AK03: The Prodigal Child at St Matthew-in-the-City

By WILLIAM DART

Remarkably for a New Zealand opera, where even a solitary production seems a miracle, Michael Williams' The Prodigal Child celebrated its third season in Auckland last night.

The setting was an ecclesiastical one, as it had been in New Plymouth and Christchurch before this year, and a good-sized audience enjoyed the stylish colonial melancholia that Williams and his librettist, Alan Riach, have fashioned.

Australian bass-baritone John Brunato, new to the work, gave a gripping portrait of Albert. His strength and confidence in the Prologue, in which he sets the scene and mood for what is to follow, proved an emotional anchor throughout, perfectly complementing Anna Marbrook's incisive direction.

It's not difficult to imagine that all three singers must cherish Williams' vocal lines; Joanne Cole certainly gives that impression and her Anna has grown in stature and confidence since I saw it six months ago. Cole's ability to sustain that long aria in the second scene was breath-taking. Benefiting from having the most extrovert of all three roles, she was even asked to deliver some lines standing atop a table, which she did without missing a note.

Stephanie Acraman as Mary was dealing with a more reserved character, but brought out the wife's inner strength with her clear, beautifully focused soprano. Especially moving was her final moment of forgiveness ('All you did was long ago').

Conductor John Rosser must know the score better than anyone and it showed in the confidence of all involved. The accompanying piano quintet, which tried the patience earlier in New Plymouth, seemed kinder on the ear this time round, although there was still some trading-off of tone for power in the more energetic passages.

The Prodigal Child is a major achievement for both AK03 and NBR New Zealand Opera, who had the initial faith to take on the project. Extremely concentrated, it makes few concessions to an audience but is never less than hypnotic. Indeed, more often than not, one is wishing that the composer had extended many of his ideas, given them their wings and let them fly.

It has its second (and final) performance tonight.

Dont miss it.

Herald Feature: Auckland Festival AK03

Auckland Festival website