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ARTLOOK #15 | September 2005
Photo Judith Dodsworth in a scene from OzOpera’s Carmen. Photo by Jeff Busby
Living for the moment
judith dodsworth tells bill stephens that finding her inner carmen is liberating
THE LAST time Judith Dodsworth sang on the stage of the Canberra Theatre was as a maid in the 1992 Canberra Theatre Trust production of My Fair Lady, which starred Dennis Olsen and was directed by Stuart Maunder. So when she takes the stage as the tempestuous Carmen in Richard Gill's new production of the Bizet opera for Opera Australia's OzOpera this month, it will be with a sense of pride and satisfaction, and not a little trepidation. For the girl who grew up in Canberra, and graduated with distinction from the Canberra School of Music, her triumphant return, in one of the most coveted roles in all opera, marks the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication.
Dodsworth's early years in Canberra centred on the Canberra School of Music and the Canberra Choral Society. She performed the role of Ottavia in Canberra City Opera's 1992 production of The Coronation of Poppea, an experience that sparked a continuing interest in baroque opera for Dodsworth.
Following her graduation, Dodsworth headed for London for further study. She then moved on to Vienna where she discovered a flair for contemporary and experimental music and drama, and she worked extensively with such groups as the Arnold Schonberg Chor, Concentus Vocalis Wien and Neuoper. She participated in operas, concerts, recordings, festivals and international opera tours, including a touring production of Die Fledermaus with the Israel Philharmonic.
On her return to Australia, Dodsworth continued her studies, completing a Masters Degree in Performance at the University of Melbourne in 1998. During this time she returned to Canberra to perform the role of Cherubino in the Canberra City Opera production of The Marriage of Figaro, in a cast that included Andrew Collis, Karen Bruce, Teresa Raynor, Maria Danielle-Sette, Geoffrey Manning and Tom Layton. In 1997 Dodsworth was selected as one of five Young Soloists of the University of Melbourne and undertook a tour of Thailand and Singapore.
Dodsworth performed the role of Eugenia for Stopera's 2002 production of the Goldoni opera The Country Philosopher. She was invited back to Canberra in 2003 to perform the haute contre role of Pygmalion in an extraordinary staging of Rameau's opera of the same name as part of Cantata, directed by avant-garde Sydney director Nigel Kellaway for Stopera and The Opera Project.
Dodsworth was participating in the Opera On The Edge workshops when she was invited to tour with OzOpera, alternating in the roles of Carmen and Mercedes in the 10th anniversary production of Carmen. The invitation came as a surprise to Dodsworth, who describes herself as a soprano and has tended to think of herself as a specialist in contemporary and baroque opera. However, she was thrilled to get the opportunity to develop her own interpretation of this most complex of operatic heroines, and will share the role on tour with mezzo Tania Ferris.
'It is every singer's dream to sing Carmen,' she told me, shortly before the production opened in Melbourne. 'She is such a multi-faceted character-mercurial, humorous, quirky, funny, capable, incredibly honest. She's a woman people relate to, and a woman who is true to herself. She lives for the moment'.
When pressed for details of her interpretation, Dodsworth laughs. 'I'm quite a shy person,' she says, 'so I am working hard on finding my inner Carmen. Actually, it's quite liberating.' Dodsworth is enjoying the opportunity to work with conductor Richard Gill. 'He's so inspirational, and nurturing, and I am particularly impressed by his respect for the composer's intentions.'
BILL STEPHENS hosted the Cabaret Headliners series for the National Press Club & is a member of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival Advisory Committee.
OPERA AUSTRALIA’S OZOPERA’S CARMEN, CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE, 15–17 SEPTEMBER
