★★★½☆ Slick design and charismatic comedy carries this staging of Rossini’s romantic farce.

Chapel off Chapel, Melbourne
June 6, 2016

The importance of chamber opera companies in Australia really can’t be overstated. Small, often scrappy, but driven by an unmatched passion for the art form, these intrepid organisations exhibit three incredibly valuable traits: the resourcefulness to stage works on the smell of an oily rag; the curiosity to discover neglected gems that don’t often find favour with the larger companies; and an enthusiasm for showcasing young talent. This may not be the formula for a completely flawless evening of opera, but nonetheless, it’s a combo that represents an absolutely vital cornerstone in the foundations of the operatic tradition in Australia.

One such company is Melbourne’s Lyric Opera, whose production of Rossini’s neglected opera buffa, Il Signor Bruschino, showed savvy and style, albeit with some dog-eared edges. This 75 minute, one-act farce is less of a well-rounded wheeze than La Barbier de Séville, and it certainly doesn’t have anywhere near the musical sophistication of Guillaume Tell, but there’s still plenty of charm to be found in this cheeky romance and its chirpy score.