High farce Die Fledermaus

Johann Strauss II Die Fledermaus
 
Ben Johnson, Gabriel von Eisenstein
Susanna Hurrell, Rosalinde
Jennifer France, Adele
Joanna Marie Skillett, Ida
Peter Davoren, Alfred
Gavan Ring, Falke
Robert Burt, Dr Blind
John Lofthouse, Frank
Samantha Price, Prince Orlofsky
Ian Jervis, Frosch

John Rigby, Conductor
Martin Lloyd-Evans, Director
City of London Sinfonia

Opera Holland Park, London, 23 July 2016
****************

This most famous of operettas was given a full English update at Opera Holland Park to marvellous effect.

First up was the setting, moved to 1930s England and enhanced by Alistair Beaton'sfree but  vivacious English translation.  Singing in English brought obvious benefits in conveying the wit of the comedy, and allowed some contemporary references to despised Brexit politicians to be folded in. 

Some creativity came with the adaptation, most of it trumphant.  The 4 London bobbies dancing with their Prison Chief, a stunned reception to the night's exotic dancers, and lashings of broad English humour and innuendo, almost Carry On at times.  This linked to a nice framing of the Eisenstein/Falke tension as stemming from Oxbridge antics.

Curiously the amorous Alfred was played as an Italian with an accent so massive it was almost Australian.  More seriously, the night's Prince Orlovsky was anything but dominant vocally and physically, and Gavan Ring's Falke placed the Prince quite in the shade.  This was perhaps the most light hearted Orlovsky ever seen, in little need of encouragement to laugh, which did nothing for dramatic impetus.  At various other points there seemed a similar disregard for the plot in the search for gags. Adelle's famous Laughing Aria, when she is protesting to all she is indeed a high born princess, had her openly kneeing Eisenstein in the groin. 

The acting was excellent and suitably over the top throughout.  Vocally, some of the big numbers fizzled slightly.  Susanna Hurrell's Czardas did not catch fire. Of the singers, Jennifer France as Adelle was the most spectacular, her high notes ranging from whispers to ringing floods of sound above the choruses.  Through it all, John Rigby directed a fine, punchy performance from the City of London Sinfonia, tight but with a willingness to relax at key moments. 

So a very fine evening, and such a pleasure to see an adaptation done so well.  It may have lost the elegance of the Viennese original, but it quite intentionally chose an English farce instead. 

Die Walkure from Opera North

Richard Wagner Die Walküre

Kelly Cae Hogan Brünnhilde
Lee Bisset Sieglinde
Michael Weinius Siegmund
Robert Hayward Wotan
Yvonne Howard Fricka
James Creswell Hunding
Katherine Broderick Helmwige
Kate Valentine Ortlinde
Giselle Allen Gerhilde
Sarah Castle Siegrune
Madeleine Shaw Rossweisse
Heather Shipp Waltraute
Fiona Kimm Grimgerde
Claudia Huckle Schwertleite 

Orchestra of Opera North
Richard Farnes conductor
Peter Mumford director
 
Royal Festival Hall, London, 29 June 2016 
*****************

A fabulous evening and affirmation of the tremendous power wielded by Wagner's music.

Michael Wienius and Lee Bisset as Siegmund and Sieglinde

This was the much praised production  from Opera North, delivered in concert performance with generalised imagery shown on 3 large screens behind the orchestra.  These were mercifully abstract, close ups of running water, tree bark, rocks, while of course providing some flickering flames for the culmination of the Magic Fire Music.


Of the singers, the women were the trump cards: Kelly Cae Hogan's Brünnhilde treading a good line between strength and youthful high spirits, and Less Bisset's Sieglinde projecting a compelling vulnerability.  The assembled valkyries in the famous Act 3 were as near ideal as one could imagine.

Robert Hayward as Wotan

The staging was certainly simple but yet again one feels Wagner's Ring is better like this than fully staged.  In the early minutes one feared an entirely straight concert performance, with Siegmund and Sieglinde staring straight out at the auditorium.  However this was not to be the case.  Indeed the singers as a group were excellent in physically relating to each other and portraying the human drama.  Richard Farnes took a flexible approach to tempo to match the acting.  It had its down side in conveying Wagner's long arcs, but more than made up for this in supportign the emotion of the dramatic performance.  And his forces were in great form by the time of Wotan's Farewell and the sublime orchestral conclusion.

Scholl and Karamazov at Wigmore Hall

John Dowland Behold a wonder here
Thomas Campion My sweetest Lesbia, let us live and love
John Dowland Come away, come sweet love
Edin Karamazov Lute improvisations
John Dowland I saw my Lady weep
In darkness let me dwell
Time stands still
Edin Karamazov Lute improvisations
John Dowland Can she excuse my wrongs
Say, love if ever thou didst find
Now, O now I needs must part
George Frideric Handel Cantata: Nel dolce tempo HWV135
Edin Karamazov Lute improvisations on Bach
AnonDown by the Salley Gardens
I am a poor wayfaring stranger
O Waly Waly
Leo Brouwer Balada de un dia de julio

Andreas Scholl, countertenor
Edin Karamazov, lute

Wigmore Hall, London, 30 June 2016
****************
This was familiar repertoire from Andreas Scholl, and the evening had a certain cosiness before a warmly attentive Wigmore audience.

Andreas Scholl and Edin Karamazov

In many ways the lute improvisations of Edin Karamazov were the spice that kept it going.  Inward, delicate and flexible, these culminated in an adaptation of the C Major cello suite of Bach.

Scholl is a wonder to listen to, with a purity of tone and delivery that in the Wigmore acoustic had its perfect match.  It worked best in the folk songs towards the end.  He is not overly dramatic, and there was a hint of sameness with each passing piece.  Each given the Scholl treatment.

So an evening that did not quite add up to more than its parts.  But very fine parts they were.