Peter Whelan Pat O’Kelly
Hopefully Friday, April 13, 2018 will prove an auspicious date for Irish National Opera when the curtain rises on its inaugural production – Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. The première’s venue is fittingly Wexford’s National Opera House after which the company moves to Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre where the enchanting piece has performances on April 17, 18, 20 and 21.
Solidly supported by the Arts Council, Irish National Opera comes about through the amalgamation of Opera Theatre Company and Wide Open Opera, both of which had conductor Fergus Sheil as artistic director. He now enjoys the same position with INO.
The opera’s direction is in the capable hands of Patrick Mason with set designs by Francis O’Connor and lighting by Paul Keogan. Well-respected for his work in drama, Mason’s operatic involvements have been seen in several UK centres and at Wexford and his production of Puccini’s Il Trittico for English National Opera was nominated for an Olivier Award.
Dublin-born Peter Whelan, also artistic director of the Irish Baroque Orchestra, conducts the Figaro performances with the Irish Chamber Orchestra in the pit. Whelan, who has had a long-standing relationship with IBO, holds professorships in London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music. His research into music in Dublin before Handel’s time here has unearthed a corpus of interesting items.
New Zealand-born Samoan bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu leads INO’s cast as the valet Figaro. Lemalu gave an NCH recital in November 2013 but this is his first operatic venture in Ireland. He is a regular artist in Covent Garden, New York’s Metropolitan and the Bavarian State Opera among many other prestigious houses.
Tara Erraught hardly needs an introduction to Irish audiences. It is marvellous to welcome her return for this INO inaugural as the maid Susanna, soon to be Figaro’s bride even if a number of intrigues try to thwart the plan. Tara Erraught’s stellar career has recently found her at the Met for The Tales of Hoffmann and Hansel and Gretel.
In Munich, Ms Erraught has so far undertaken over 30 roles at the State Opera and her debut in Rossini’s La Cenerentola in Vienna won her the accolade “new queen of bel canto”. She has appeared as Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier at Glyndebourne and as Siebel in Faust at the Salzburg Festival.
Northern Ireland’s Ben McAteer and Dublin-born Máire Flavin, also extending their careers abroad, are the Count and Countess Almaviva while Aoife Miskelly is the simpering Cherubino and Suzanne Murphy the conniving Marcellina who, through one of the opera’s amusing twists, is discovered to be Figaro’s mother.