(4 / 5)

In what might be the most interesting venue in which to attend a concert in 2023, Bristol Opera had a big old bash for their 100th birthday. They couldn’t believe their luck, a century of activity establishing themselves as the go to opera makers in the city. They haven’t shyed away from working with big composer, nor large scale pieces either. I’m ashamed to say this is my first venture with them. I can feel the passion, the good vibes and of course the love of all the music they embrace.

Curiously, we got to mingle around the Concorde Museum in Filton, seeing inside the inconic plane and bits and pieces behind glass. With the smell of the diesel still in the air, Bristol Opera showed of their best. It was a tour of the past hundred years, looking back at past productions, starting with their first: The Snow Maiden by Rimsky-Korsakov. In the marvellous Prologue we got a glimmer of the Russian master’s cleverness. Clare Daly as the Wood Sprite gave a brief solo, showing promise.

There was a lot of expected things: Carmen, Aida, Lakme and more. The fact they took on Verdi’s Don Carlos is impressive. The chorus clearly practice feverishly and produce a sweet sound of note, getting many numbers for them to sing here. The orchestra also have many great moments, the venue helping the sound along. Sophie Kirk-Harris faired well with her O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicci. Ever the touching aria, Sophie found a good fitting in it. The Flower Duet from Ethel-Jane Cormack and Heather Holmes added a perfumed aura to the night, a very popular work that is never easy to do. Louise Geller as Olympia for her Doll’s Song from Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman. Her voice was subtle in the French, she had fun and seemed to know it well.

For the celebration, a new opera was created. Fish by Joel M. Baldwin tells the story of Anne Harriet Fish, a Bristol born artist who’s art got into the crème of top fashion papers. Very much saturated in 1920s flapper culture, her elongated figures brim with whimsy. The opera sees her dream of characters she has created and historical figures who’s writing she could utilize for new art. In a second more sombre scene, the mood is a bathroom where Anne recounts her salad days, years after the first scene is haunted by ghosts of the past in a steamed up mirror. She falls and hits the taps in her tub and is no more.

This curious piece had a lot of potential and worked well. Its eccentric nature matched that of Anne’s own quirkyness. A fine quartet of singers brought out great things. Rebecca Chellappah as Anne was a great success, these new, bold piece she seems to take on with gusto. Fine singing as ever, previous reviews have said the same as well. Andrew Shore, an opera legend and past performer for Bristol Opera played Anne’s husband Walter and also Persian polymath Omar Khayyám. Shore has still got it, his baritone remains a real feast, his Wagner and Rossini also noteworthy.

Sophie Kirk-Harris was back and played both Eve and Lady Carstairs, characters rom Anne’s art who delight and haunt her in equal measure. Sharp voice and good presence showed Sophie as another talent. Guy Withers is a familiar face playing Edward Fitzgerald, translator of Omar’s classics. A jolly tenor, who I found endearing, Edward finished the cast of singers with aplomb.

Conductors Arne Kovac and William Stevens kept face for the classics and this premiere, easily accustomed to conducting duties with flair. Other highlights were Shore doing Doctor Bartello’s manic breakfast aria from Barber of Seville and the surreal turn in the finale: The Toreador Song from Carmen. Rebecca gave us Mon Coeue from Samson and Delia. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

I’ll have to come and see future work now.

Bristol Opera perform in Feb 2024 with The Merry Wives of Windsor by Otto Nicolai.

Image credit: David Monteith-Hodge
(4 / 5)

Very much well done to the music students at the Guildhall for a curious double bill evening at the opera. Holst’s Sāvitri is taken from the Indian epic the Mahābhārata and looks at love beating death, a theme seen in opera for zonks. It’s a very English affair, Holst has little time for any commitment to traditional Indian music, unlike later English ones like Sir John Tavener.

There is Wagner and Richard Strauss to be heard, but it is the tea and cricket heritage that rings out. Lorna McLea is a resounding Sāvitri, Steven van Derek Linden her partner Satyavān also strong with death just in his door step, vocals which proves promise. As baddie, Death is played by Jacob Harrison, intimidating in delivery and statue, though his kryptonite being love over death foils his plans over our super woman. The real nice touch is a vocalising ladies chorus which suggested an exotic nature, a fad heard in other Indian inspired music of the era.

A much stranger second work by Judith Weir followed. We just heard her new work at the Coronation and I had the pleasure of meeting her last year, her friendly and passion for music making never wains. In Blond Eckbert based on the story but Ludwig Tieck, we get an absorbing and nasty piece. Dubbec a “pocket version” of the opera, the whole endeavour was weird and wonderful. The story became more of an oddity, the woods and fate being major themes and visuals. The Bird is Louisa Stirland, a narrator who tells the tale she has been enamoured in for years, high, vocals and irregular movement. Feeling like quite a demanding role, she makes it look easy.

Eckbert is Emyr Lloyd Jones a role filled with regrets and anxiety. Well placed here, he maintains the tension needed and has power to it all. Berthe, his wife is Rachel Roper who might be the most fascinating character, the plot vastly surrounding her circumstance. Her recounting of her abusive youth and espace was well poised. Jonah Halton as Walther holds a lot of the story in his hands, there are spoilers here for those curious. With his slight build and thick moustache, all is not what it seems and his tone is terrific. The reveal concerning his characters is quite shocking also disturbing. The score as well has loads of suspense and quirky, flavourful orchestral writing.

(4 / 5)

It’s a joy to watch these live streams all the way from California. San Francisco Opera are celebrating their 100th birthday in a big way. New opera from John Adams and a return to old productions have seen this celebration brought anew.

Not seen for 30 years, their take on Richard Strauss’ Die frau ohne Schatten or The Woman Without A Shadow has still got it. There are still some problematic aspects that are baked into the opera, some might say it was an anti-abortion piece and seeing white people clump about in middle eastern costumes (quite possibly Turkey and further into India) does not fare well in todays climate. Having said this, Roy Rallo as director has taken this strange, exquisite opera and made it work very well. David Hockney’s staging is vivid, over the top and immensely colourful. The costumes of Ian Falconer evoke vintage productions and also have an outrageous quality about them.

This fairly tale opera is hefty, the libretto of Hugo von Hofmannsthal harks back to old German stories and Goethe quite effectively. Strauss’s score is a revelation, one of my favourites of his, now finally hearing it. Ever pushing boundaries, there is also jazz, wild waltzes, piercing modernism, mimicking of a falcon and other delights. Even a glass harmonica features for a slight few bars in a decisive moment in the final act. What could feel quite demanding is essentially a story a out love, aspiration, fate and loyalty. It remains captivating.

In the cast there were no slip ups. Linda Watson gives great theatrical dame as The Nurse, a cunning role and the make up is almost drag like in appearance. Her voice is rich and perfect for this part. David Butt Philip as The Emperor handles the high notes well, in this briefer role, the ladies very much reign supreme here. Camilla Nylund as The Emperess might be my favourite voice of the night, the woman without a shadow in question on the quest for one. Her stratospheric heights in the third act were hair raising and her presence throughout was touching and absorbing.

A magnetic turn from Nina Stemme as Barak’s Wife, the dyer, whom the Empresser yearns for her shadow in order to save The Emperor from turning to stone. Stemme is electrifying in everything she does and here is no different. Her commanding vocal is emboldened in solos and soaring in ensemble moments. Barak himself, is John Reuter, world weary and tired of the hardships of life and his distant wife. Gruff and frustrated, it another awesome role with dramatic vocal parts for the only character in the whole opera with an actual name.

The supporting troupe of dancers, children’s choir and on stage musicians also wowed in this hefty opera that needs a lot more love.

Its runs till 28th June 2023

The next live stream from San Franciso Opera is El último sueño de Frida y Diego on 22 June and is available for 48 hours from 10am PST.

Photo credit: Mark Allen

(5 / 5)

We bid farewell to Sir Simon Rattle as the London Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director. Of course, he’ll be back to do more concert in the autumn. His swansong were two evenings of the same programme, one which will not be forgotten in a hurry.

A world premiere from Betsy Jolas continues to improve her twilight success. At the age of 96, I even had the pleasure to meet her last year (I’veonly just discovered she knew James Joyce). She has lead a fascinating life, never quite clamping onto any of the fierce Male dominated experimental musical cults. Rattle has put the spotlight on Besty these last few years, though she has said that ‘Ces belles années…’ will be her last symphonic work. Translated as ‘Those good years…’ this has the composer looking back at wonderful summers filled with music, her love of the Aix-en-Provence Festival unwavering. The work is strange, theatrical with the musicians clapping, whispering and stomping. Happy Birthday is quoted and a modulating form hits the ear. Soprano Faustine de Monés arrives on stage during the piece and comically waves at the orchestra, most of which wave back. The use of staged directions makes Besty’s work stand out and Faustine sang with affectionate love for these bygone days. Its was all very touching and amusing.

Photos creidt: Mark Allen

Following on with the big guns, Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie remains Rattle’s show piece. This is a work I fell in love with some years ago. It remain the chattering, clamoring joy of the piece that stands out. Quasi-romance and galactic musing are super imposed with Indian and Greek music with devastating effect. Strangely based upon the Celtic myth of Tristan and Isolde, it’s a loud, unwavering avalanche, thanks to Rattle who kept the mass of instruments on stage in check. His joy in playing came through, Peter Donohoe in the piano solo is a head spinning sight and the demands he met with grace and agility. Cynthia Miller playing the ondes Martenot adds the ethereal sound to proceedings, you might mistake for a theremin. Her aura adds wonderfully to the exotic pot, though her passion is inward, the instrument being a small, early synth from France. Though she was surrounded by the speakers which pipe out the generous sounds of the ondes.

I’ve haven’t heard the piece live for nearly ten years, though it loses little impact. I saw some people in the audience with their mouths open in shock or disbelief. The lady sat next to met knew not of the piece and amazed when it was over. Much love to the players of the virbraphone, keyed glockenspiel and celeste who all featured at the front, behind Donohoe. I heard their colours well thanks for being sat near to them, the battery of percussion is also noteworthy for their bravado and skill. All the players deserves credit here, I’ll give them that. What a thrill to was to hear this with Rattle agian. I found my whole body shaking and tears abound, in the all consuming nature of Messiaen music.

This will be a concert I’ll cherish forever.

This concert will be aired for future broadcast on Marquee TV & Mezzo.

The concert will also be aired for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3.