Hey there, Schmop-Tops!

Okay, so I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Opera 5 is totally onto something here, friends — for real. After witnessing this summer’s Toronto Opera Festival, I feel confident saying that this could be the next great destination for new and developing singers.

Currently the company-in-residence at the Canadian Opera Company as well as enjoying their third year in partnering with McGill Opera to bring together young, emerging, and established artists to present the Festival, the organization has grown immensely and these artists are no slouch either.

Up first was Suor Angelica, which tells the story of a woman sent to the nunnery by her family. Why she’s there is a secret, but there’s a rumour she was once a princess. We find out later that her parents died, and she had been sent to the convent for sullying the family name.

The opening scene with the nuns beginning their labours after chapel was very “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” vibes, with each of the sisters taking turns being “Maria.” It was endearing, charming, and extremely well-sung. Puccini ensembles are thick, lush, and tricky and they were beautifully executed by all the sisters. The character of the ensemble sound completely belied the youth on stage. It was a full on operatic chorus of the highest calibre. It was also a great example of Puccini’s ability to lead you into a false sense of security-comedy — see Act II of La bohème — before plunging you into major tragedy.

Singing the role of Angelica was soprano Rachel Krehm, part of the Opera 5 leadership team. She sang the role with a full, warm, clear soprano that works extremely well in the verismo style. The restrictions that can be placed on any actor wearing a nun’s habit are pretty extreme. The majority of the body is covered in loose, flowing garb which obscures almost everything from the neck down. Leaving really only the voice, face, and hands to help communicate with the audience. The choice of using light coloured habits was a smart one, as it did allow some visible variations physically through body language and posture. However, none of these were a challenge for Krehm. Her Angelica was fully-fleshed, fully-voiced, and brought the audience on a remarkable dramatic journey from start to finish.

The tone of the opera shifts almost on a dime with the arrival of La Zia Principessa — Angelica’s aunt. Mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó joined the company and was a perfect fit for this role. Her imposing demeanour, her bright, forward tone, and her innate musicality made this role a treat to take in. Her chemistry with Krehm was electric, and you could really tell that both these incredible singers were having a great time chewing into each other à la Puccini.

After a breath of fresh air, we sat down for one of the funniest operas out there, and a reminder that Puccini and his librettists did have a sense of humour buried in there somewhere. Gianni Schicchi is probably best described as an operatic farce. The story is the old rich uncle has passed and left his entire fortune and estate to the monks at the monastery. This decision obviously doesn’t sit well with the entitled, well-to-do family who immediately set about to find his will, and have it changed. Rinuccio has the idea of getting his love Lauretta’s father, Gianni Schicchi to come and help out. A plot of switching identities takes place, and lo-and-behold, Schicchi tricks them into taking the prize bits of the will for himself.

Friends. This was super fun. Director Jessica Derventzis really knows her stuff when it comes to not only comedic timing, but the skill it takes to present the organized chaos needed to make a farce truly successful — and this one was. The cast was splendid and the whole show was well sung. Jeremy Scinocca’s Rinucio was definitely a highlight. His young, bright, powerful and very italianate tenor voice is perfect for these young Puccini lovers. His Lauretta, Kate Fogg, was also a beautiful singer who gave a heartfelt yet humorous rendition of “O mio babbino caro”. The entirety of the family was also incredibly well-sung, and everyone was committed to the highest level of comedy and physicality.

But of course, our Schicchi. Gregory Dahl was made for this role thanks to his presence on the stage in any role he plays. Gianni has to command this room full of socialites as well as the singer commands the hall — I’m not sure there’s anyone better. His comedy was Monty Python-level, and his mellifluous baritone was a perfect fit for this lush Puccini score.

Fast forward — and we’re back at Theatre Passe-Muraille for something completely different. The world premiere of a new work, Parélios, composed by Cecilia Livingston with a libretto by Duncan MacFarlane. This piece, directed by Jennifer Nichols, draws from Ólafur Elíasson’s The Weather Project — a 2003 installation at the Tate Modern which featured an artificial sun.

Through an intricate fusion of voice, percussion, and dance, the company presented the story of a post-climate apocalypse society mourning the loss of what was and seeking new havens of refuge and resources. The set dominated by a large ramp was equally organic and industrial. The use of the ramp by the cast and in particular the trio of dancers was creative and exciting. Sometimes a ramp, sometimes a hill, sometimes a slide, creative use of space like this is a hallmark of Nichols’s work.

Livingston’s score is another incredible example of her creativity. Scored for soloists, choir and percussion ensemble, the piece is at times lyrical and times modal. TorQ Percussion Ensemble, led by music director Evan Mitchell, brought to life a vivid tapestry of sounds to score this production. There felt as though there were equal parts air and chant in the vocal lines - which were no walk in the park for the singers. The four soloists Len Crino (soprano), Brenden Lengsfeld (alto), Ryan Nauta (tenor), and Aaron Dimoff (bass) all sang with a depth of understanding in MacFarlane’s texts. The libretto draws from a plethora of varied sources from Aeschylus to James Joyce and creates a disjunct nature in the text. All of the singers found a solid throughline for the narrative.

The choir was astounding. Flawlessly delivering Livingston’s sometimes thick harmonics, the ensemble of singers were at the top of the game. They were also a very key component in connecting the historical aspects of the creative vision. In the program notes, it’s mentioned how the production is drawing from “pre-thespian” theatre, in which dance was incorporated in the same ways we see here. The choir regularly functioning similar to an actual Greek chorus kept a connected through-line from that ancient theatre concept to the very modern, contemporary music we were hearing.

Them dancers though, wow.

Sully Malaeb Proulx (Helios), Jarrett Sidall (Boreas), and Miyeko Ferguson (Wind / Woman) were breathtaking. Combining lyrical dance, contact improv, and integrating seamlessly among the vocalists elevated the art to new heights. I’ve long been a proponent of more movement in opera, and to see the dancers playing equal characters as those using their voices shows how well the two arts can work together to enhance the telling of the same story. Nichols’s choreography is modern in view but draws from very classical roots and this trio nailed it. Chef’s kiss.

My hats (every one of them) are all off to the Opera 5 team. This Opera Festival is definitely one that not only Toronto, but Canada needs. They are fast setting themselves up to be a premiere destination opera program. With the incredible team hard at work there’s no telling where this path will lead Opera 5, but I for one am #stokedissimo to find out.