Luisa Miller

History plays strange tricks deeming this 1849 Verdi opera one of his lesser known ones. 

In its first ever production, Opera Australia, in collaboration with Opera de Lausanne, shows Verdi’s musical narrative and characterisations to be rich and stirring, and the five  central singers equally outstanding.

Salvatore Cammarano’s libretto is based on a Schiller play but with most of the politics  stripped out to please the anxious Neapolitan censors of his day.  What history has passed us then is an opera focused instead on love, death, honesty, intrigue and male pride.  All very Italian, with motivations unsubtle and even mindless, but all undeniably dramatic.

Luisa loves Rodolfi (Diego Torre) but her father Miller (Dalibor Jenis) is furious to discover he’s the son of Count Walter (Raymond Aceto). The Count however is determined that his heir will marry the Duchess (Sian Pendry); meanwhile his henchman Wurm (Daniel Sumegi) schemes to grab Luisa for himself.

The broadstroke tug of war between these five is artfully etched out on a shiny black set  littered only with some upright chairs. There is nowhere to hid.

Dominating the stage, until hoisted high during the prologue, is a domestic scene carved in white marble.  An image perhaps of domestic harmony destroyed by Count  Walter when he usurped power from a relative, it’s an oddly unnecessary extravagance.

That aside, designer William Orlandi and director Giancarlo del Monaco have perfectly set this dark tale in the Fascist blacks and shadows of the 1930’s.  The funereal chorus of villagers, as distant commentators, are all formally dressed, slowly parading with candles and white flowers. 

Australian soprano Nicole Car is poised and expressive as Luisa, a star already, while Torre’s voice and surprising fluidity defies a figure short and stout.  Indeed, on this monochromatic set all the singers bring an essential physicality to match powerful  musical characterisations. 

Verdi masterfully arcs his musical storytelling through these charged encounters, climaxing as the lovers face each other, their truth and their end.  A great show; history it seems can’t be trusted.

Martin Portus

Images (top) Diego Torre (Rodolfo) and Nicole Car (Luisa), and (lower) Dalibor Jenis (Miller), Raymond Aceto (Walter), Nicole Car (Luisa) and Eva Kong (Laura) in Opera Australia's Luisa Miller. Photographer: Prudence Upton.