ENO’s new The Force of Destiny

 Calixto Bieito directs ENO’s first new production of Verdi’s tragic love story The Force of Destiny in 20 years

Opens Monday 9 November at 7.00pm at London Coliseum (8 performances)

Calixto Bieito

“The Quentin Tarantino of opera “, Calixto Bieito, returns to ENO with a new production of Verdi’s The Force of Destiny. A rarity in ENO’s repertory, the Company’s last new production of this powerful work was in 1992. ENO’s Music Director Mark Wigglesworth conducts.

This production of The Force of Destiny is a co-production with the Metropolitan Opera, a special relationship that has developed over the last ten years and has included a variety of spectacular, large scale and critically acclaimed productions including Satyagraha,Nixon in ChinaDoctor AtomicTwo BoysThe Pearl FishersThe Death of KlinghofferEugene Onegin and  Madam Butterfly (directed by the late Anthony Minghella),which will return to ENO in May 2016.

Based on the Spanish drama Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino (1835)by Ángel de Saavedra, the opera tells the ill-fated love story of Don Alvaro and Donna Leonora. The Marquis of Calatrava, Leonora’s father, curses his daughter as he lays dying. Although his death is accidental Don Alvaro and Donna Leonora are forced to flee. Her brother Don Carlo di Vargas pursues them, determined on vengeance. Can Don Alvaro and Donna Leonora escape their fate?

Catalan director Calixto Bieito returns to ENO to direct his fifth new production for the Company. Known for his distinctive take on classic operas, Bieito’s personal interpretation of The Force of Destiny is set during the Spanish Civil War. Sets are designed by Rebecca Ringst, costume design is by Ingo Krugler, with video design by Sarah Derendinger and lighting by Tim Mitchell.

Mark Wigglesworth conducts his second production for the Company since becoming ENO’s new Music Director in September 2015, leading an 80 piece orchestra and 80 strong chorus. His work on Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, ENO’s opening production of the 2015/16 season, has been critically acclaimed. The Telegraph said “the evening’s outstanding feature is the absolutely magnificent chorus and orchestra… Mark Wigglesworth conducts them in a masterly interpretation marked by extreme contrasts between silken sensuous pianissimi and boilingly thunderous fortissimi. The playing is as good as anything in London.” The Evening Standard commented it was “a triumphant debut as Music Director”.

Leading a world class cast is Welsh tenor Gwyn Hughes-Jones making his role debut as Don Alvaro. Gwyn was most recently seen at ENO in Richard Jones’s Olivier Award-winning production of The Mastersingers of Nuremberg.

Making her ENO and role debut as Donna Leonora is soprano Tamara Wilson. A rising star, she recently made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in the title role of Aida. She will also make her British debut in this production.

British baritone Anthony Michaels-Moore sings the role of Don Carlo di Vargas, Donna Leonora’s brother. His most recent appearance for ENO was as Germont in the revival of Peter Konwitschny’s acclaimed production of La traviata in February 2015.

Israeli born mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham makes her ENO debut as the gypsy Preziosilla. She has previously sung the role with Opera Australia in 2013 and performed with numerous opera companies including Glyndebourne, Aix-en Provence Festival and Berlin State Opera.

British baritone Andrew Shore is Fra Melitone. A versatile performer he is currently receiving rave reviews in the comic role of Dr Bartolo in the latest revival of Jonathan Miller’s production of The Barber of Seville.

Former ENO Opera Works singer Clare Presland will make her role debut as Curra. Clare is currently appearing as Sonyetka in Dmitri Tcherniakov’s five star production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, the Guardian commented that she “made a big impact in the tiny but critical role of Sonyetka”. She made her 2012 ENO debut as the Palestinian Woman in John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer and has since appeared in numerous productions with the Company.

Celebrated American bass James Creswell is Padre Guardiano. His previous roles for ENO include Pogner in Richard Jones’s Olivier Award-winning production of The Mastersingers of Nuremberg and Sarastro in Simon McBurney’s production of The Magic Flute, a role he will reprise in its revival in February 2016.

British bass Matthew Best sings the role of Marquis of Calatrava. He is currently performing as Old Convict in Dmitri Tcherniakov’s production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. His recent roles for ENO include Tiresies in the world premiere of Julian Anderson’s Thebansand Swallow in the revival of David Alden’s acclaimed production of Peter Grimes.

British baritone Nicholas Folwell as Alcade and Australian tenor Adrian Dwyer as Trabuco complete the cast.

The Force of Destiny opens on Monday 9 November 2015 at 7.00pm for 8 performances – 9, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27 November, 2, 4 December at 7.00pm.

ENO: La Boheme

London Coliseum, Friday 16 October 2015

ENO boheme

Benedict Andrews’ new production of La Boheme raises more questions than it solves. While the approach is updated and naturalistic, the settings consistently appear to be at odds with the narrative. Are these students actually impoverished or are they rich boys playing games? The waste of highly expensive paint in the final act is a case in point.

The vast studio of act one is shown in the final act to be a ground floor apartment next to a beautiful park in which is a children’s playground. How can impoverished students afford it? And why so many candles in the first act when there is more than enough light flooding the stage? These problems are exacerbated when Rudolfo and Mimi both shoot up while sharing their autobiographies. Are we to take O suave fanciulla as a drug induced delusion which then spills over into the rest of the evening?

While the sets for act one and four raise questions they are at least serviceable, and the simplicity of Johannes Schutz’ design for act three is highly effective. However, the Café Momus scene is a mess, lacking any sense of focus and ability to tell the story with clarity.

All of this would matter less if the musical side had been universally strong. The women could not be faulted. Rhian Lois is a feisty Musetta whose compassion shines through in the final act. Corinne Winters is more complex as Mimi. How far can we trust her girlish simplicity when she is clearly an addict from the start and remains so – Marcello checks her arm for marks at the start of act three? She sings with boldness and clarity, easily riding the orchestra and allowing her dying self to simply slip away. It is very effective.

The men never really reach this level. Duncan Rock’s Marcello comes closest and improves across the evening. Neither Ashley Riches’ Schaunard or Nicholas Masters’ Colline are given enough within this production to create any sense of individuality. Showing them all up was Simon Butteriss’ masterly doubling of Alcindoro and Benoit. Tiny parts, but etched into the memory by the clarity of characterisation.

Zach Borichevsky has shown in the past that he has the potential for Rudolfo but was not in good voice across the whole evening, straining at the top and unable to ride the orchestra in moments which really require it.

Xian Zhang has conducted La boheme before for ENO and her approach is solid if rather pedestrian for much of the time. The second act in particular lacked fire though there was some very sensitive playing in act three.

Any new production has the real challenge of being compared with the previous one. Jonathan Miller’s production, last seen only two years ago, may have been showing signs of age but actually worked far more successfully than this new one does. Maybe we will come to love this in time but the signs are not hopeful.

Philharmonia Orchestra

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury,16 October 2015

It makes a real difference when Dvorak is in the hands of a Czech.   Jakub Hrusa really knows how to bring out all the delicious melodiousness of the seventh symphony. And it works especially well in those hallmark Dvorakian passages when lower strings are alternated with tuneful brass blasts, all very well played. The opening allegro pounded along with energy and the adagio presented an elegant contrast to both the movements which flank it. Then came a well-balanced finale. The symphony was a fitting end to a memorable concert.

We’d started with the overture to Prince Igor, a jolly piece – less familiar perhaps than the Polovtsian dances –  which may owe more to Glazunov than Borodin who was always pretty busy with his day job as a scientist. The result, whatever its provenance is cheerfully episodic and full of lights, darks and contrasts with plenty of dynamic range – played here with panache.

Daniil Trifonov

And so to the centrepiece of the concert: Rachmaninov’s second piano concerto played by a Daniil Trifonov, a young Russian, aged 26 who is making a huge name for himself – concerts with the world’s finest orchestras and a Deutsche Grammophon recording contract.  Geeky looking, bespectacled and hunched, he crouched over the piano like a stalking animal, his hands moving in fluid arcs. He was of course, totally on top of this (late) romantic pot boiler which he interpreted with liberal rubato. The opening crescendo was beautifully articulated and he maximised the melodic honey of the adagio. There was an energetic passion in the third movement which (just)  stopped short of becoming too mannered.  And the fat ralentando just before the end was suitably dramatic.

It may be invidious to single out performers in the concert which was as generally fine as this but I’m going to do it anyway. Principal flautist Samuel Cole has so much solo work in these three works that he probably played more bars than required by any flute concerto. And he did a magnificent job. Second, the sound of the Philharmonia’s lower strings is glorious and they too shone through in each of these three works. Principal cello, Karen Stephenson and principal bass, Dominic Worsley are to be warmly congratulated.

Susan Elkin