VO’s Galileo is the stuff of festivals

Victorian Opera | Galileo

December 20, 2023, Palais Theatre, St Kilda, VIC

There were festival feels at the Victorian Opera world premiere of Galileo, composed and conducted by Richard Mills, with libretto by Malcolm Angelucci. 

The story is drawn from the life of the great hero of science and is imbued with all the drama, philosophy and politics of the time in which he lived. On stage, angels and devils wrestled for control. Science and religion wrestled for souls. Popes and plagues ultimately deciding the course of history. The scope of the story was matched in magnitude by Richard Mills magnificent score and the forces employed for the production.

The full power of Orchestra Victoria was enhanced by the period ensemble La Compañia who brought the sound of the Renaissance onto the stage, complete with cornettos (wooden instruments covered in leather with trumpet like mouthpieces), viola da gambas, sackbuts, organ and theorbo. There was children’s ensemble in addition to the full Chorus, two vocal quintets – red for devils, white for angels –  and a star lineup of soloists, including Samuel Dundas in the title role, Simon Meadows as Papa Paolo V Cardinal, Christopher Hillier in various roles and boy soprano Herbie Cox as the young Galilao, who had such a great voice I don’t think he needed to be miked. 

Galileo is the stuff of festivals. The scale of the work reminded me of how lucky I was to be at the premier of Batavia, another grand opera by Mills, way back in 2001. This may not have been the three fully staged performances originally advertised, but that didn’t matter. The concert version came to life with the choreographed movement of the cast and brilliant lighting which included a comet passing over the auditorium.

The story is in two acts, and rather than just a retelling of the historical narrative, Angelucci and Mills explore both the personal, family, social, physical and spiritual dimensions of the story. At no stage does Galileo feel like a history lesson, rather we are drawn into peak moments of drama and conflict drawn from throughout his life as we roll towards the impending doom of inevitable conclusion, his condemnation by society, subsequent social death in isolation far from family and friends. 

Samuel Dundas, a graduate of the Victorian Opera’s Young Artist Development, was convincing in the title role and delivered a committed performance displaying the full gamut of emotions. 

Paul Biencourt, Joshua Morton-Galea (a rising star based proudly in the western suburbs of Melbourne), Michael Petrucelli and Chinese-Australian tenor Daniel Szesiong Todd (時雄) sang various roles which supported the drama and action of the narrative. Emma Pearson was superb, capturing the cold and condemning Cristina di Medici.

Simon Meadows brought gravitas to the stage as the Cardinal Papa Paolo V and Shanul Sharma as Papa Urbano VIII, who, surrounded by the chorus and meddling Devils and Angels, bring the action to its climax in the second Act. 

The arrival of the plague in the form of the Plague Soprano singing from the slide balcony in rapid scales in the style of the operatic style of the 17th century, sung with great virtuosity by Dimity Shepherd, added another layer of drama but without overwhelming the narrative. So menacing was this development, I had to check for myself afterwards who or what had ‘done him in’, was it the plague or the pope.

Mills doesn’t shy away from using all and any available instrument, sound or technique in the score. I was delighted at the use of the slide whistle when the Devils appeared, it’s that carnival sound that’s both eerie and entertaining. And as for the use of the cornettos, whose sound is famed as being close to that of the human voice, in addition to the delicate theorbo and occasional organ accompaniments, these sounds contrasted to the orchestra and were used to highlight the personal and interior world of Galileo and his family. 

This link to his family and the personal journey cleverly unpinned the story. The pain of his wife, sung by Stacey Alleaume, and his young daughters, sung by Genevieve Gray, Ruby Strief and Tahlia Walker, who appeared again later as grown women, was very real and relatable. The descending dissonances in the cornettos during these scenes, played by Danny Lucin and Peter Reid, were heart wrenchingly sad and beautiful at the same time. 

Richard Mills has been at the helm of the Victorian Opera for just over a decade and this was Richard’s final appearance in the role of Artistic Director. Over this time the company has gone from strength to strength, delighted and challenged audiences, and catapulted talent into the world.

I hope we get to see Galileo again in its intended form as a fully staged production. From its first airing on 20 December at the magnificent Palais Theatre in St Kilda, this opera will continue to showcase how much can be accomplished when great talent, such as Richard Mills and the entire team at the Victorian Opera both on and off stage, are celebrated and supported.  

Photo credit: Charlie Kinross

Image: Daniel Brace