English National Opera
The last time Hairy McMungo saw Der Rosenkavalier at the ENO he enjoyed it very much. With the great Scottish tenor Alasdair Elliott as Valzacchi, the great Scottish bass-baritone Iain Paterson as the Police Comissar and the great Scottish soprano Jeni Bern replacing Susan Gritton as Sophie, it was a highly enjoyable revival of Jonathan Miller’s excellent production.
Hairy would have been more than happy to see that production again but there is one production that is greater still. The great Scottish director David McVicar’s production was greatly acclaimed when performed at Scottish Opera - so much so that not even the uncultured English could not fail to see its merit. And this is the production that will be brought to the stage of the Coliseum this month.
The cast includes a few singers who appeared in the ENO’s last production. Janice Watson isn’t the grandest of Marschallins but Hairy can believe that Octavian isn’t just sleeping with her for her Money. The Marschallin is only supposed to be about thirty, Hairy thinks, and this time he believes it.
John Tomlinson returns to the role of Baron Ochs. Hairy McMungo has often thought it would be nice to award a kind of honorary Scottish citizenship to English singers who are too good for their nationality and Tomlinson would certainly be a candidate. He is very amusing and as always a very strong stage presence. The same accolades can also be applied to Andrew Shore – Hairy believes Shore would be a fine Ochs too if he could sing a bottom C but he gives a very inventive performance as Herr von Faninal. As usual Shore comes close to stealing every scene he is but he is a generous performer who never upstages anyone.
The role of Octavian is sung by Sarah Connolly. If Hairy remembers correctly (and he usually does but he did have a wee dram earlier) Connolly was supposed to sing Octavian in the ENO’s last performance of this opera. However she did sing the role in Scotland and did so brilliantly. Connolly is a very attractive women as she showed when she sang Agrippina but to watch her onstage as Octavian or Giulio Cesare or Sesto or any other trouser role you would think you were looking at a man. Hairy believes even Connolly’s husband has said so.
Sarah Tynan once said that Sophie in Rosenkavalier was the height of her vocal ambitions. Only a couple of years have passed and she’s now singing the role for the ENO. Hairy is sure she now has other roles in mind and he is confident she will make some good choices because Sophie is certainly a role that suits her very well – although Hairy is yet to find any role in Tynan’s diverse repertore that does not suit her well. Sophie is really a silly little lassie but Tynan gives her an almost Scottish spirit, not to mention an almost Scottish charm, so Hairy can just about suspend his belief enough not to wonder why Octavian prefers Sophie to the Marschallin. Even though Sophie’s father is rich Hairy is sure the Marschallin will be richer especially after her husband dies. Not to mention the fact that silly little lassies have an alarming habit of spending large amounts of Money. Hairy McMungo is not worried that Caledonia and wee Imogen will grow up like that because of course they are not silly lassies.
ENO Young Singers Madeleine Shaw (who trained at the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama), Dwayne Jones and James Gower sing the roles of Annina, the Italian Singer and the Notary. Shaw is perhaps slightly more comfortable in the higher mezzo-soprano roles but Hairy was deeply impressed by her portrayal of Annina’s mercenary nature. Jones did well as the Italian Singer, a role that has always attracted Hairy McMungo. It has been sung by a number of well-known tenors so Hairy can only assume they are paid quite a lot if Money for it and they are allowed to leave after the first act which means Hairy might be able to get home in time to put Caledonia to bed. Gower again is given a very small role which is performs very well. Hairy McMungo does realise he is Canadian but he feels Gower is ready to take on larger roles.
Stuart Kale sings the role of Annina’s partner in crime, Valzacchi. If Kale has no Scottish blood whatsoever Hairy McMungo would be very surprised. Nicholas Folwell and Northumberland-born (not far from Scotland) Janice Cairns as the Police Comissar and the Duenna complete the excellent if a little too English cast.
HAIRY McMUNGO
primi-divi at hotmail.co.uk
I thought it was Alice Coote who was meant to sing it last time, when the ENO got Diana Montague instead? Apart from that your (p)review is uncannily accurate, certainly more so than some of the ones written by people who've seen the show.
In this production there's apparently meant to be some doubt about whether Octavian actually does prefer Sophie to the Marschallin in the end - interesting angle, no?