English Touring Opera at the Royal College of Music
English Touring Opera have, quite rightly, acquired an excellent reputation for their productions of Handel operas. Following highly successful and extremely enjoyable productions of Alcina and Tolomeo, it was difficult not to have perhaps unreasonably high expectations where Flavio was concerned. It is to the credit of English Touring Opera, their production staff and, of course, the performers, that Flavio proved an even greater delight than I’d anticipated.
My only regret, indeed, is that I wasn’t able to attend any of the other operas in ETO’s Handel series. With two performances of Flavio, and one each of Alcina, Ariodante, Teseo and Tolomeo, those who were fortunate enough to be able to see all five must, I suspect, have had an electrifying fortnight. In fact, I would urge all those based in the London area who didn’t see all five to consider attending one or more if the operas when the company visits Cambridge next month.
The conductor at this performance was the counter tenor Jonathan Peter Kenny, who also performed the role of Polinesso in Ariodante (which I believe Fit Crit will be reviewing), additionally covering the role of Tolomeo. Indeed, many of the performers who feature in the Handelfest have been required to become familiar with more than one role. Many, if not most, of the performers, are, in fact, performing two roles and acting as the understudy to a third. Not only this, but, at all other venues, all the operas are to be performed within the space of five days. It’s most unusual for a performer to give three performance even of a single role in five days, so this demonstrates the level of English Touring Opera’s ambition. Perhaps there were limits to the number of singers they could use for budgetary reasons, but this series of five operas must be nevertheless a considerable achievement, even if the other productions have only a fraction of Flavio’s brilliance.
Mr Kenny gave a sensitive reading of the score, no doubt supplemented by his experience as a singer of many of Handel’s greatest counter tenor roles. His interpretation displayed great sensitivity, supporting both the plot’s humour and its moments of tragedy. The ETO orchestra created a authentically Handelian atmosphere, and, within the intimacy of the Royal College of Music’s theatre, it was an exciting and involving evening.
Joanna Parker’s sets were simple, but, as so often, deeply effective, complementing the performance, without drawing attention away from the drama. James Conway’s direction was, again, quite brilliant – and, something that amazed me in particular, extremely alert to all possible humour. The story is a serious one, yet Mr Conway gave it a lightness of touch that was absolutely riveting. Handel’s operas are not usually known for their brevity – and, indeed, I am usually rather disappointed when a Handel opera comes to an end, and I do not mind in the least that one can sometimes be in the auditorium for five hours. Yet, with the arias’ being several minutes long, there is often a sense that the action is moving at a relatively slow pace. This did not happen in Mr Conway’s production. There was always something happening, be it something taking place in the stage (which can be a distraction, but was, in this case, always appropriate) or a change in the emotional state of the character.
Flavio opens with a duet between two characters, the male character’s line of music being set higher than that of the female. Mezzo-sopranos Angelica Voje (Vitige) and Carolyn Dobbin (Teodata) were instantly engaging, a far less histrionic couple than many to be seen on an operatic stage. Miss Dobbin’s performance was particularly fine. Her rich contralto-type voice was very beautiful, and each of her arias were sung with great feeling and charm. Flavio’s pursuit of her, whilst not strictly gentlemanly in its execution, was far from unsurprising. Clint van der Linde was powerful and regal in the title role.
Yet there was never any doubt about which of the gentlemen Teodata should chioose at the end of the opera. Miss Voje’s vocal timbre was closer to that of the typical soprano than the typical mezzo, but the strength of her dramatic performance ensured that she was completely convincing as a male character. Miss Voje’s inrepretation gave a strong impression of strength, bravery and chivalry towards Teodata.
The more serious couple were Emilia and Guido, married at the start of the opera, only for him to become the murderer of her father. Counter tenor James Laing gave an astounding performance as Guido. He seemed very much a victim of manipulation and his own undiscerning loyalty towards his father. Mr Laing ensured Guido was one of the most likeable characters in the opera. His arias, sung in an exceptionally lovely counter tenor voice, were deeply moving, and I felt his dilemmas deeply throughout the opera.
Emilia was sung by Paula Sides, who recently sang Pamina for English Touring Opera. Her singing was truly lovely, her arias full of emotion and with a great sensitivity towards the nuances of the text. Emilia’s character did not seem as well developed as that of the others, but I do feel this is due to the libretto rather than any deficiency in Miss Sides’ performance.
Andrew Slater and Joseph Cornwell sang the roles of Loratio and Ugone, the two rival counsellors vying for the favour of the king, and, respectively, the fathers of Emilia and Teodata. They offered performance at once repellent and riveting, producing both comedy and horror as the quite marvellous performance progressed.