Opera is often referred to as a synthesis of all the arts – the Gesamtkunstwerk of which Wagner is a paragon. And there are composers whose works relied heavily on the accompanying scenography to succeed; the 19th-century spectacles at the Paris Opéra were often critiqued as the epitome of style over substance.

Then there was Verdi, who democratised opera by drawing the familiarity of the popular canzonetta and the directness of vernacular melody to give his characters a distinct musical voice that was shaped by the cadences of Italian speech and allowed the drama to be conveyed entirely through the music and libretti.

This is immediately apparent in Verdi in the City, presented by The Opera Room, which was founded three years ago by members of the Opera Australia Chorus.

Louise Keast in Verdi in the City. Photo © Rosa Doric

With Bradley Gilchrist on piano and the synopses narrated by Phoebe-Celeste Humphreys, we are treated to abridged versions of Don Carlo and Il Trovatore, although the generous selection of highlights means the singers still perform the major set pieces from both operas.

It’s a Herculean task, and who better to tackle the demanding title roles than tenor and Opera Australia stalwart Diego Torre? He very nearly blows the roof off Cellos dining room at the Castlereagh Boutique Hotel, and he’s not alone.

Soprano Louise Keast, who recently took home this year’s Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship, is more than capable of matching Torre’s vocal fireworks.

She brings regal dignity to Elisabetta, her thrilling upper notes coupled with genuine emotional intensity as she visits Charles V’s tomb and sings of her forbidden love for Don Carlo in Tu che le vanità.

Later, full of heroic resolve, she plumbs the emotional depths of Quel son, quelle preci – Leonora’s dramatic scene at the convent before Manrico’s execution.

As powerful as Keast and Torre’s upper registers are, however, it is their dynamic control that impresses most of all. This is particularly evident in the duet Vago sogno m’arrise, in which Don Carlo and Elisabetta farewell one another. Torre starts off floating mezza voce, the duet swelling with dramatic intensity before Keast shows off another of the gossamer decrescendos she lavishes us with over the course of the evening.

Diego Torre, Angela Hogan and Michael Honeyman in Verdi in the City. Photo © Rosa Doric

They are matched by another Opera Australia favourite, mezzo-soprano Angela Hogan, whose impressive role debut as Eboli from Don Carlo is paired with an equally formidable Azucena from Il trovatore.

Another of Verdi’s trademarks is his use of la parola scenica, which Verdi described as “expression that sculpts the situation”. At the time, the composer was specifically describing Amneris’s declamatory line “Look at me, I deceived you… / Radamès lives!” from Aida, but it’s a technique he used readily.

Eboli and Azucena get their fair share of these musico-dramatic axe-falls, and Hogan proves a dab hand at their delivery, her impassioned performances revealing an exceptional singer with acting chops to match. Boasting an even tessitura and seamless transitions between registers, she was clearly born to sing Verdi’s ‘Big Three’ mezzo roles, and it is high time she was given the opportunity to add them to her mainstage repertoire.

They are joined by more opera luminaries, including baritone Michael Honeyman, whose burnished baritone rounds out the ensemble in key scenes as Don Carlo’s Rodrigo (his O Carlo, ascolta is a highlight) and Il trovatore’s Conte di Luna – his horrified response to Azucena’s revelation that he has killed his own brother rounding out an evening of intense drama and glorious music-making.

Angela Hogan and chorus artists in Verdi in the City. Photo © Rosa Doric

Also making noteworthy appearances are basses Richard Anderson, who delivers a stirring rendition of Filippo II’s Ella giammai m’amò from Don Carlo, and Anthony Mackey, who appears from beyond the grave as Il Frate and draws Don Carlo toward him with his haunting line, “Heart’s strife will abate only in heaven.”

Special mention must also go to the perfectly blended chorus of sopranos and mezzos under Logan Birchall, who join Hogan on stage in Don Carlo for Sotto ai folti, immensi abeti, and otherwise lend their seraphic voices to the goings-on from the orchestra loft overlooking the hall.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t name the choristers individually, but as they aren’t a fixed ensemble, they are: (sopranos) Hannah Burton, Hannah Greenshields, Amanda Kelly, Chase Kern, Galatea Kneath, Camille Mercep, Juliet Page, Laura Scandizzo (who appears as Tebaldo in Don Carlo), Anastasia Star Gall and Anna Stephens; (mezzo-sopranos) Emmeline Booth, Elena Marcello, Katie Miller-Crispe (who also appears as Ines in Il trovatore, Lisa Munckton, Madeleine O’Dea and Le Gia Linh Tran.

To get Verdi right, one needs structural discipline, an adherence to Italian cadence and an avoidance of melodramatic excess. In the hands of this enviable lineup, there is little that can go wrong.

Perhaps a shorter program would avoid signs of fatigue in the final moments (singing Don Carlo and Il trovatore back-to-back is the vocal equivalent of two marathons, after all), but the standing ovation of the capacity crowd proves The Opera Room is onto a good thing.

For more information on The Opera Room, visit this Facebook page.