LA PIZZA CON FUNGHI & LE VILLI / New Opera Singapore / Review

LA PIZZA CON FUNGHI AND LE VILLI

New Opera Singapore

Victoria Theatre

Saturday (23 August 2025)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 25 August 2025 with the title "A delightful double bill of light and dark operas".

Love, vendettas and death are the lifeblood of operas. Take them out, and all the music and dramatics fall flat. New Opera Singapore’s (NOS) double bill of two vastly contrasting hour-long operas, directed by Jeong Ae Ree and conducted by Chan Wei Shing, had loads of these and some more.

Opening the evening was the dark comic opera La Pizza Con Funghi (1988) by American composer Seymour Barab (1921-2014), a coup from left of field. Sung in English and filled with all the favourite tropes and stereotypes of Italian opera, it was a laugh-a-minute affair reminiscent of NOS’s opera comique farces from years past.

Voluptua (sung by soprano Lara Tan), who is having an affair with Scorpio (tenor Shaun Lee), plots to kill her husband Count Formaggio (baritone Edward Kim) by poisoning his favourite mushroom pizza (hence the Italian title). 

However, her maid Phobia (mezzosoprano Rebecca Chellappah) switches the toxin and has Scorpio offed instead. This sets off a chain reaction of murders, where everyone takes forever to sing “Ah, You Have Killed Me” before they actually die. That is not before a consanguineous relationship between the two dying men is finally revealed.

What worked best here were the comedic timing and dysfunctional chemistry between the characters. This was aided by their whitened faces (masking their true colours) and a funky all-pink set design by RT+Q Architects that turned red at the very end. This opera is a little gem that deserved to be better-known.

Very different was Giacomo Puccini’s first opera Le Villi (The Fairies, 1884), which was as serious as Pizza was hilarious. Despite its unevenness, there were telling hints of Puccini’s full-blown lyricism and future greatness. This also featured the evening’s strongest singers backed by the 18-member NOS Chorus, in white face paint and led by Dawn Yin, which shone just as brightly.

Roberto (tenor Nomher Nival) pledges his faith to his betrothed Anna (soprano Zhang Jie) before he leaves town to seek his fortune. Predictably, he strays and squanders the wealth, and Anna dies during childbirth. Her father Guglielmo (baritone Min Seung Kang) curses him to a worse fate. The eponymous Fairies, sung by the chorus, avenge women who die from abandonment by fatally haunting their fallen men.

The opera’s two acts play like day and night. Act One proffered hope and happiness with clear and light shades with the villagers singing their blessings. By contrast, Act Two was dark and murky, achieved with excellent lighting design by Alberta Wileo, with the chorus now in black outfits and ushering in impending doom.

Overwrought acting now ruled, giving a new meaning to melodramatic. Roberto is contrite but ghost Anna and the Fairies are unforgiving, leading to an airing of the opera’s best-known music, the orgiastic La Tregenda (The Spectre) before a frenzied and fatal conclusion.

With this success and its warm audience reception, the intrepid New Opera Singapore is now encouraged to explore next the single-act operas of Sergei Rachmaninov.

Photography by Chris P.Lim

RIGOLETTO / New Opera Singapore / Review

 

RIGOLETTO 

New Opera Singapore 

Victoria Theatre 

Sunday (18 August 2024)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 20 August 2024 with the title "NOS puts on snappy staging of Rigoletto".

Western opera is in such a parlous state of state funding in Singapore these days such that the only fully staged opera production of the year was Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto (1851) presented by New Opera Singapore (NOS). Despite being one of the Italian’s most popular operas (after La Traviata and Aida), one has to go as far back at 1993 for its last production here. 

That was during the fledgling years of Singapore Lyric Theatre, fronted by conductor Lim Yau and the late producer Leow Siak Fah, where setting Rigoletto in stylish Shanghai of the 1920s was both audacious and creative. This latest production directed by NOS founder Jeong Ae Ree and conducted by her husband Chan Wei Shing was more traditional but no less edgy. 

A more contemporary noir setting with hints of Italian mafioso elements coloured this sorry tale of curses and vendettas. The hunchbacked court jester Rigoletto has been cursed, and as he vainly protects his secret daughter Gilda from the clutches of the lascivious Duke of Mantua, he dooms her instead. There were three shows featuring three different casts, and the final evening was none too shabby. 

Photo: New Opera Singapore

Front and centre was Korean baritone Min Seung Kang as the eponymous anti-hero, whose bitterness in life was as pronounced as his limp. He was the perfect antithesis to Korean soprano Renata Hann, whose Gilda was purity and innocence personified in her pure lilywhite dress. Her fateful mistake was being self-sacrificial for someone as unworthy as the Duke. 

That smarmy antagonist was sung by Latvian tenor Martins Smaukstelis, whose suaveness came through in the hit arias Questa o Quella (This Woman Or That) and La Donna e Mobile (Women Are Fickle). More important were the duets involving Hann and both men, which were heartrending and totally believable. She herself hit all the high notes in Caro Nome (Sweet Name), a favourite of coloratura sopranos. 

Photo: New Opera Singapore

Another highlight was the final act’s famous quartet Bella Figlia dell’Amore (Fairest Daughter Of Love), with mezzo-soprano Carolyn Holt’s Maddelena making the foursome, where the Duke’s infidelity is exposed to both Rigoletto and Gilda. 

The supporting roles were well cast, with cheap assassin Sparafucile (he charges 20 dollars a kill but operates a Harley?) portrayed by Fionn O hAlmhain attired as a biker, Shaun Lee (Borsa), Cai Xiaofeng (Count), Li Yang (Countess), Stefan Szkafarowsky (Monterone) and Jasmine Towndrow (Giovanna), a truly cosmopolitan team. 

Photo: New Opera Singapore

The choir led by Chong Wai Lun provided mostly light-hearted relief, the men donning masks as voyeurs and kidnappers being particularly comedic. The set and lighting design was simple but effective by setting the boundaries between groups of singers, making small spaces seem like fair distances. It took little for the storm / lightning scene leading to the opera’s fatal end to suggest bad weather and bad karma. 

Director Jeong Ae Ree and
Conductor Chan Wei Shing take their bows.

Ultimately, the story-telling through music was direct, well-paced and nothing was left to drag. All in all, a very successful outing for NOS, which could more than just tip the scales for a shout of being Singapore’s leading opera company today.

DVORAK'S RUSALKA / New Opera Singapore / Review

DVORAK’S RUSALKA

New Opera Singapore

Victoria Theatre

Sunday (20 August 2023)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 22 August 2023 with the title "Tragic, moving staging of Dvorak's Rusalka".

New Opera Singapore (NOS) has garnered an enviable reputation over the years with successful productions of operas that are not exactly household names. In the midst of the pandemic, it mounted online Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, while Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Telephone and Francis Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine saw the light of day in 2022. This year brought out the Singapore premiere of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s opera Rusalka. Its fame outside of the old Czechoslovakia was long premised on a single hit aria.

 

Composed in 1900 with libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil, this was a variation of Hans Christian Andersen’s well-known Little Mermaid story, about a water nymph who sacrifices her identity and  voice for the love of a human prince. It makes for a ridiculous story but unlike Andersen’s (or Disney’s) version, this one directed by NOS founder Jeong Ae Ree has no happy ending. Sung in English rather than the original Czech, and with helpful English and Chinese surtitles provided, there was also no mistaking its tragic narrative.

 

London-based soprano Victoria Songwei Li as the titular Rusalka was a stunning presence. Her multi-faceted acting abilities, which navigated from lovesick longing, through frustration and confusion to finally grief, was as moving as her singing. The unforgettable Song To The Moon (Mesicku Na Nebi Hlobokem or Moon Deep In The Heavens), which came early in the first act, was beautifully rendered in Czech, setting the tone for the dramatics to unfold.   

 

Excellent Latvian tenor Martins Smaukstelis as the ill-fated Prince, towered over Li in physical stature, but as the story goes, would have made for a very poor Tinder match. Destined to hear her voice only in the third act’s final duet, his earnest yet misguided strivings would get no satisfaction except in death.

 

The supporting cast was just as good, particularly mezzo-soprano Rebecca Chellappah as the smarmily evil witch Jezibaba, who was balanced by baritone Martin Ng’s Water Gnome with his woe-laden lines. Soprano Joyce Lee Tung as the seductive Foreign Princess was the Prince’s principal distraction, her striking red gown a stark contrast to adversary Li’s pallid one.

 

Tenor Leslie Tay (Hunter/Gamekeeper), soprano Lara Tan (Turnspit), water spirits Ashley Chua, Rachel Ong and Wen-Yu Tseng provided added commentary, levity and comic relief to the otherwise dark tale. Members of Symphonia Choralis (Chong Wai Lun, chorusmaster) had multiple roles, including playing wedding guests, mysterious denizens and wave simulations of the watery realm.

 

The inclined stage designed by RT+Q Architects was simple yet evocative, providing the illusion of depth and added dimension. The NOS Orchestra, a chamber sized outfit, conducted by Chan Wei Shing supported the singers well, and there was little to no risk of them being drowned out in the lush late-Romantic score.

 

Despite a lean annual budget, NOS has always delivered. From the quality of singing, fresh ideas in presentation to honest-to-goodness production values, this sympathetic production of Dvorak’s Rusalka would be no exception.   

Concert photographs by Chrisppics+ 

BENJAMIN BRITTEN A Midsummer Night's Dream / New Opera Singapore / Review

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

New Opera Singapore

Victoria Theatre

Friday (16 August 2019)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 19 August 2019 with the title "Fantasy and hilarity rule the night".

It has been 22 years since Benjamin Britten’s operatic setting of Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream last played in Singapore. In 1997, Singapore Lyric Opera mounted a production, with a largely foreign cast of singers and conducted by Lim Yau, which remains one of the company’s most remarkable achievements.

Although trailing in authenticity and refinement, New Opera Singapore’s production with a largely local cast, directed by Jeong Ae Ree and conducted by Chan Wei Shing, was nonetheless impressive for its freshness of ideas and ebullience of delivery.

Britten’s adaptation of Shakespeare saw its original five acts reduced to three, with the First Act dispensed altogether. Much of the libretto remained unchanged, thus retaining much of the humour and farce. Its story of fairies, humans and actors (here called rustics), their falling in and out of love, and mistakenly applied “love” juice, made for much fantasy and enchantment.

Soprano Victoria Songwei Li, returning from last year’s triumph in Poulenc’s Dialogues Of The Carmelites, was just as stunning in the coloratura role of Tytania. The range and agility of her voice was matched by an alluring physical presence that was hard to ignore. Coming quite close was actor Dwayne Lau Wei An as the playful Puck, prancing opposite countertenor Glenn Wong as the tyrannical Oberon.

The mortals Helena (sang by Jennifer Lien), Hermia (Rebecca Chellappah), Lysander (Shaun Lee), Demetrius (Kang Mingseong) as subjects of love were also well cast, especially the women. The rustics, comprising Bottom (Sangchul Jae), Quince (Keane Ong), Flute (Adrian Poon), Snout (Samuel Ng), Starveling (Francis Wong) and Snug (David Lee), who were planning a play within a play, provided further comic elements to an already hilarious script.

Although singing and speaking in English, not all the words were clearly enunciated and heard. The Korean singers were at a disadvantage here, made more difficult when wearing the headpiece of an ass. As such, the smart use of surtitles proved all the more vital.

The all-boys choir from Anglo Chinese School (Junior & Barker Road) provided the atmosphere of innocence which Britten sought. Mingling among them were the fairies Jasmine Towndrow (Moth), Lara Tan (Peaseblossom), Melissa Hecker (Cobweb) and Yssela Erquiaga (Mustardseed), youngsters who aquitted themselves with purity and grace.

The set made up from detachable and mobile ramps of different heights, designed by RT+Q Architects, was simple and highly effective. This allowed for clarity of story-telling on different planes besides preventing a cramped stage. Consistent with the company’s penchant for the edgy and slightly risque, there were scenes of cross-dressing (Poon as the awkward bride Thisby) and the hinting of bestiality (woman and ass).

New Opera Singapore has overachieved again, given its small budget that allows for just one major production annually. Next year sees the Singapore premiere of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, and expectations already run high.  

All photographs by the kind courtesy of New Opera Singapore.

POULENC'S DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES / New Opera Singapore / Review

DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES

New Opera Singapore

Victoria Theatre

Friday (3 August 2018)

This review was published in The Straits Times (online edition) on 10 August 2018 with the title "Unconventional choice, but Dialogues of the Carmelites a landmark for New Opera Singapore".

New Opera Singapore (NOS) has done it again. By mounting the Singapore premiere of Francis Poulenc's 1957 opera Dialogues Of The Carmelites (Dialogues Des Carmelites), it defied the conventions of what operas should local companies be presenting. No Verdi, no Puccini, no Mozart, but no worries. NOS had Purcell, Britten and Monteverdi on its books, and has now added 20^th century Frenchman Francis Poulenc to its list of successes.

In reality, Carmelites should not have been a great surprise as it represented the last of last century's great tonal operas, conceived during the era when serious composers were pursuing atonalism and avant-garde agenda. Its subject, the 1794 martyrdom of the Camelite order of Compiegne during  the French Revolution's Great Terror, was also fertile for exploitation in musical drama.

Mother Superior Lidoine (Jennifer Lien)
leads the Requiem service.

Sung in English instead of French, directed by Kyongsu Kathy Han and conducted by Chan Wei Shing, this production was furthered by a very strong cast of principals as the ill-fated nuns. The protagonist Blanche (soprano Victoria Songwei Li) as aristocrat-turned-novice sparkled as she alternated between hope and fear, finally finding a resolution in extreme courage. Beside her, Sister Constance (soprano Capucine Daumas) was a light-hearted and playful presence, the perfect foil.

The Mother Superiors were well contrasted, soprano Patricia Sands as the long-suffering and terminally-ill Madame de Croissy and soprano Jennifer Lien (fresh from her leading role in the other significant Poulenc opera La Voix Humaine) as the plain-speaking and more cheery Madame Lidoine. Between them, mezzo-soprano Rebecca Chellappah was a rock-steady Mother Marie, close confidante to the beleaguered ladies. Their voices rang well over the discreet orchestral manoeuvres from the pit.

Blanche (Victoria Li) with
Mother Marie (Rebecca Chellappah)

Men had much smaller parts, including tenors Reuben Lai (Father Superior) and tenor Shaun Lee as Blanche's brother the Chevalier. The touching scene between Blanche and Chevalier came closest to a conventional operatic love duet, but had the former rebuffing the latter's pleas to flee the oncoming crisis. The men's black suits also contrasted markedly against the light pastel nuns' habits and ultimately white, symbolising innocence and purity.

The sets in all three acts by Allister Towndrow were monochrome and starkly effective, with series of screens adding layers of dimensions. The shadow of the guillotine loomed ever so ominously through the First Act, and when the heart-wrenching final scene beckoned, there were to be no falling blades.

Execution by decapitation was depicted symbolically. With the chorus of nuns (including NOS Artistic Director Jeong Ae Ree in a cameo role) singing the poignant Salve Regina and each walking through the scaffold and towards oblivion, their voices diminished and decimated until there were only two. Blanche's final act of sacrifice with her sisters in faith could not have been better depicted.

This production marked yet another important landmark in the short history of New Opera Singapore. It produces only one opera a year, but making that count is what that really matters.

The main cast (from L): Sands, Daumas, Li,
Chan, Han, Jeong, Lien & Chellappah.

Production photos by Chester Chew, applause photos by Pianomaniac.

CELLISSO / 10 Cellists of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra / Review

CELLISSO

10 Cellists of the 

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Victoria Concert Hall

Sunday (22 October 2017)

This review was published in The Straits Times on 24 October 2017 with the title "Cellists make wonderful music together".

Listeners would be familiar with the 12 Cellists of the Berliner Philharmoniker or London Cellos, which brings together cellists from the London orchestras. Now say hello to CelliSSO, Singapore Symphony Orchestra's answer to those wonderful groups. Led by Principal Ng Pei-Sian, its debut concert showcased only 20^th century works but was greeted by a full-house at Victoria Concert Hall.

Not all works featured all ten members of the cello section playing together. The concert began with Trevor Wilson's Five Perambulations played by a quartet formed by Ng Pei-Sian, Yu Jing, Guo Hao and Peter Wilson. Its movements centred on casual strolls in five different places, each imbued with the distinctive character of each locale.

London relived the pre-war world of Eric Coates. New Orleans had a jazzy vibe, Venice delighted in a gondolier's barcarolle, while the flamenco beat lit up Andalusia. Cellist Wilson luxuriated in the solos in his father's work, which closed with Slavonic flavours of Prague, including a short quote from Dvorak's Cello Concerto.   

Perambulation turned into tintinnabulation in the Estonian Arvö Part's Fratres, where Yu, Guo and Wilson were joined by Wang Yan and SSO Associate Conductor Jason Lai (making a cameo), who provided the deep G bass note in this meditative work of mystical triads. Bell-like sonorities, punctuated by percussive knocks on the cello's wood, opened with ethereal stillness, then widening into a plangent crescendo before receding to nothingness.

The first half closed with Australian Carl Vine's Inner World, with just Ng accompanied by a taped recording. This solo tour de force stretched every facet of his cello technique, with psychedelic taped effects that ranged from celestial glissandi to grinding punk rock beats. Bathed under an otherworldly blue and green light, Ng's free-wheeling show garnered loud applause and cheers.

Sicilian Giovanni Sollima's Violoncelles, Vibrez! for two cellos was last heard when Ng partnered Yo-Yo Ma in last year's Silk Road Ensemble concert with SSO. In this evening's version accompanied by six cellos, the soloists were also the ensemble's youngest, Wang Zihao and Wu Dai Dai. Far from being overawed, the duo shined in the music's languid opening before racing into breakneck speeds for a photo finish.

The programme was completed with movements from two Bachianas Brasileiras by the Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos, who was a cellist himself. Bachiana No.1 saw all ten cellists appear for the first time, with Chan Wei Shing, Song Woon Teng and Zhao Yu Er joining the throng for a gorgeous, cushioned sound in its first two movements.

Soprano Jeong Ae Ree, with her
lucky husband Chan Wei Shing playing behind her.

Far more famous is Bachiana No.5 with its haunting mostly-wordless Aria sung by Korean soprano Jeong Ae Ree, who is also cellist Chan's wife. Garbed in a low-cut jade-coloured gown, she oozed sensuality and later letting loose in the quickfire Dança to close. The ten cellists signed off with an encore, Danny Elfman's The Simpsons Theme, with a promise of more exciting fare in concerts to come.