Extreme Revenge, Extreme Lust. Extreme Catharsis…
James Berlyn, you might be forgiven for thinking, must have a few more hours stashed in his days than other mortals. Not only is has he created work for Conservatorium, curated and devised work for Fringe World’s Proximity Festival he is also appearing in the epic opera Elektra, which appears as part of the Perth Festival in February.
Elektra, the first of several important collaborations between composer Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal is a complex and haunting opera. A triumph of German expressionism, the opera fuses the original tragedy by Sophocles with twentieth century psychology to create a dark and dense exploration of the inner torment of a daughter seeking vengeance for her father’s murder.
The Perth festival production is directed by Matthew Lutton, who Berlyn first met during a stint guest lecturing at WAAPA, where he was working with students, including Lutton, on movement and devised theatre. Several years later ‘he’s now a very well profiled director doing amazing things and he asked me would I consider creating a role in an opera that doesn’t exists…’
In the new Lutton production, Berlyn takes on the role of Elektra’s murdered father, Agamemnon, for whom Elektra howls every night.
Berlyn goes on to explain,
‘The conception was always Matt and Zoe’s but because it’s a new role, it doesn’t exist actually in the libretto or the music. Although it doesn’t exist it’s referenced all the time. The character Agamemnon is so central to the plot in of the opera – he’s actually been seen in other versions around the world – I’ve found out subsequently – as well but not in this way not to this extent. It’s been challenging, but also an extraordinary process.
‘Matt’s a really generous director I think he’s really got a good sense of the subtlety of the character. I’m on the stage the entire opera and that’s quite challenging it would seem I don’t do a lot but the performance is being and actively being.’
Not only is the opera renowned for the complexity of the music, it is an unusually large production. The orchestra alone is composed of 90 musicians, meaning that delivering on an opera is no small feat for a young director. Lutton, says Berlyn, has
‘got to contend with really passionate singers and a really passionate music director in Richard Mills who are going to protect the sonic quality and sensibilities of the sound at all costs so he’s got a lot of agendas.
However Berlyn commends Lutton on his extraordinary rigour, explaining that Matt knows the piece now inside and out. He’s seen many performances around the world – he’s no slouch at this stuff. I am extraordinarily inspired by his energy, he’s a force of nature in the studio he just Does. Not. Stop.
‘I think there is tremendous kind of drama within his vision. He and Zoe [set and costume designer, Zoe Atkinson] have thought long and hard about the minutia of plot and character concerns. Their vision is inspired by the material they have in front of them and they have tried to augment that but not override that.
I think they’ve done amazing job.’
Whilst a brooding opera plumbing the depth of fanaticism and obsession may be more appealing to aficionados than those new to opera, when queried whther this was a performance to go and see if you’re looking to try something new this festival, Berlyn was adamant that the sheer spectacle of the production alone meant it was not to be missed.
‘The music IS very complicated but the story, the concerns, the emotional context is not unfamiliar to us. It’s a very dysfunctional family but there are moments of exquisite beauty.
‘There is one moment where the music is exquisite and in rehearsal I was feeling like I’m going to cry and i was thinking “you’re a dead king, you can’t cry” [laughs] but the music is so extraordinary and these singers are so amazing.’
Elektra runs February 8th, 11th and 14th. For details see www.perthfestival.com
Written by Zoe Carter
