Owen Wingrave – Sydney Chamber Opera

Overview

When you think of opera, you probably think of sitting in a cavernous recital hall, watching a distant, elaborately dressed soprano from amongst an almost as elaborately dressed audience. The plot is probably: beautiful woman makes human error, dies.

Not so at the Sydney Chamber Opera, where the themes are multifarious and the feel intimate. The young company specialises in a style of opera developed in the mid-20th century by composer Benjamin Britten and adopted by the likes of Philip Glass. It's designed for smaller ensembles than a full orchestra and performed in correspondingly smaller rooms.

Next on their program is Owen Wingrave, an English-language opera first commissioned for television in 1967. With a score by Britten and libretto by Myfanwy Piper, it's based on the Henry James book whose pacifist themes found renewed resonance in the Vietnam War era. Directed by Imara Savage, the Sydney Chamber Opera production promises to be relevant, thought provoking and richly rewarding. With $30 under-30s tickets, it's ideal for both opera fans and agnostics curious about the modern possibilities of a classical art.