Faust at Aotea Centre

The NZ Opera production of Faust overcame all the setbacks to leave a lasting impression.

It was every opera company's nightmare. NBR New Zealand Opera's Faust opened its Auckland season on Thursday with an indisposed Mephistopheles.

A cancellation was considered but Russian bass Mikhail Svetlov went on stage, vocalising a good deal of the role, admittedly on low batteries. The big arias, however, were lip-synced to the powerful singing of an on-stage Grant Dickson.

There were anomalies, to be sure, especially when Dickson's English was not that of the surtitles and the Serenade inexplicably reverted to the original French, but Dickson's resonant voice was the saviour of the show.

There were compensations. While we weren't to hear Svetlov in full vocal flight, he was as devilishly a devious villain as one could wish for.

Hours after the closing curtain, the closing image of Act III lingers, Svetlov languishing dandy-like alongside a Faust and Marguerite who are barely able to restrain their passion for one another.

French soprano Anne Sophie Duprels was an expressive Marguerite, neat in her coloratura, touching as the plot darkened.

Korean tenor Jaewoo Kim was a solid enough Faust, although he did not quite project the ardour that this most romantic of heroes demands.

In smaller roles, James Harrison as Valentin made the most of his Avant de quitter ces lieux, and Helen Medlyn, cigarette in mouth, created a minor Carmen out of the cynical Marthe.

Kristen Darragh's forthright and impassioned Faites-lui mes aveux and Malcolm Ede's swaggering Song of the Rat were evidence of the talent coming through the company's Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists scheme.

The Chapman Tripp Chorus and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra were vital components of the success, all under the lithe baton of Emmanuel Joel-Hornak.

In the final count, it was Mike Ashman's directorial vision that distinguished Faust. This was a production of remarkable cohesion and inner truth as Ashman carefully charted the shifting relationship between the central trio of characters, marshalling so many impressive scenes with an unusually large chorus.

Visually it was stunning. John Parker's set, based on the starkest of ecclesiastical frameworks, was the ideal setting for Elizabeth Whiting's dark, rustling crinolines.

Both combined with Rob Peters' charismatic lighting to present spectacular tableaux.

Faust has only four more performances and deserves the support of all opera-lovers.