I have in the past few years seen in Tampere several student opera productions and I have always left home well satisfied just like this time, when I saw Gian Carlo Menotti’s ”The Medium”. The performance took place in an old cinema (Cinola) in Hervanta, Tampere. The stage must have posed some challenges to the project, but the director Veera Aaltonen and the rest of the group did really good work with the opera and it was definitely worth a visit to Tampere. The opera lasts only about an hour.
The story is about a medium (Madame Flora), who cheats her clients with the help of her daughter Monica. Madame Flora also has a mute foster son, Toby, who is in love with Monica. In the middle of a séance Madame Flora hears voices and feels a cold touch on the neck and is shocked. She blames Toby for the sounds and touch, hits him and drives him from home. Later Toby secretly returns home, Madame Flora hears voices again and accidentally shoots Toby to death.
Menotti’s music fits perfectly the theme of the opera, a tragic story with hints of horror. The conductor Asseri Väisänen led the young student musicians with precision and vigour.
Set design, costume design and make-up were good (the programme leaflet did not give the designers separately), but the absolutely best part was the light design by Helli Pimiä. She created with lights striking moments to enhance the story of the opera, even though the resources must have been rather limited.
I can only praise the singers, too. There were no weak links and all the singers were both good singers and great performers. Perhaps my own favourite was Sanna Laakso as Madame Flora. She did a superb job as a medium losing her mind. But the other singers were equally good: Anette Raukola as Monica (the lullaby “Black Swan” was excellent), Ilona Saari as Mrs Gobineau, Juho Stén as Mr Gobineau, Marjaana Ritanen as Mrs Nolan and Veera Hölsö as the Voice. And one cannot forget Jussi Lucásc, who did a very good performance as the mute Toby.
I am sure to visit student productions in Tampere also in future, when the quality is this good.
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| The seance |
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| Mother and daughter |
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| The performers |
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