Canterbury’s favourite opera sons return
Date night at the opera? While not everyone’s cup of tea, or glass of bubbles for that matter, Canterbury’s treasured opera sons say Tosca is a perfect foray into the art form.
Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Simon O’Neill, both international opera stars in their own right, sat down with The Press ahead of the March 8 premiere at Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal.
‘‘[Tosca] is one of the great pieces, up there in the top three or four performed anywhere in the world,’’ O’Neill said.
He grew up in Ashburton and saw his first opera at the Isaac Theatre Royal as an Ashburton College student.
‘‘The last time I was in this theatre was six days before the big quake of 2011, actually doing a concert to raise money for the first quake in September,’’ he said.
Rhodes, who grew up in Christchurch, said the two-hour show was a ‘‘great tragic story, [but] also so compact’’.
‘‘The action happens really quickly and the music is incredible,’’ he said.
Rhodes’ early memories of music were also from the Isaac Theatre Royal, watching ‘‘balletic’’ orchestral performances.
‘‘I mean, hearing a full orchestra play, and we have the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, is just such an extraordinary experience,’’ he said.
Tosca premiered in 1900 and is considered one of Giacomo Puccini’s greatest operas, alongside his other hits La Bohe`me and Madama Butterfly.
‘‘There are moments of reflection in there of course, but it is an action packed piece. It is verismo opera, not so poetic, not necessarily what people think of opera,’’ O’Neill said.
‘‘It’s set in Rome, and set in real places, in real time. So you can go to Rome and see the places, which is pretty cool.’’
Rhodes plays Scarpia, the chief of police, hunting down a fugitive. He believes Cavaradossi, played by O’Neill, is harbouring him.
Violence and torture ensue, comparable to even the most gruesome Game of Thrones episode.
‘‘The story revolves around he and I, with of course the love interest of Tosca. It really is a thriller,’’ Rhodes said.
O’Neill said he was sick of ‘‘begging people to come to opera’’. ‘‘Look, opera is great.
‘‘If people want to come to opera, cool, because you’ll have a hell of a night.
‘‘Teddy and I, you know, we sing all around the place and all ages come to the opera, especially this one, and I hope this with happen with the Christchurch audience too.’’
NZ Opera are putting on four performances of Tosca, opening at 7.30pm on March 8. The other three shows are on March 10, 14 and 16. All performances are at 7.30pm.
"[Tosca] is one of the great pieces, up there in the top three or four performed anywhere in the world."
Simon O’Neill, tenor