****
The double bill of one act operas is given a linked theme of fallen women through a clever inclusion of the nun as young girl and her lover making a making a brief appearance in Cavalleria rusticana, presumably before her convent days in Suor Angelica.
Paul Carr’s direction also has nuns in the Sicilian town where the verismo drama of Cavalleria rusticana takes place, gleefully taking money and wine when it is being doled out in celebrations. The church is clearly a target for the spotlight of hypocrisy.
Leonard Capalbo and Gyula Nagy
Rufus Martin’s set is more a rather grand town with villas rather than a Sicilian peasant village. The people are in 20th century attire and the cuckolded Alfio is a burly lorry driver effectively acted and sung by Gyula Nagy. The ex-soldier Turiddu is quite the Italian hunk, so his shirt has to come off. Neglected Santuzza has flaming red hair that matches her temper while Heather Lower’s Lolo is quite the femme fatale.
Julia Mintzer (Santuzza); Gyula Nagy (Alfio); Dorset Opera Chorus
As the philandering Turiddu, Leonardo Capalbo sings a passionate, richly voiced Italianate anti-hero although we do have some sympathy for him at the end in Turiddu’s ‘Mamma, quel vino è generoso’. the heartfelt farewell to his mother, sung by Heather Shipp. The angst and despair in the powerful and beautifully sung Santuzza from Julia Mintzer were palpable and extremely thrilling while her acting believable.
The opera is a tale of sex, violence, and revenge but it also contains Mascagni’ s delicious and moving music. The famous Intermezzo allows the orchestra to shine while the Easter hymn is a delight of choral singing.
The street scenery for Cavalleria rusticana is flipped for Suor Angelica. Instead of a conventional convent setting we have vast paintings of Christian martyrs in various poses of agony combined with religious ecstasy. At the end of this opera the nun who has transgressed is filled with the grace of the Virgin Mary as she dies to meet her son in heaven but is an unusual connection.
Eri Nakamura
The singing here is wonderful. The return of Eri Nakamura to take the demanding role of Sister Angelica, who has been locked away in a convent for seven years and not seen or heard of her illegitimate child since a baby. She is eventually visited by her unforgiving aunt who controls her late parents’ affairs, told her son is dead and that she is to remain in the convent for atonement. In vastly different roles from Maddalena in Rigoletto also this season, Maria Schellenberg as her haughty aunt, and Heather Ship, who had sung the mother in Cavalleria rusticana, as the Abbess.
Paul Carr has decided that on one hand the story needs to be kept to a theatrical minimum with our attention focussed on the singers and the claustrophobia and bleakness of the convent only comprehended through the lyrics. But then he has the inclusion of the aunt’s lawyer giving Suor Angelica a teddy bear, her lover appearing to give her a last embrace, and the dead boy coming onto to the stage to escort mummy to Heaven. Yes, the inclusion of the man reminded us of the two young lovers who made that fleeting appearance in Cavalleria rusticana. However, in case we missed this, in the curtain call he appears in his Cavalleria rusticana (not Suor Angelica) costume.
Eri Nakamura and cast of Suor Angelica
Then none of this greatly matters with an evening of such vocal tenderness and soaring power from the lovely soprano Eri Nakamura in a ravishing performance.
Nakamura took part of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World in 2009, the same year as another soprano currently enjoying great success, Natalya Romaniw. Romaniw reached the competition’s Song Prize final and Nakamura reached the main prize final.
Similarly the chorus and musicians, conducted by José Miguel Esandi, with some particularly glorious solo playing, made this a very fine 20th anniversary performance from Dorset Opera.
Images Julian Guidera 2025
Dorset Festival Opera. Rigoletto:
Previous Dorset Opera reviews:
https://operascene.co.uk/reviews/grand-designs-le-roi-de-lahore-dorset-opera/
