Baritone Siyabulela Ntlale dominated ths stage in Viva La Mamma.

WAGNER SOCIETY: Donizetti´s Viva la Mamma; with Siyabulela Ntlale, Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi, Mandisinde Mbuyazwe, Linda Nteleza, Karen van der Walt, Makudupanyane Senaoana, Tehesele Kemane, Thando Mpushe, Phelo Nodlayiya. CPO conducted by Kamal Khan. Directed by Lara Bye, designed by Jesse Kramer. Costumes by Reza Levy. Lighting Faheem Bardien. Deon Irish reviews

THE elevation of the operatic genre in the popular mind to a status approaching a musical holy grail is, I suspect, largely the product of the 20th century world of recording, even if prior generations had undoubtedly venerated individual voices or soloists.

Society has treated the opera house in much the way we viewed the cinema before the advent of television and home video: a place one frequented to be entertained and, occasionally, even moved or improved.

A great many operas – mostly now forgotten – were accordingly commissioned by theatre managements and written to draw the audiences of the day back for something new and different.

We should not forget that Donizetti composed some 23 operas for Naples between 1822 and 1830, with as many as five in some years.

Experiencing the revival of a work such as Donizetti’s Viva la Mamma, one is heartened by the realisation that 18th and 19th century opera also produced works of vacuous amusement, in precisely the way that television sitcoms or Hollywood comedies generally do.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

To describe this opera, therefore, as a show through which one might not inappropriately nibble popcorn is not to denigrate it, but rather to recognise its intended purpose.

One does not scan its libretto looking for Truth (although it contains much that is recognisably true); and the score serves the libretto by providing music that is professionally crafted and theatrically appropriate.

Bye has recognised these factors in a production which was charmingly innocent in its direct approach. The humour is real, neither contrived nor clever (although the simulated boxing scene tried to be one and almost became the other).

This was the grubby, unflattering world of rehearsal and the milieu was neatly captured in Kramer’s efficient set.

The cast do well and none of the nine protagonists let the side down. But inevitably, the writing favours some of the characters and the careful casting ensured that the young soloists had a good outing.

Ntlale – a baritone in the cross-dressing title role – did extremely well and came across as surprisingly pretty for a big man.

His sheer physicality tended to dominate the stage, and his personality was quite its match.

Opposite him, Mkhwanazi as the “diva” is true to life, and rather suggests that – the above thesis notwithstanding – operatic divas managed perfectly well without recordings, thank you very much.

Of the other roles, Kemane pleased with his adoring and star-struck husband; Van der Walt with a lovely account of the neglected, slightly butch mezzo; and Mbuyazwe with a credible performance as the composer/conductor.

Kahn leads the CPO well in the Rossini-inspired score, capturing the distinctive style with fair success. Balances were (but for a few transitory episodes) exemplary; and the ensemble of the frequent large set pieces in general beautifully controlled, although there were a few passages in which members of the cast looked terrified and musical strands emanating from stage and pit seemed to have parted ways.

The production was a credit to the Richard Wagner Society of SA and confirms its status as a serious player in SA’s operatic firmament.