How to stage a full-scale opera without putting on a song and dance

This is why Edo de Waart, an internationally known opera promoter and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra's (HKPO) outspoken, new musical director, is going in the direction of many European groups. He's offering a compromise in the form of an annual 'opera in concert' series, the first in the HKPO's history. It begins this Thursday with a three-night run of Richard Strauss' Salome, which is based on an Oscar Wilde play that, in turn, is based on a sexually charged Biblical tale.

In the opera in concert form, the performance involves a full orchestra and a cast of soloists, but without any of the expensive visual add-ons such as sets, lights, dancers, costumes, wigs and makeup.

'Opera in concert is the second-best thing to a full opera,' says de Waart. 'And it's much better than second-rate opera, in which all the visual distractions sometimes bury the music instead of complementing it. We don't have the money to do a full production, with a full cast rehearsing for five weeks. So, it's better to do a simpler production well, instead of a full production not well.'

English soprano Susan Bullock, who will be singing the lead role of Salome, agrees. 'Opera in concert can be as gripping as fully staged opera, and it's certainly better than less successful stagings,' she says. 'Sometimes, you have directors come in with some pretty weird ideas. With opera in concert, you just concentrate on delivering the plot, without having to worry about lights, make-up, or complex staging.'

This more pared-down form is also ideal for singers tackling difficult parts for the first time, as Bullock is doing with Salome. 'It's a huge role,' says the soprano, whose steely voice has made her a top dramatic specialist in German works. 'Salome sings for almost 85 per cent of the performance. It's very demanding and requires quite a bit of stamina, as well as a huge vocal range.

'It's also a complex psychological role. I start by portraying a young woman who is almost childlike. But by the end of the opera, Salome has developed into an obsessive, sexually crazed woman - a rather gruesome character.'

The budget-conscious opera in concert form is being used increasingly to introduce opera to audiences who might not otherwise have the chance to hear it. 'Lots of arts organisations in Europe - in England and, to some extent Germany now - are finding that funding for the arts is becoming less generous,' says Bullock. 'So, companies have to find other ways to present opera.'

De Waart, who has overseen more than 60 opera productions, used this technique in other cities before coming to Hong Kong. One of his claims to fame was being the first to present Das Rheingold and Die Walkure, two of Wagner's operas from The Ring cycle, in Australia.

'I did the whole thing in concert form - it was a thundering success,' says de Waart. 'Now, I want to introduce more opera to Hong Kong this way: maybe [Richard Strauss'] Elektra next year, and then the first Ring in Hong Kong after that. It's not because I want a record, but because I think musical audiences need new things. They need to see - or perhaps better to say to hear - the full picture of what is important in the classical repertoire.'

This was certainly the case when Bullock performed parts of The Ring in Tokyo. 'I was taken aback by the response,' she says. 'It was sold out every single night, with many people who had never heard a live Wagner opera before. Their response was warm and spontaneous when they heard this thing that was new to their ears. They understood the power of the music, if not all the words. And some people even went out and did research beforehand.'

De Waart says he's doing opera in concert in Hong Kong because such performances are so rare here. 'If we ever are to become a fully cultural city, we have to start training both musicians and audiences about opera production now,' he says. 'I wish I could use all local singers, but I simply can't. Too bad we can't yet find a Hong Kong singer to sing the part of Salome.'

Although more than 100 Hong Kong-based musicians will play in the orchestra, the soloists are mostly international names, such as Bullock, Dutch bass-baritone John Brocheler, American tenor Chris Merritt, Australian mezzo-soprano Bernadette Cullen and Dutch tenor Marcel Reijans.

'I won't be disheartened if we don't have a full house the first time,' de Waart says of his attempt to introduce the opera in concert form in Hong Kong.

'This is an educational process, a way to introduce a new kind of musical performance to Hong Kong. In a rich city of seven million, one of the major musical art forms should be represented.'

Salome, Thu, Sat & Jan 24, HK Cultural Centre Concert Hall, $220, $340, $480, $680 Urbtix. Inquiries 2721 2030. In German, with English and Chinese surtitles

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