somnus. Justin Way directed and Samantha Paxton was the first of many designers who would leap to the challenge of presenting theatre in a concert hall.

“We did well, artistically, with Semele,” says Alison, “And we did sort-of-well, on the box-office front, although we nowhere near covered our costs. Every year as we went on, there was this mix of excitement and absolutely not knowing if we’d be able to continue. That was totally in the lap of the patrons who were supporting it – whether they were prepared to go on. It was a wild ride and we learned so much from the first production to the second.”

37

Platee Program.indd 39

22/11/21 12:05 pm

“It’s a bit like looking at the back of a clock – you see all the moving parts.” Erin Helyard conducts the orchestra for Theodora (2016). (photo: Robert Catto)

The second production was Purcell’s Fairy Queen, followed by Monteverdi’s Orfeo in 2004, and their first French opera, Dardanus, in 2005. And so the company settled into a pattern of one opera a year.

“It was all done on the smell of an oily rag,” says operations manager Andrew Johnston. “We’d beg and borrow spaces to build the sets. We’d store stuff in Ken and Liz’s garage. Any designers we brought on board were expected to have a paintbrush or a sewing machine in their hands the whole time. And while our budgets have increased and we’re better resourced now, we’re still really conscious of not wasting. Compared to the big companies, we still operate on a shoestring.”

During the early years everyone worked from home. When it came to October or November, explains Andrew, “we’d extricate ourselves from whatever other jobs we were doing and focus on Pinchgut for a good seven or eight weeks, then we’d go back to our lives. It was only in 2014, when we moved to two shows a year, that I felt I could focus on Pinchgut as my primary job. But we still had to supplement our income elsewhere, and it was really only about four years ago that we started to go, okay, I think we’re full-time now.”

W

The feeling of relative security is one of the key changes that Pinchgut stalwarts mention when they look back over the past 20 years: moving from extreme uncertainty to being in a position to plan and produce two operas and a small concert series each year, and now touring as well.

“For the first eight years,” says Alison, “we genuinely didn’t know whether we’d have a job next year.

And while we absolutely could still go under – you know, in COVID-times – it would be for different

PINCHGUT 2002–2021 TWENTY YEARS OF BRINGING BAROQUE OPERA TO AUDIENCES 2000

2001

The first Pinchgut meeting takes place on 18 October 2000

Pinchgut Opera incorporated as a company on 5 February 2001

Founding Artistic Directors: Antony Walker, Erin Helyard and violinist Anna McDonald

38

Platee Program.indd 40

22/11/21 12:05 pm

reasons. But as a company, we seem to be relatively secure – as secure as anybody can be in this environment – we don’t look at each opera as potentially our last one. And a big reason for that is our wonderful family of loyal donors, which means we can plan for the long term.”

That security has led to more performances and interstate and regional touring as well as online projects – more activity, in other words. It has also led to a modest increase in the budget allocated to production – to what you see on the stage. And the core team that comes together for each production is now a little bigger.

Although, as Anna astutely points out, this is not strictly speaking change so much as growth.

Liz describes it best: “What has changed is that it’s become a much bigger organisation in terms of what we do. And that means dealing with different issues, like the enormous amount of revenue that still has to come, mainly from donors, and having a bigger board, and employing over 200 people a year for our performances. But, it’s delightful that it’s still an organisation with six people running it – it’s never grown into a big, clumsy mechanism, where the money is absorbed by staff rather than the music.”

There is perhaps one true change from the earliest years: a change or clarification of artistic focus. “We weren’t even going to be a Baroque opera company,” says Erin, “but more like a chamber opera company – that was the niche that we identified at the time: that no one was doing chamber opera.” Now – and it happened fairly quickly – Pinchgut is quite definitely a specialist Baroque opera company (see “If it ain’t baroque…”). That said, a defining feature of Pinchgut, says Ken, is that it’s not afraid of change or taking risks and that, as an organisation, it never wants to become “boring and predictable”. So who knows what acts three or four or five might hold?

IF IT AIN’T BAROQUE… Pinchgut specialises in Baroque opera but that wasn’t the original intention. “When we set up Pinchgut it was not set up as a Baroque opera company,” explains Alison Johnston, “it was set up as a chamber opera company.” A Baroque opera was chosen for the first production mainly because this was the area of expertise of Erin Helyard and violinist Anna McDonald, and for the first three-to-five years there was the idea that at some point Pinchgut would present a 20th-century or contemporary chamber opera.

“Early on we had a big discussion about The Rake’s Progress by Stravinsky,” says Alison, “which would have suited us very well, because it uses a small orchestra with a harpsichord. But after a while we realised there’s more unexplored repertoire in the Baroque period than any other – vast swathes of stuff that nobody knows about. And that allows us to not only do Australian premieres, but sometimes ‘almost premieres’.”

It also became obvious that nobody else was presenting Baroque opera at that time, whereas other companies were presenting contemporary chamber opera. “The big factor for us in the end,” says Alison, “was the advent [in 2010] of Sydney Chamber Opera. So in the Australian opera ecology, and particularly the Sydney opera ecology, we work very well: Opera Australia does the mainstage operas, Sydney Chamber Opera is dealing with contemporary opera and commissions, and we’re doing Baroque opera, which neither of them is interested in doing, at least for the moment. We picked our area, we picked it well, and we weren’t in competition with anybody else.”

W

2002 Pinchgut Opera makes its debut on 4 Dec 2002 with Semele, conducted

by Antony Walker and directed by Justin Way; Erin Helyard plays harpsichord

2003

2004

2005

Recording of Semele released (ABC Classic)

Mark Gaal directs Orfeo

Pinchgut “invades” Fort Denison to promote Dardanus

First Pinchgut production to include the Orchestra of the Antipodes

39

Platee Program.indd 41

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Just two of the solutions to the City Recital Hall challenge: Adam Gardnir’s desert-paradise set for Ormindo (2009) and the glamorous ruin Brad Clark and Alexandra Sommer created for David et Jonathas (2008)

Pinchgut might not be afraid of change, but the list of things that haven’t changed over the past 20 years is long. Many are to do with the company’s personality and values: its agility, its freshness, the feeling of candour and whimsy, the family vibe, the importance of relationships, and the way in which music always comes first.

Another thing that hasn’t changed is Pinchgut’s home, City Recital Hall, which was new when the company was new and which has become fundamental to how Pinchgut presents opera to audiences.

“City Recital Hall has really shaped who we are as a company,” says Andrew. “For years we were the only people stupid enough to try to mount productions in there, and I think we still probably are. It’s a fantastic venue and we have a wonderful relationship with them, but it’s challenging. It’s not an opera theatre. There’s no wing space, there are no fly towers, there’s a tiny loading dock. Everything has to be able to go through doorways that are two metres high and two metres wide. And it’s a big white room.”

But the challenges have stimulated some marvellous creative responses. Andrew continues: “I love that every director and design team comes up with their own fantastic new way of solving it. Some of them don’t try to hide that it’s a big white room – they treat it more like a big installation – and others turn it into a black box. Some reference Baroque practice, others are completely contemporary.”

One key challenge is that lack of a proscenium arch and the machinery of theatre. “Whatever we put in there is the set,” says Andrew. “You don’t get to walk in after interval and see a totally different set on stage, and we’ve had some really creative ways of solving that.”

Andrew points to Griselda in 2011, where David Fleischer’s basic set transformed over three acts from an imposing granite archway, to a snowy trash-filled lane, to a wedding feast. And Ormindo (2009), which traded on the idea of Baroque artifice, with flat timber cut-outs for the desert dunes, receding into the background with palm trees. He recalls the beautiful set for David et Jonathas (2008), “which was like a Baroque room that had been bombed, with holes in the walls and rubble everywhere, and chandeliers”.

2006

2007

Lindy Hume directs Idomeneo

John Pitman joins the board

2008 Chas Rader-Shieber directs David et Jonathas

2009 Erin Helyard conducts his first Pinchgut production Taryn Fiebig makes her first Pinchgut appearance First fundraiser at the Australian Museum

40

Platee Program.indd 42

22/11/21 12:05 pm

“We’ve managed to create some fantastic designs,” he concludes. “Particularly in the early days on a very, very limited budget.”

The choice of City Recital Hall emerged from the philosophy of Music First (see “Prima la musica”). “We went to City Recital Hall because of the acoustic,” says Alison, “and we wanted everybody in the audience to have a very intimate participation in the production. We’ve talked about the possibility of going somewhere else, but we’ve never found a better space than the Recital Hall, acoustically.”

City Recital Hall has shaped Pinchgut and, says Liz, in some ways Pinchgut has shaped it.

“We were not important to the Recital Hall in the beginning. They told us to go away, that opera couldn’t happen here at the Recital Hall.

They put all sorts of obstacles in our way but we wore them down in the end. And then they could see how we brought an audience that they’d never had before. I mean, we are difficult for them: we take over for a fortnight and bring in lots of stuff. But they’ve got to be delighted to see the transformation. And it’s much more welcoming now.”

There’s an irony that the “white box” nature of City Recital Hall plays against the historical precedent of Baroque opera, which was, as Erin describes it, “an effects-driven industry”, spectacular and almost cinematic (think dragons, storms and literal deus ex machina events).

And at one point Erin muses: “If there were another space, another hall that had fly towers and a proscenium arch back in the 90s, I think we might be a different company today. Because we adapted to the space that we called our home. And that space has limitations and challenges, but those parameters have afforded us the opportunity to be really creative.”

“One thing I really like about the Recital Hall,” he continues, “is that we usually take out the front row of seats and put the orchestra on the level of the auditorium. Now that is 18th-century

2010 The Pinchgut LIVE recording label is launched with L’anima del filosofo; the label now has 11 releases, in addition to the 7 available on ABC Classic

2011

PRIMA LA MUSICA Pinchgut was founded with one guiding principle: that music would be at the heart of everything they did. The very first idea, writes founder Ken Nielsen, was “to build an opera company that put the music first, that treated opera as primarily a musical art form rather than a theatrical one. We talked of it being an intimate experience, rather than a spectator sport. So the aim was to make the music as good as we possibly could, with the other elements – staging, production, design, costumes – supporting the music but not getting in its way or distracting attention from it.”

A nice side effect of putting the “music first” is that it becomes less expensive.

Most of the budget can be devoted to actually putting the music on – hiring an orchestra, hiring singers – with anything left going towards the staging. It also influenced Pinchgut’s choice of venue.

“City Recital Hall had only recently opened,” says founder Liz Nielsen, “and it fit with our idea of putting the music first with a production that had to showcase the music. The excellent acoustic, and the audience’s closeness to the stage, with no curtain or proscenium arch to divide the audience from the performers – that was very important to us.”

But over time, says operations manager Andrew Johnston, there’s been a subtle shift. “We wrestled with it and kept returning to the fact that we’re an opera company: we can’t sound like a million dollars and look like a couple of hundred.

Of course we keep the music first, but we resource the staging and production elements more.” Ultimately, though, the guiding principal remains. “Putting the music first,” says Liz, “that’s the one thing that really matters.”

2012

2013 Ken Nielsen retires from Pinchgut and joins the audience family Norman Gillespie joins the board

41

Platee Program.indd 43

22/11/21 12:05 pm

practice, which is great, but our audience also loves it. It’s like looking at the back of a clock – you see all the moving parts. And there are people who come to our shows who are as fascinated by the orchestra, which is on full display, as they are by the drama and spectacle we’ve created.”

W

The venue has been influential but, above all, Pinchgut has been shaped by its core values – which are deeply held and no mere lip service – and its artistic vision.

The first of these is summed up in the oft-repeated phrase: “the two legs on which Pinchgut stands.”

As founders, Ken and Liz created a company that stood on two legs: the audience and the artists.

“They are equally important,” says Ken, “and unless both are happy, we will fail.”

In practice, the two-legs philosophy led to a “sense of family” that has endured for 20 years. “We’ve always aimed to make sure this is the best gig anyone has all year,” says Liz. “To really look after artists and to look after the audience. They’re the two things that matter.”

Of course, for Pinchgut, “artists” is an embracing term that extends to everyone involved in bringing a performance to life. As Andrew explains, “It’s easy to look at a company like this and focus on the singers and the creative teams for the operas, but actually there’s an amazing bunch of people who are so integral to who we are. We have a fantastic core team: a stage manager, head of wardrobe, head of lighting, production coordinator… They’re part of the Pinchgut family and they’re all keen to come back and work on our shows.”

In addition to “family”, “nurturing” is another word that crops up repeatedly. “It was a nurturing atmosphere,” recalls Anna, “Not just young singers, young players, but also nurturing our audiences.”

Looking after the people continues to be important, says Erin. “Some of the closest relationships in my life are with the people I perform with. The artists put themselves in vulnerable positions to be artistic and it’s a real honour to be amongst people who are not afraid to show the fragility and vulnerability, and for our audience to react to that. So I think I get very protective – and supportive.”

Regarding the audience as individuals and as part of the family has been an enduring aspect of the Pinchgut personality even as the audience has grown. This attitude extends to communications and Pinchgut’s early marketing was remarkable for its newsletters, which stood out from anything other Sydney arts organisations were circulating. (They still do.) Initially written mostly by Ken and Anna – and now by Ilona and Alex – Pinchgut newsletters are candid, illuminating and always enjoyable to read. “Those first newsletters took forever to write,” confides Anna, “but they were fun. And they came from the heart.” “We were writing as though we were learning and sharing what we learned with the readers,” says Ken, “which had the advantage of being true.”

The newsletters continue to represent the spirit of whimsy and good-humour that pervades everything that Pinchgut does. This is a company that takes things terribly seriously, but without ever coming across as if it takes itself too seriously.

W

The thing that Pinchgut takes most seriously of all, and always will, is the music. And this means that artistic vision, and artistic planning, takes priority. “The choice of opera has always been entirely the artistic directors’ choice,” says Liz. “It’s always up to Erin now, and in the beginning up to Erin and Antony.” The board of directors has only once intervened in a choice of opera, she adds, and this

2014

2015

Move to a two-opera season – Salieri’s Chimney Sweep is the first mid-year opera

42

Platee Program.indd 44

22/11/21 12:05 pm

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Of all the performing arts companies in Sydney, Pinchgut wins the prize for the best name.

“Identifiably Sydney” and with the right mix of quirkiness and whimsy, it was, as Ken and Liz like to say, “perfect for the company we wanted to build”.

Given that the company began on a very tight budget and uses gut strings, the name also plays into the popular belief that the Pinchgut name for Fort Denison (known to the Eora people as Ma-te-wan-ye) arose from convicts being abandoned on the rocky outcrop with bread and water – their guts pinched from hunger. That, says Anna Cerneaz – a former oceanographer and marine geologist – is rubbish. “Pinchgut” is a nautical term, she explains, referring to the island’s location at the narrowest point of Sydney Harbour, in other words at a pinch point in the channel or “gut”. But everyone concedes the popular legend has too much traction to ever be overturned and, Anna assures us, “starving artist jokes aside, we do feed them well!”

Of course, you can’t name yourself after a local island and not enlist it in a publicity stunt. In 2005, to promote Pinchgut’s first production of a French opera – Dardanus – the company staged an invasion of Fort Denison, postulating what might have happened if the French had settled Sydney first. Dan Walker made a setting of La Marseillaise for the occasion and the result was filmed by ABC television.

Corin Bone, Brett Weymark, Matthew Ridley and Andrew Johnston led the Pinchgut “invasion” in 2005 (photo: Simon Hodgson)

2016 Erin Helyard named sole Artistic Director

2017

Liz Nielsen retires from Pinchgut and is appointed Life Patron

43

Platee Program.indd 45

22/11/21 12:05 pm

was to recommend postponing one for a year in favour of another with a smaller cast. Otherwise, the artistic team, which includes Alison Johnston, has full control over artistic decisions. The board gives them a budget and leaves them to get on with it.

Significant to Pinchgut’s artistic development was the increase to a two-opera season in 2014.

“Being able to do two operas a year brought Pinchgut to another level,” says Erin, “because we are really able to flex our muscles.”

More operas allows for programming that illuminates the variety represented by nearly two centuries of repertoire. “I look for contrasts in the seasons,” says Erin. “Comedy and tragedy, Italian and French, 18th-century and 17th-century.”

For now, Pinchgut is presenting at least one 17th-century opera each year. The company’s first 17th-century opera was Cavalli’s Ormindo, recommended by Antony Walker in 2009. This style of opera struck Alison as being “exactly like a play – a play with music”. Erin loves the wonderful mix of comedy and tragedy: “it’s like Shakespeare, whereas 18th-century opera is much more formal and more virtuosic.”

Seventeenth-century opera plays to Pinchgut’s strengths, explains Erin. “There’s more room for imagination, creativity and making it really special, and doing as they did in the past – adapting the score to suit local conditions and different artists.” Alison agrees: “You need amazing actors, as well as singers, and we’ve found that it’s stretched us in a really good way – the performers, the creatives, the audience – and we’ve really enjoyed coming to grips with what 17th-century opera is.”

Erin is especially drawn to early Venetian opera – the birth of opera: “There’s a freshness to it that appeals to me very strongly. It was like the cinema of its day – it was able to animate speech with music, and we can go even further and add spectacle and costume, and also there are very strong roles for women.”

In exploring 17th-century Venetian opera – its music and its economics – Erin has unearthed some fascinating and sometimes unexpected parallels between how Baroque opera was originally produced and Pinchgut’s own operations. He talks of funding models (dependent on box-office income and the patronage of donors), the relationships with audiences and the influence of audience taste, an entrepreneurial spirit married to tight budgets, and the literal sense of family in what were typically small operations. (You can hear him explore the topic in his Baroque Banters podcast on the Pinchgut website.)

In short, there’s a spirit of authenticity in Pinchgut productions that goes well beyond historically informed performance practices and period instruments. And it extends to the fierce loyalty of Pinchgut audiences.

That audience has been nurtured over 20 years. As Ken puts it, Pinchgut has aimed to develop the “best audience” – an audience that would trust the company, follow it into new areas, and allow it to take risks; an audience that would feel as if it were part of the company. “That degree of trust and loyalty,” he says, “is an asset of huge artistic, not just commercial, value.”

“We are incredibly fortunate in our audience,” says Alison. “Right from the beginning, we wanted to involve the audience in the journey. And it has really paid off in that we do have a very loyal audience who are willing to trust us: we do a whole bunch of works and composers they’ve never heard of and they’re willing to give it a go.”

2018

2019

Mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux sings Mandane in Artaserse and gives a recital with Erin Helyard at the Melbourne Recital Centre, marking our first concert event and first Melbourne tour

Artaserse is named Best Rediscovered Work in the 2019 International Opera Awards (the opera Oscars)

Orchestra of the Antipodes officially becomes part of Pinchgut

First concert series in Sydney and Melbourne

44

Platee Program.indd 46

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Most of the operas Pinchgut produces are unfamiliar – not just to the audience but frequently to the cast and creative team too. No warhorses here. Which means that both “legs” of Pinchgut are discovering their magic together. “For me, it’s just an endless journey of delight,” says Erin. “I love being a student, I love constantly learning things and discovering things. And I would ideally love my audience to do the same.”

Yvonne Frindle © 2021

We send our love and thanks to the artists, donors, crew, staff and audience members who have been part of the Pinchgut family since the very beginning and who share in this joyous 20th anniversary celebration.

We would like to make special mention of the following people who have been with us since the early days and are still with us…

ON STAGE AND BEHIND THE SCENES

OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS

Matthew Bruce (Semele) Myee Clohessy (Fairy Queen) Anthea Cottee (Orfeo) Nicole Dorigo (Orfeo) Melissa Farrow (Orfeo) Anna Fraser (Orfeo) Stephen Freeman (Semele) Mark Gaal (Orfeo) David Greco (Fairy Queen) Erin Helyard (Semele) Alison Johnston (Semele) Andrew Johnston (Semele) Kirsty McCahon (Fairy Queen) Simon Rickard (Semele) Natalie Shea (Semele) Dan Walker (Orfeo) Brett Weymark (Semele)

Stephen Booth & Zorica Rapaich Neil Burns Mary Jo Capps Max & Joan Connery Janet Cooke Moya Crane Barbara Fisher Reg & Kathie Grinberg Judy & John Hastings Esther & Beatrice Janssen John Lamble Mary Jane Lawrie Tim & Gillian MacDonald Margaret Newman Ern & Deidre Pope

We would also like to acknowledge our long-time supporters Don and Ilona Walker. Sadly, Ilona died four years ago and Don died a few weeks ago.

And finally, our heartfelt thanks to Liz and Ken Nielsen, who have been there for Pinchgut from before day one.

2020

2021

Pinchgut At Home, our digital platform, and Baroque Banter, our podcast series, are launched

Apollo & Dafne is our first opera production to be filmed

Cesti’s Orontea and Charpentier’s Médée

Taryn Fiebig Scholarship established in her memory

Pinchgut embarks on its first tour of regional NSW and performs in South Australia and Tasmania

Our first opera-film: A Delicate Fire, featuring music by Barbara Strozzi

20th birthday production, directed by Neil Armfield

2022

45

Platee Program.indd 47

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS Pinchgut Opera exists so that we may touch lives, and to see our audiences transcend the everyday through the power of music and the beauty of the human voice.

We exist also because of the generosity of our incredible family of donors, and would like to thank everyone who has supported us by making a financial contribution over the past year.

To make a donation or to find more information about our targeted Giving Circles, please visit: pinchgutopera.com.au/donate MAESTRO’S CIRCLE SUPPORTERS Leading Patrons ($10,000 and above) Justice François Kunc & Ms Felicity Rourke, in memory of Lidia Kunc* Supporting Patrons ($5,000 to $9,999) Wendy Amigo, Tony Gill, Anonymous (3) FARINELLI PROGRAM Leading Patron ($10,000 and above) Emily & Yvonne Chang Supporting Patrons ($5,000 to $9,999) Nena Beretin, John Claudianos, Andrew Goy, James & Claire Kirby Family Fund, Anonymous (3) ORCHESTRA OF THE ANTIPODES – CHAIR PATRONS John & Irene Garran – supporting Kirsty McCahon (bass) PLATÉE GIVING CIRCLE Principal Supporters James & Claire Kirby Family Fund, Suzanne Kirkham CONTINUO MENTORSHIP PROGRAM Principal Supporter Norman Gillespie TARYN FIEBIG SCHOLAR PROGRAM Sisyphus Foundation, John Allard, Hon. J Campbell QC & Mrs Campbell, Emily & Yvonne Chang, Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway, The Elliott Family, Richard Fisher AM & Diana Fisher, Justice François Kunc & Felicity Rourke, Pam & Ian McGaw, Nick & Caroline Minogue, Frances Muecke, Trevor Parkin, Stephen Shanasy, Shane Simpson, Leslie C Thiess, Mark Walker, Graeme Wood Foundation, Anonymous (4) JUPITER (SEMELE) $20,000 and above Emily & Yvonne Chang, Danny Kaye & Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation, Suzanne Kirkham, Noel Donna McIntosh & Family, Patricia H Reid Endowment Fund, Agnes Sinclair, Sisyphus Foundation, Anonymous (3)

THEODORA (THEODORA) $10,000 to $19,000 Rebecca Davies, Nick & Caroline Minogue, James & Claire Kirby Family Fund, Justice François Kunc & Felicity Rourke in memory of Lidia Kunc, Gillian & David Ritchie, Fe Ross, Anthony Strachan, Alden Toevs & Judi Wolf, Cameron Williams, Anonymous (4) DIANA (IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE) $5,000 to $9,999 Carey Beebe, Nena Beretin & John Claudianos, Stephen Booth & Zorica Rapaich, Toula & Nicholas Cowell, Edward Curry-Hyde & Barbara Messerle, Jean Dalton, Suvan & Shamistha de Soysa, John & Irene Garran, Tony Gill, Norman Gillespie, Mr Andrew Goy, Reg & Kathie Grinberg, Frank & Pat Harvey, Penelope Huntstead, Alan Hyland, Christopher McCabe, Jan Marie Muscio, Andrew Peace, Shegog Pty Ltd, Westpac Good2Give, Annie & Anthony Whealy, Anonymous (3) ORFEO (ORFEO & L’ANIMA DEL FILOSOFO) $2,000 to $4,999 Antoinette Albert, Anne Amigo, Michael Ball, Nena Beretin, Christine Bishop, Henry Burmester & Peter Mason, J Connery, Prue & Peter Davenport, Jennifer Dowling, David Duncan, Dr Marguerite Foxon, Freilich Prescribed Private Fund, Mark Gaal, Jocelyn Goyen, Catherine Playoust & Elliott Gyger, The Hon. Don Harwin, Elisabeth Hodson, Janet Holmes à Court, Emma Johnston & Mark Probert, Mrs W G Keighley, Diccon & Elizabeth Loxton, Kevin & Deidre McCann, McCauley Software Pty Ltd, Pam & Ian McGaw, Alexandra Martin, Helen & Phillip Meddings, Frances Muecke, Jennie & Ivor Orchard, Catherine Playoust & Elliot Gyger, Rod Pobestek, Prof. Andrew Rosenberg, Robert Stewart, Jennifer Thredgold, Graham Tribe, Mark Walker, Dr Elizabeth Watson, David Wood, Ms Jocelyn Woodhouse, Anonymous (4) GRISELDA (GRISELDA) $1,000 to $1,999 Priscilla Adey, Alumni Travel, Maia Ambegaokar & Joshua Bishop, Gillian Appleton, Martin & Ursula Armstrong, Ms Lynne Ashpole, Marco Belgiorno-Zegna am, Barbara Brady, Meredith Brooks, Hon. J Campbell QC & Mrs Campbell, Malcolm Cardis, Colleen & Michael Chesterman, Robert Clark, Robert & Julie Clarke, Alison Clugston, Jean Cockayne, Barbara Ann Colquhoun, Anita & Richard Dammery, Raoul de Ferranti, Susanne de Ferranti, Julie & Bill Dowsley, Nigel Emslie, John & Diana Frew, Peter Garnick & Dr Jillian Graham, Ruth & Ian Gough, Paula & Ferdinand Gritter, Lyndsey Hawkins, Barbara & John Hirst, Katherine & Darryl Hodgkinson, Elisabeth Hodson, John Hughes, Beatrice Janssen, Sue

46

Platee Program.indd 48

22/11/21 12:05 pm

Johnston, Carl Jones, Shinji Kakizaki, Melissa Kennedy, Mr Wolf Krueger, Diccon & Elizabeth Loxton, Peter McGrath, Mr James MacKean, Brendan McPhillips, Kerry Murphy, John Nethercote, Paul O’Donnell, Trevor Parkin, Rear Admiral Ian Richards AO, Jane Smith, Beverley Southern, Leslie C Thiess, Sue Thomson, Suzanne & Ross Tzannes, Dr Elizabeth Watson, David Wood, Anonymous (5)

Current as at 8 November 2021 The above list acknowledges those who have donated $1,000 or more.

To see a full list of our donors, visit pinchgutopera.com.au/our-donors

YOUR SUPPORT IS VITAL Please consider making a gift to help us continue making music that inspires.

HOW TO DONATE: Online: pinchgutopera.com.au/donate Direct Deposit / EFT (avoids high credit card fees that Pinchgut pays on your donation): Pinchgut Opera Public Fund BSB: 012 003 Account #: 198 883 Please include your name as the reference and notify our Philanthropy Manager, Ilona Brooks, of your donation by email: ilona@pinchgutopera.com.au Phone: (02) 9318 8344 All donations of $2 or more are fully tax deductible.

MAJOR PARTNER

FOUNDATION PARTNER

GOVERNMENT PARTNER

MEDIA PARTNERS

Pinchgut Opera is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.

47

Platee Program.indd 49

22/11/21 12:05 pm

PLATÉE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PINCHGUT OPERA LIMITED

ABN 67 095 974 191 PO Box 291 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012

www.pinchgutopera.com.au

PATRON His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) & Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley LIFE PATRONS Liz Nielsen and Jeremy Davis AM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Erin Helyard CONDUCTOR EMERITUS Antony Walker GENERAL MANAGER Cressida Griffith ARTISTIC MANAGER Alison Johnston OPERATIONS MANAGER Andrew Johnston MARKETING AND PHILANTHROPY MANAGER Ilona Brooks MARKETING AND ADMINISTRATION COORDINATOR Alexandra Peek FINANCIAL ADVISOR Emma Murphy FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANT Barbara Peters TARYN FIEBIG SCHOLAR Chloe Lankshear CONTINUO MENTORSHIP FELLOW Andrei Haddap BOARD Norman Gillespie (Chair), Virginia Braden OAM, Nicola Craddock, Mark Gaal, Tony Gill, Monika Kwiatkowski, John Pitman DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Tony Gill (Chair), John Claudianos, Norman Gillespie, Julia King, Mark Prior, Alden Toevs, Claire Wivell Plater NIDA: PRODUCTION SUPPORTER Students from the Diploma of Live Production and Technical Services and the Diploma of Screen and Media (Specialist Make-Up Services) are part of the technical and production crew.

DIPLOMA OF SCREEN AND MEDIA (SPECIALIST MAKE-UP Ella Colhoun, Polly Cooper, Lachie Masters SERVICES) STUDENTS Josh Ramandani, Jess Tatchell DIPLOMA OF LIVE PRODUCTION AND Oliver Bryson, Ashleigh Elms, Julian Dunne, TECHNICAL SERVICES STUDENTS Siena Head SUPERVISED BY INDUSTRY MENTORS Anthony Keen, Helen Thatcher PRODUCTION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ARTWORK & DESIGN Alphabet Studio PROGRAM DESIGN Imagecorp PHOTOGRAPHERS Brett Boardman, Jasmin Simmons VIDEOGRAPHER Steve Polydorou for A Space Apart VIDEO EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY TDC FOR ABC CLASSIC Virginia Read, Brooke Green, Andrew Edgson FOR AUSTRALIAN THEATRE LIVE Grant Dodwell, Peter Hiscock, Rajban Sidhu and team SINCERE THANKS TO The ever wonderful Natalie Shea; Sue Procter – Create NSW; Justin Boschetti and Sophie Mackay – CRH; Grant Dodwell, Peter Hiscock, Raj Sidhu and the Australian Theatre Live team; Julia Pincus, Matthew Dewey and Virginia Read – ABC; Rory Jeffes, Simon Craw, Neal Hughes, Will Dunshea, Emilia Simcox, Neroli Hobbins, Byron McDonald and Bonnie Harris – Opera Australia; Scott Ryan and Kevin Mann – Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Marnie Campbell and Ash Armitt – NIDA; Abbey Yazbek – Red Bull; Slade Blanch – Bell Shakespeare; Romy McKanna – Ensemble Theatre; and Brian Nixon, Elizabeth Johnston, Mark Probert, Laura Vaughan, Simon Rickard, Frances Muecke, Liz Nielsen, Hugh McCullum, Véronique Benett and Lydia Beslik

City Recital Hall Limited Chair Rachel Launders • CEO Justin Boschetti 2–12 Angel Place, Sydney NSW 2000 Administration (02) 9231 9000 Box Office (02) 8256 2222 Website www.cityrecitalhall.com

48

Platee Program.indd 50

22/11/21 12:05 pm