Barbed wire fences and gas masks: Wozzeck in Sydney

By Zoltán Szabó, 31 January 2019

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“projections... provoke thoughts and constantly occupy the audience’s mind”

Reviewed at Sydney Opera House: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney on 30 January 2019

Berg, Wozzeck

Opera Australia

Andrea Molino, Conductor

William Kentridge, Director

Sabine Theunissen, Set Designer

Greta Goiris, Costume Designer

Michael Honeyman, Wozzeck

Lorina Gore, Marie

John Longmuir, Captain

Richard Anderson, Doctor

John Daszak, Drum major

Dominica Matthews, Margret

Virgilio Marino, Andres

Adrian Tamburini, First Apprentice

Sitiveni Talei, Second Apprentice

Shanul Sharma, Madman

Luc De Wit, Director

Opera Australia Chorus

Opera Australia Orchestra

Urs Schönebaum, Lighting Designer

Catherine Meyburgh, Video

Opera Australia’s Eugene Onegin shines musically

Sandra Bowdler, 17th March

Eugene Onegin returns to the Sydney Opera house in Kasper Holten’s slightly awkward production but the singing and orchestral playing are exemplary.

****1

Humperdinck hobbled in Opera Australia revival

Jeremy Eccles, 27th January

Elijah Moshinsky’s 33-year-old production of Hansel and Gretel hasn’t aged well.

***11

A psychological Turandot in Ann Yee's Opera Australia staging

Sandra Bowdler, 15th January

Opera Australia's new Turandot succeeds with musical, dramatic and visual values with a mix of local and imported talent.

****1

Siobhan Stagg leads a strong Marriage of Figaro revival in Sydney

Sandra Bowdler, 31st July

Siobhan Stagg is an outstanding Susanna in a strongly cast and well produced Marriage of Figaro at the Sydney Opera House

****1

Watery magic as Nicole Car makes a triumphant return to Sydney

Jeremy Eccles, 19th July

Nicole Car makes her role debut as Dvořák's Rusalka in a production by Sarah Giles that proves a winner.

****1

Danielle de Niese makes Carmen debut in a colourful new Sydney staging

Sandra Bowdler, 10th July

Danielle de Niese's assumes the title role at the Sydney Opera House, leading an impressive cast with an interesting approach to characterisation with a somewhat over the top blingy setting.

****1

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Zoltán Szabó

Zoltán Szabó is a cellist and musicologist. Having migrated from his native Hungary to Australia in 1985, he worked with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Sydney until 1991, when he became Principal Cello with Opera Australia. In 2017, he was awarded with a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD). Currently, he is teaching music history and musicology at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Barbed wire fences and gas masks: William Kentridge’s unsettling Wozzeck in Sydney