Preliminary report

From opening night of Otello in Melbourne, via SMS:

"Kate was sweet and moving in second half & Farina was everything that's been written. Melb crowd got excited, Iago got boos & bravos."

More reviews as I find them. 

Comments

[Michael]

Musically last night's Otello was excellent. Farina seemed unconnected to the first two utterances (the 'Esultate' and breaking up the fight, hurdles you perhaps have to jump when singing the role) by the love duet he was warming. By act two he was on fire and his singing was big, clear and secure and in the big dramatic moments, the sort of hairy-chested heroic tenor singing you just don't get here. His singing of Italian too was incredible, giving weight and emphasis to words, making you understand why Italian dominated opera as a preferred language. He was 'tasting' the words!
Ladner was surprising as Desdemona, with a big sounding voice only in trouble in the lower reaching music in the scene with Otello at the beginning of act 3. Summner has an equally powerful voice, which he can scale down to a half voice for Iago's insinuating music but still project way out into the auditorium. Chorus numbering about 65 (children's chorus in the mandolin serenade were missing) but the production and direction is problematic, shall we say.

[Sarah]

I liked the production a lot - I'd want to, having seen it seven times - but I know not everybody does. I wish I'd seen it when it premiered, to know how Cathy Dadd's revival compared.
Glad to hear good things re: Farina.
And, of course, I ♥ Jonathan Summers.

[Parsifal]

Farina was everything that's been written???

Ok, whoever sent this SMS to you was obviously paid and belongs to a claque. : )

Well, thank God that he was on fire by Act II. I could have imagined him being on fire most likely after Niun mi tema.