Photos by Khalid Al-Busaidi
Teatro Carlo Felice Di Genova, in collaboration with the Royal Opera House Muscat, presented two spectacular performances of Benjamin Britten’s 1960 Opera based on Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” last weekend. The company brought a children’s choir of 24, an orchestra of 50 musicians, 24 soloists, 27 staff on tour - plus seven designers. It was a massive undertaking following the world premiere of this production in Genova last October 2023. The results were stunning, visually and aurally, for this 3-hour composition which defies operatic category or precedent.
Most immediately striking was the Set, created by Irish Designer Gary McCann who is renowned for combining contemporary and historical elements, while exploiting cutting edge technology. The curtain rose to reveal a rotating projection of a magical woodland scene on – and later through – gauze, giving a 3D framed screen effect with tremendous depth. As the drama unfolded the solid trees, suspended from above, were able to move freely giving the illusion of a “scary, forbidden and constantly moving forest, ruled by fairies”. Puck too made most of his entrances by floating down on wires between trees, as if from the Otherworld. Fairies appeared surprisingly through concealed trap doors on stage in Act Two as Titania – sustained beautifully throughout by Californian soprano, Sydney Mancasola – awakes from her drug-induced slumber, singing an impossibly high, lyrical coloratura aria.
In Act One, as Oberon sings the lovely, “I know a Bank Where the Wild Thyme Blows” over a deep cello counter-melody, the mossy, uneven foreground appeared in front of the frame. It was realistic but quite a trip hazard for some of the cast, especially Theseus (beautifully delivered by American bass, Scott Wilde) and Hippolyta (sung by Bulgarian Mezzo, Kamelia Kader in an animated performance) in Act 3.
Along with McCann, the South African Lighting Designer, John Bishop was invited by acclaimed British Director, Lawrence Dale, to create evocative, mystical light and video effects. The results were mesmerising.
Britten composed the Opera to celebrate the re-opening of the Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh, his birthplace, and the Libretto was transcribed concisely from the original Shakespeare text by Britten’s long-term companion, counter-tenor Peter Pears. Britten’s musical language - certainly not to everyone’s taste - is more polytonal, neo-classical with a fluid key structure than the contemporary serialism going on in Europe.
Britten’s love of that vocal register partly explains his decision to cast Oberon as a counter-tenor, first created and performed by Alfred Della in 1960. On Friday the role was performed superbly by South African Christopher Ainslie. His goblin, Puck – a rhythmic speaking role but central to the drama of the Fairies – was interpreted superbly by the agile Italian actor and Assistant Director, Matteo Anselmi.
It is an unconventional Opera in that there are no long arias or set pieces, but instead through-composed recitative, like Wagnerian ‘sprechgesang’ with short snatches of melody in themes of love, lament or despair.
The dramatic interest and success of this comedy lies in its symmetry; the division into three dimensions of protagonists in parallel stories: The fantastical fairy world, where Britten uses ethereal sounds of high, glissando and tremolo strings, harps, glockenspiel and celeste; melodies built on whole-tone, impressionist harmony. He employs the treble voices of children’s choir, coloratura soprano for Titania’s melodrama and Oberon himself, both dressed in eerie black.
The bickering Athenian lovers, wearing pure white, are not helped by Puck’s interference, creating further confused chaos. They are often accompanied by woodwinds and brass in atonal clashes, or dark, angular melodies in wide leaps such as when Demetrius (versatile American baritone, John Chest) declares his loathing of Helena (interpreted by the glittering British soprano, Keri Fuge). She in turn adores Demetrius and wants to follow him, symbolised in her consistently high, virtuoso tessitura. The foursome is completed by Hermia, sung compellingly by a lamenting young American Mezzo, Annie Reilly, and the love-struck Lysanda, performed with tender pathos by Tenor, Peter Kirk.
Their dream-like Quartet in Act 3 as they awake, one by one to hunting horn calls, is atmospheric and moving: “And I have found Demetrius, like a jewel, Mine own, and not mine own” as they anticipate their forthcoming triple marriage.
These characters are juxtaposed with the earthy, rustic artisans or ‘rude mechanics’ with thespian aspirations, for whom Britten composed amusing parodies on English Folksong with West Country accents and ballads! He uses much more brass, such as quirky, punctuating brass chords and sliding trombones to emphasise their slapstick, humorous nature.
Their first appearance in Act One was just delightful; Peter Quince – sung by an effervescent Bass, David Ireland – assumes the role of Director for their play, and tells Nick Bottom - performed with robust stamina and astounding vocal control throughout by British Bass, David Shipley - that he will play Pyramus, though Bottom wants to take all the parts! In the famous donkey-head scene, Shipley imitates the sound of braying brilliantly in his solo ‘ee-aw’ then lies down to sleep, embracing Titania.
Francis Flute must sing the woman’s role as he is clean-shaved, though he protests vehemently. In Act 2 Flute, played by Scottish Spieltenor, Seumas Begg, made an hilarious stab at Thisby in a parody of an operatic soprano aria, accompanied by flute and harp.
At the beginning of Act 3 the esteemed Italian Maestro of the ensemble and season, Donato Renzetti, received an enthusiastic applause as he entered the pit. At the Finale, the whole cast received rousing curtain calls and the audience would not let them leave. Bravo to ROHM for yet another night’s stellar success - a perfect Dream.
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