London Coliseum, 23 June 2016

This is the third revival of David Alden’s production and it seems to bounce back better on each occasion. The expressionist approach to the staging serves Janacek’s work well and puts all of the focus on the character relationships. Laura Wilde was making her European and ENO debut in the title role and was touchingly successful. Her calm authority and gentle joy in the third act was immensely impressive, and her singing throughout was warm and passionate, easily filling the theatre.

Nicky Spence was a rather wild Steva in the first act but found more control in the later scenes to give us a more complex and credible figure. Peter Hoare’s Laca grows in stature as the evening progresses and his deep humanity, lost in the machine shed of the opening act, finally comes to its own in the tender final duet.

However, it is Michaela Martens’ Kostelnicka which galvanises the evening. Her vocal characterisation is thrilling throughout and the act two soliloquy is terrifying in its intensity.

The smaller parts were all well cast, with a splendid Mayor’s Wife from Natalie Herman.

Mark Wigglesworth’s reading of act one was rather laid back but he brought a better sense of pace to act two and three, with a well-structured and moving finale.

Yet again, ENO has shown that it has the resources to mount outstanding productions when all the parts are in place.

The Wormsley Estate seems to have a micro-climate all of its own. While most of England seemed to be battered by storms, the Buckinghamshire valley was remarkably quiet, with the lightest of gentle showers just occasionally reminding us of how nasty it was elsewhere.

I realised as we arrived for L’Italiana in Algeri that we have been coming to Garsington Opera now for twenty years and the changes in that time are quite remarkable. Not only do they now have a stable and substantial theatre from which to work (I realise it is called a pavilion but it functions like any other theatre in the country and pavilion gives quite the wrong implication) but the quality of performances is regularly on an international level with singers and productions which would not be out of place in any major opera house throughout the world. Michael Boyd’s production of Eugene Onegin was a good case in point. Here was opera theatre at its best, with the focus on the narrative superbly supported by director, designer, conductor and singers. Tom Piper uses five vast units which are made up of split logs on one side, with sets of wooden stairs and supports on the other.

For much of the first half of the opera, which is set in the Russian countryside, this is entirely apt, with both internal and external scenes warmly surrounded by the wooden walls. The stairs allow characters to appear above the stage as well as within the more claustrophobic interiors, and for the duel scene turn to become a vast barn.

The coup comes in the final scenes when the units turn again to reveal a vast gilded mirror, across the full width of the stage, a stark reminder not only of the social split between country and city but of the quality of life within the city and the way it quite literally reflected the hollowness of Onegin’s personality.

Yet most of this could easily be taken for granted within the rapid movement of Michael Boyd’s production which created entirely credible characters. Much of this reflects his many years of work with the RSC where the concept of the soliloquy mirrors the operatic aria. As a consequence characters are regularly allowed to simply stand and sing, with no extraneous business to interfere with the emotional rapport. This is a great asset yet one which is all too rare today. Not that he was afraid of challenging where it was needed. The duel scene has a superb double-bluff at the end when Onegin falls, shot in the shoulder, before realising that Lenksy is also wounded, but in this case, fatally.

It is the relationship between Lensky and Onegin which lies at the heart of the interpretation, for Lensky’s ghost is present for the whole of the rest of the evening. It never upstages the action but reminds us that the emotional relationship between the two men was stronger than that of Onegin for Tatyana.

Vocally it was an immensely impressive evening with Natalya Romaniw outstanding as Tatyana and Roderick Williams giving one of his finest performances as Onegin. They were joined by Oliksiy Palchykov as a lucid Lensky and Brindley Sherratt as the finest Gremin I can ever recall.

The chorus were as fine as ever, and only the dancing caused any concern. The choreography was out of keeping with the rest of the production, particularly in the opening act where it was anything but rustic.

Douglas Boyd’s conducting was full bloodied and romantic without ever tipping over into sentimentality. A glorious evening which was being recorded. Let us hope this might find its way to DVD eventually – it certainly deserves it.

I wish I could be as enthusiastic about L’Italiana in Algeri. There was much fine singing on show with Mary Bevan outstanding as the put upon Elvira and Luciano Botelho as a light voiced but engaging Lindoro. Ezgi Kutlu amused as Isabella and had the presence for the comedy. The difficulty is the work itself which – without wishing to be over politically-correct – has a lot of very dubious nuances in the plot. Added to this, presenting the Mustafa as Douglas Fairbanks Jnr did not really help matters. The fascinating design by George Souglides set the whimsical tone of the evening, and we were presented with another of Garsington’s wonderful ships (I begin to wonder if they have a job-lot in store which they can use whenever necessary!) David Parry’s conducting was brisk, bright and engaging as were the male chorus who appeared, as ever, to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. The second half moves more purposefully than the first, but, even for Rossini, this really is not a great piece – but then this is one of the benefits of summer festivals as we can enjoy what there is even if we would not like it regularly in the repertoire.

Idomeneo and The Creation still to come this summer, and a full programme already announced for next year.

Birmingham Hippodrome, Saturday 11 June 2016

Seventy years ago WNO mounted its first full scale production of Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci. It was fitting therefore to revive the most recent productions in this anniversary year, and invite Carlo Rizzi back to conduct after his long association both with the company and this particular staging.

Today Elijah Moshinsky’s approach seems comfortably old-fashioned and lacking in provocation, but it does allow singers scope for individuality and the chorus to show their exemplary strengths. Camilla Roberts is a fine Santuzza, making much of the claustrophobic setting which hems her in and reacting impressively to the spite of the chorus. Her duet with Turiddu was one of the highlights of a fine evening and her final despair left us in no doubt that there was never going to be a happy ending. Anne-Marie Owens made a gentle Mama Lucia, for ever picking up the pieces.

If Meeta Raval’s knowing Nedda meets a far stickier end in I Pagliacci it is difficult not to think that she had it coming to her. Her brazen approach gave her a sharpness of character which helped to heighten the tension throughout, though Gyula Nagy, as her lover Silvio, seemed ill at ease throughout and was vocally restrained.

The key to both operas lay with the two male leads. David Kempster was an unusually authoritative Alfio, far richer than is often the case, which makes him a much more persuasive foil for Turridu. If he was suave as Alfio, the vitriol came to the fore as Tonio, though the prelude was sung with great bravura. Gwyn Hughes Jones was indisposed and Peter Auty took over at short notice – not that anybody would have noticed as he brings such beauty of line and sense of presence to everything he does. This was an outstanding performance by any standards.

Carlo Rizzi knows these score very well and brings an easy romanticism to them which never strains towards sentimentality or goes over the top.

This was the final night of the Welsh season – with two performances of In Parenthesis to come at Covent Garden in July. We can look forward to Macbeth opening in September – and the start of the next seventy years.

London Coliseum, Thursday 9 June 2016

Wagner productions have almost priced themselves out of the market, so we have to treasure them when they do come along. If ENO are still somewhat under a cloud, the new Tristan and Isolde should go a good way towards restoring morale. Though not perfect – what Wagner production could ever be? – there are so many good things going for it they far outweigh any smaller niggles. For Daniel Kramer this was baptism by fire. Not only was he directing a major opera for the first time at ENO, this was to be his first work since being appointed Artistic Director. That he comes out of it with considerable aplomb is a tribute both to himself and the company. The highest compliment to pay has to be his sensitivity to the score itself. Nothing he asks of his soloists gets in the way of the music or the text. Where so many modern productions are intellectually or politically apt, they too frequently do so at the expense of the score. Daniel Kramer always allows his singers to explore the characters and to communicate them through the music. Even where we may disagree with the approach – and the Waiting for Godot overtones for Kurvenal are certainly challenging – the character is never asked to do anything out of kilter with the score.

He is fortunate to have some of our best singing actors to ensure his ideas are met. Stuart Skelton is as fine a Tristan as we can ask for today. A true heldentenor who has surprising levels of sensitivity and vulnerability without the need for unmusical extravagance in the voice. He has more than sufficient reserves for the final act, and his warmth in the love duet was most impressive. After fifty years of Tristan performances his is, in my experience, one of the finest and we are lucky to have heard him.

If Heidi Melton has yet to find the full flowering of Isolde she certainly made a fine start. Her attack and vitriol in act one were superb and she warmed to Tristan in act two without becoming over harsh at the top of the voice. Surprisingly the Liebestod was underpowered but this may have been first night nerves.

There were no smaller parts on this occasion. Craig Colclough was a rugged Kurvenal even if his characterisation was unexpected. The third act was particularly moving as he became almost the faithful guard dog to his wounded master. Karen Cargill’s Brangane was superb throughout, and I am waiting for the BBC broadcast to focus on her warning as it was somewhat upstaged by the visual effects during the love duet. Matthew Rose was un-necessarily aged but sang with middle-aged authority even when surrounded by beds and superfluous medical staff at the end of act two.

The orchestra under Edward Gardner were superb, the strings particularly effective in weight and depth. At the end of the evening there were cries of Come back as he took his curtain call. You may think that – I couldn’t possibly comment.

If I have left Anish Kapoor’s designs and the video design to the end it is essentially because so much has been written about them already. I was fortunate enough to be sitting centrally so had no problem with either sight lines or acoustic, but I accept that those at the sides had a very different experience from those of us fortunate enough to see the whole stage. There has not been a good history of artists working for stage design – David Hockney being very much the exception – so I have to admit to being initially concerned. His designs certainly work well and give a monumental sense of place. The only surprise is act three, where a grey drop curtain in front of the massive cave-like structure of act two is all we have. That the act works so well is down to Stuart Skelton’s singing and Daniel Kramer’s sensitive direction.

And what happens at the end? Many years ago I recall a Peter Hall production in which Tristan rose again behind Isolde. It was a thrilling, magical, moment. But what is happening here? After an evening almost obsessed with drug taking (essential to the plot so not in itself a problem) and madness, we seem to be given the most naturalist and yet optimistic of endings. Both Tristan and Isolde have long grey hair. The servants are equally old even if Mark is unchanged. Tristan retreats into the act two cave, where Isolde appears, equally grey haired. She then appears to die of a heart attack. So what is the Liebestod? It appears to be the continuation of love after death, overcoming the potential impact of drugs and society. If this is what Daniel Kramer intended it is wonderfully effective. I only hope we get a chance to see the production again once he has had time to smooth out the minor problems. With him in charge maybe ENO has turned a corner.

Royal Festival Hall, London  6 June 2016

Margaret Phillips closed the 2015/16 season of the RFH organ series with a magnificent programme spanning 250 years, beginning with Nicolas de Grigny’s Suite on Veni Creator where reeds were often to the fore. Fantasia in G (Piece d’Orgue) is a lovely example of JS Bach’s ability to surprise – the contrasts between the light and playful opening and the relentless driving passage which longs to be resolved at the end were given full effect in this performance.

The remaining pieces were all from three giants of the 20^th Century organ repertoire.  The first half was closed with effective symmetry as Durufle’s Prelude, Adagio et Choral vare sur le theme du Veni Creator  took us back to the source material of the opening work.

In a description of the evening’s concert we were promised an “exploration of the organ’s nethermost regions”! This was certainly the case throughout the concert with a wide range of registration from the quietest strings, and burbling flutes through to fiery reeds and full chorus. It was particularly noticeable in the hugely entertaining 18 variations by Jean Guillou. As an introduction to an exciting world of timbre, texture and rhythm this piece is highly recommended. The horizontal layout of the pipework in the hall also added an extra spatial dimension to this music.
Although Dupre’s Prelude & Fugue in G minor is in some ways written in more conventional fashion it is nevertheless an interesting and technically demanding work.

Throughout the evening Margaret’s ease with, and thorough knowledge of this particular instrument and repertoire was evident. This was again demonstrated with a beautifully understated performance of a gently rhythmic and spacious encore, Shalom, by Toon Hagen (organist in Zwolle) – a lovely contrast to the dramatic ending of the Fugue to send us on our way

Over five concerts an impressive variety of music has been presented in wonderful performances by some fine musicians on this most remarkable organ. The 2016/17 series of “Pull out all the stops” begins on 3^rd October with Jane Parker-Smith.

Stephen Page