Monthly Archives: October 2013

Bexhill Choral Society: Mozart, Schubert & J C Bach

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St Augustine 11 6 13 (4)

St Augustine’s, Bexhill, 5 October 2013

Mozart’s unfinished C minor Mass is not long enough for an evening by itself and on this occasion was sensibly supported by shorter liturgical works by near contemporaries.

The opening Kyrie of the C minor brought us solid choral sound and more than sufficient orchestral accompaniment, and there was a good sense of attack in the Gloria. Claire Williamson had no difficulty with the coloratura of Laudamus te and her duet with Sophie Pullen for Domine Deus was pleasing. Sophie Pullen herself floated the heady lines of Et incarnatus est with ease. If the chorus suffered with occasional poor entries they managed to pull things together for the Sanctus and concluded the work with aplomb, thanks to the strengthening of the solo quartet.

Kenneth Roberts’ approach to the Mass was brisk and business-like but he was more lyrical for Schubert’s Magnificat D486, which allowed all the soloists to blossom before a finely honed Gloria patri.

Amidst the sacred works came two interlopers. The strings of the Sussex Concert Orchestra gave us a workmanlike rendition of Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and Peter Grevatt sang the count’s aria from Act 3 of Le Nozze di Figaro. Though splendidly done it did seem a little out of place.

The evening concluded with J C Bach’s Magnificat in C. The bassoons left at this point which was a pity given the fine solo they had provided during Mozart’s Et incarnates est but Andy Gill’s solo trumpet more than compensated. The work looks back rather than forward and is easier on the chorus than the earlier works. It proved to be a fine conclusion to a rewarding evening.

The next event for Bexhill Choral Society will be Carols for Choir and Orchestra at 7.30pm Saturday 7 December, at St Augustine’s, Bexhill. www.bexhillchoral.org.uk 01424 213352 BH

ENO: The Magic Flute

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Complicite’s Simon McBurney returns to ENO with his new production of The Magic Flute.

Opening on 7 November, Simon McBurney’s new production of The Magic Flute is a darkly funny, dramatic and highly visual interpretation of Mozart’s theatrical genius. In McBurney’s interpretation, music casts a visible as well as audible spell, with the orchestra on view alongside breathtaking cinematographic projections, re-imagining Mozart’s rites of passage fairytale.

Building on ENO’s co-producing relationship with De Nederlandse Opera, The Magic Flute opened in December 2012 to great critical acclaim in Amsterdam. McBurney’s production received five-star reviews from the Dutch press: “a feast for the eyes and the ears” (Het Parool) and “Delicious!” (Trouw).

The Magic Flute continues the relationship between English National Opera and theatre company Complicite, who are celebrating their thirtieth anniversary this year. McBurney returns to ENO following his operatic debut and critical-success of A Dog’s Heart in 2010 (nominated for a 2010 Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production). The collaboration highlights ENO’s commitment to producing opera that is fresh and relevant for contemporary audiences by working with talent from across the creative industries.

Contact https://seatplan.com/london/london-coliseum-theatre/ for reviews of seating and environment at the London Coliseum.

Brighton Festival 2014 announces choreographer Hofesh Shechter as Guest Director

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HS_BrightonDomecolour credit Matthew Andrews
Brighton Festival is thrilled to announce that the 2014 Guest Director of Brighton Festival is critically acclaimed choreographer, musician, composer and performer Hofesh Shechter.

Recognised as one of the UK’s most exciting contemporary artists, Shechter is renowned for creating raw, physical live contemporary dance pieces set to his own, highly-charged, atmospheric musical scores. His eponymous Company are a Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival resident company, and their brand new work Sun – co-commissioned by Brighton Festival – will open the three week arts extravaganza on Saturday 3 May when it comes ‘home’at the conclusion of its first world tour.

As Guest Director, Hofesh Shechter follows in the footsteps of visual artist Anish Kapoor (2009), musician Brian Eno (2010), Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (2011), actress and human rights campaigner Vanessa Redgrave (2012) and poet, author and former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen (2013) in shaping the Brighton Festival programme.

Hofesh Shechter said, ‘Brighton has a magic to it that no one can explain. Finding a place where one can develop and grow artistically is a delicate thing, an important thing. Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival have been an inspiring, energising and encouraging place for my company and me in the last 5 years. We’ve enjoyed the buzz, the lightness, energy, and the unexplainable essence of Brighton. We have resided in its cultural heart – Brighton Dome, and the pulsating artistic heart of the Dome is the annual Festival. I’m so excited and honoured to have been invited to lead on this inspiring event and I feel a rush of excitement about the ideas I can contribute. To be asked to lead this amazing event in 2014, to be asked to inspire, energise, encourage… well, delighted, is just a boring word.’

Recent DVDs – October 2013

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Idomeneo

Mozart: Idomeneo

London Philharmonic Orchestra; Glyndebourne Chorus; John Pritchard

ARTHAUS 102 313            125.00

 

This recording dates from 1974 and was first broadcast by Southern Television. If the technical quality is not quite what one would expect today, the musical quality is not in question. Richard Lewis is an heroic Idomeneo, and a young Josephine Barstow equally impressive as Electra. John Pritchard, then Musical Director for Glyndebourne, conducts with easy style and the acoustic of the old house is warmly present. John Cox’s production has not dated though the lighting now seems limited in its scope.

Twelfth NightShakespeare: Twelfth Night

Globe Theatre Company

OPUSARTE OA 1111 D    175.00

 

I saw this production at The Globe when it first opened and it transfers well to DVD. Mark Rylance is a constant pleasure as Olivia, but there are no obvious weaknesses in the cast, and neither does the presence of Stephen Fry as Malvolio overshadow the rest. I am glad to note that The Globe are now regularly issuing productions on DVD so that more of us can relish the delights of the open theatre. Henry IV parts 1 & 2 are available with Roger Allam as Falstaff. Hopefully we may get this seasons fine Henry VI parts 1,2 & 3 issued in time.

Ulisse

Monteverdi: Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in patria

London Philharmonic Orchestra; Glyndebourne Chorus; John Pritchard

ARTHAUS 102 308            148.00

 

Raymond Leppard did a magnificent job in the late sixties / early seventies rescuing Monteverdi and Cavalli from near obscurity. His lush orchestrations may not be as authentic to modern ears as they seemed at the time, but for those of us only used to conventional romantic symphony orchestras they came as a bolt from the blue. Peter Hall’s justly famous production of Ulisse has Benjamin Luxon in the lead with Janet Baker as Penelope. The quality, surprisingly, is better than that for Idomeneo though it was recorded a year earlier.

WozzeckBerg: Wozzeck

Staatsopernchor, Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim

EUROARTS 2066758         97.00

 

A very strong cast, led by Franz Grundheber, with Waltraud Meier as Marie, is supported by Daniel Barenboim’s highly sensitive reading of the score. Though Wozzeck is never an easy evening in the theatre it can have a cathartic effect when performed as well as this. Patrice Chereau sets the story in the twenties when the opera was written and the production is naturalistic if darkly affective. For those who still think of Wozzeck as a difficult work this is certainly a good way in.

ENO: Die Fledermaus

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Fledermaus

London Coliseum, 30 September 2013

We have come to expect challenge from a Christopher Alden production and there may possibly have been a sense of relief among many that, for most of the evening, we were not asked to work too hard to enjoy his approach. The narrative, centred on Freudian Vienna, moves from the decadent end of the nineteenth century to the puritanism of the early fascist movement. As part of this, Frosch moves from the conventional drunken jailor to an epileptic neo-Nazi who eventually takes over the prison as the party-goers are cowed into submission.

If this all sounds rather humourless it certainly wasn’t for most of the evening. The opening scenes, with a bed straight out of Der Rosenkavalier, work very well and the interchange between characters, while distanced by the framing narrative, are never less than real. Alden has a way of making the action credible while ensuring we reflect upon it, rather than indulge ourselves.

He is excellent at pin-pointing stereotypes for us. Adele, a Welsh maid in the opening scenes, morphs easily into a Louise Brooks vamp for act two. Rhian Lois has both the voice and the looks for this and she carried both with style. Tom Randle and Julia Sporsen as the Eisenstein’s not only spark off each other but seem to have a far more secure relationship than is often the case.

Jennifer Holloway’s Orlovsky is a neurotic mess, crawling about and readily adopting a foetal position whenever under threat.

Above all of the action lurks Richard Burkhard’s ever present Falke. Not only is he the Freudian master of the revels but he frequently takes notes from his patients as the plot evolves. Whenever, conventionally, a character speaks to the audience, here they are speaking to their therapist – it works surprisingly well.

Simon Buttereiss brings his usual gift for characterisation, and the even greater gift for clarity of diction, as Dr Blind, being asked to do far more, and reveal far more, than most Dr Blind’s are ever called to do.

The chorus are splendid throughout and subtly turn the Brudermein scene into something rather more sinister in its hints of sexual laxity.

Eun Sun Kim drives her orchestra hard though there were some minor slips on the first night which will presumably settle quickly.

The approach may be challenging but that should not put anyone off – there is a great deal here to enjoy. BH