Thaïs

This is the opera you have probably never heard of, but is instantly recognisable once the lead violinist stands for the glorious and sumptuous meditation which ends the second act. 

I have to admit to being quite emotional when this tune filled the Sydney Town Hall, as not only was the lead violinist Jung Yi Ma sublime, but it was a favourite of my late father who enjoyed playing it on his own violin.

But you didn’t need to have such a close connection to the music to be moved by this Opera. A member of the cast told me the performance was its first ever fully professional outing in Australia - 127 years after it was written. 

It must be said that it was the music, not the story or venue, which made it memorable. Opera Australia is using different spaces whilst the Opera Theatre is renovated and at first it felt a little untidy finding your seat in the Town Hall, then watching the orchestra, chorus and principals meander onto the stage of the Town Hall. Being a concert, principals read from music and there was limited stage movement to embellish the narrative.

In short, perhaps the reason why it has never fully staged in Australia is that it is an awfully silly story. This opera is about a courtesan, Thaïs, and her relationship with a monk (sounds like a bad joke doesn’t it).  There are absurd sexual longings, visions of death and even a statuette of Eros makes an appearance.

But half way through the first act the absurdities of the opera were swept aside by the sublime voice of Nicole Car in the lead role.  She swept the audience away with her beautiful floating rendition of "L'amour est une vertu rare".

In a fabulous casting quirk her real-life partner Etienne Dupuis played her love muse, monk Athanael.  His rich baritone voice was also very pleasing and there was clearly some chemistry between the two.

Once Nicole Car helped transform the experience we could ignore the silly story and soak up the unique pleasures of watching the Opera Australia orchestra on stage. The conductor, Guillaume Tourniaire, slid around his podium Michael Jackson style at one point. Another treat was seeing the unique musical instrument which replicates the sound of a storm. I felt like a child at a proms concert.

Hearing the tenor Simon Kim as Nicias sing from back-stage through the woodwork of the Town Hall stage was another unique treat.

When the opera concluded the audience, clapped, cheered and stamped their feet in appreciation giving the town hall a right royal shake.

David Spicer