English National Opera

21st May 2008

English National Opera’s production of The Merry Widow was rather satisfying even before Oliver von Dohnanyi had raised his baton – although the evening got a lot better once he had. Just looking at the cast list was worth much of the cost of admission. The great English tenor John Graham-Hall, not only a very gifted comedian but the owner of a really lovely voice, usually makes a very strong impression in even the smallest roles, and seems perfectly happy to do so. He appeared to be much involved in the ENO Gala early last season, yet appeared content to restrict himself to roles like Gastone La traviata, leaving Alfredo to a less experienced singer.

But the fact he is such a good and generous performer only makes me keener to see him in leading roles, and The Merry Widow gave him that opportunity. Count Danilo is not only a leading role, but he’s supposed to be quite sexy. Graham-Hall was magnificent, and he was sexy. He is such a versatile performer, and even though I’m not usually a fan of operetta, there is no doubt that Danilo allowed him to show off his strengths as a singer, actor and dancer. I really enjoyed not only his scenes but his storyline, and I did actually care whether or not he and Hanna got together (they did, and I was glad).

The title role at this performance was taken by Michelle Walton. Walton was scheduled to sing only this performance, but I believe she performed at least once as an understudy. I really enjoyed her performances as a mezzo-soprano, but I haven’t seen her since she became a soprano a few years ago, so the chance to see Walton in a leading role was something I really didn’t want to miss. And she was great. A lot of singers have trouble with spoken texts, but Walton sounded completely natural and comfortable. Her voice is also very clear, so I could hear every word and every joke, all beautifully delivered; her music beautifully sung. I never realised Hanna Glawari had such lovely arias. ENO – let Michelle sing more performances next time!

Alfie Boe is one of these opera singers everyone thinks is wonderful. EMI deals, sell-out concerts all over the world, you know the sort of thing. So it’s always a surprise to hear how good he actually is. The fact that he seems more than happy to take on supporting roles, not only like Camille in this opera but also the Young Servant in the ROH Elektra, suggests that he is considerably less conceited than a lot of young singers with his sort of stardom. He was great as Camille – he was funny and sang really well, and generally seemed to enjoy being onstage.

As Valencienne, Fiona Murphy didn’t quite measure up to her co-stars as either a singer or an actor, but she is a relatively inexperienced singer working with an excellent cast, and many singers would struggle in her position. But she sounded and looked lovely, and she did manage to make Valencienne seem quite sweet and innocent, which is an achievement considering what she gets up to with Camille.

Valencienne’s husband, Baron Zeta, was wonderfully performed by Richard Suart, and Graeme Danby, another singer known for his amusing portrayals, stood out as Pritschitsch. Hal Cazalet and Daniel Hoadley managed to be funny despite their rather stupid French accents, and there were also impressive performances from ENO Young Singers Mairéad Buicke and James Gower, and members of the ENO Chorus. I did find Roy Hudd’s Njegus a rather disappointing singer, but he was very funny, and he seemed to be there more as a special guest star than an opera singer. He was certainly a star – one of many in this performance. The Merry Widow could have been nothing but romantic slush, but there was so much to enjoy. John Copley’s production was silly at times, but in a fun way. Maybe not a great opera, but certainly fun to watch.

Cunning Little Vixen

primi-divi at hotmail.co.uk