Performance Run: Thursday 9 June 2016

Performance Reviewed: Thursday 9 June 2016


 

In a year which sees them celebrate 70 years of exquisite, enviable productions, the Welsh National Opera return to the Birmingham Hippodrome this week with a fascinating double programme which is in many ways the perfect tentpole for the anniversary. There’s a traditional, cherished staple, this time round in the form of the ‘Cav and Pag’ Mascagni and Leoncavallo double bill, followed by a wholly original operatic production in the form of Iain Bell’s In Parenthesis - a wartime set adaptation of Welsh writer and artist David Jones’ epic poem of the same name.


 

For the purposes of this review, we will be addressing WNO’s take on the highly popular Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci double bill, but wholly recommend seeking out the original, striking In Parenthesis, which will perform in Birmingham for one night only on Friday 10 June 2016, but will also be visiting Cardiff and London at later dates (see the WNO website for further information).


 

‘Cav and Pag’, despite being born of different composers, are quite natural bed fellows narratively and thematically, anchored around issues of fidelity, of how love - and lust - seep out beyond the confines of marriage. Jilted spouses and jealous lovers are abound, though tonally Pagliacci welcomely offers a soupçon of levity in it’s ironic ‘art imitating life imitating art’ (or is it the other way round?) through line.


 

"As with many of the greats, the story being told here

is simple and the character dynamics blisteringly self-

evident - the surtitles on offer becoming a mere luxury

and formality in the face of such neatly accessible

and resonant drama."


 

As with many of the greats, the story being told here is simple and the character dynamics blisteringly self-evident - the surtitles on offer becoming a mere luxury and formality in the face of such neatly accessible and resonant drama. In the concise, one act Cavalleria Rusticana, a betrayed lover seeks audience with the man who has wronged her for passion with a former flame, whilst amidst the whimsical circus-lite hijinks of Pagliacci, an entertainer discovers his wife’s waning affections are not limited to the stage production in which they both star.


 

These are both pieces which have endured on the very strength of their simplicity, and the profundity leant by their sweeping, bravura scores. And in many ways, it means ‘Cav and Pag’ continues to prove itself a solid, accessible introduction to Opera.


 

Through the filter of the WNO, it is a double bill which is rich in style and sumptuous in execution. From the beautifully realised streets of the Sicilian village where Cavalleria Rusticana plays to the masterfully lit stage show climax of Pagliacci, the production values on display are never anything less than exquisite. The WNO have always leant their operas a tremendous sense of presence and place, and their ‘Cav and Pag’ double bill is no exception. Particular credit must go to Howard Harrison and Paul Woodfield’s triumphant lighting design, Michael Yeargan’s intricate, layered set work and the WNO’s own costume department, which all harmonise beautifully for another truly decadent display.


 

Stourbridge News:


 

The level of talent on display is not limited to the visual, however, with Conductor Carlo Rizzi and orchestra offering majesty and grandeur to both Mascagni and Leoncavallo’s works, delighting in the flourishes of Pagliacci in particular. 


 

Lending voice to the music is a company at industry-leading standards of excellence. WNO veteran Gwyn Hughes Jones was indisposed at the performance reviewed due to injury, but he was ably replaced by tenor Peter Auty making his debut with the WNO, offering an impressive spectrum from the desperate, genuinely moving anguish of a doomed man pleading with his mother during the coda of Rusticana to the raw patriarchal rage of his Pagliacci. It’s a promising debut from Auty, and hopefully the start of many engagements to come with the WNO.


 

"Camilla Roberts singing Rusticana's Santuzza;

offering the evening's most emotionally gripping

performance... elsewhere, Meeta Raval is splendid

and tremendous fun as Pagliacci's Nedda."


 

Other highlights amongst the cast include Camilla Roberts singing Rusticana’s Santuzza; not only in fine voice but also offering the evening’s most emotionally gripping performance, her empathetic and moving take on the wronged lover a grounding anchor of the first piece. Elsewhere, Meeta Raval is splendid and tremendous fun as Pagliacci’s Nedda, offering a fiery yet likeable take on a woman who longs to run away with a newfound love, whilst fighting off the advances of a lecherous co-star (an impressive David Kempster on scene-stealing multi role duty).


 

With the WNO continuing to prove itself to be one of the leading voices in the Opera world, it is fantastic to see it embracing both the old and the new as it celebrates its richly deserved hallmark anniversary. Their fantastic revival of Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci may not be the most awe-inspiring or grandiose of outings, but it is another sumptuous delight and a beautiful, exquisitely performed showcase of what Opera continues to offer, as well as being an assuring reminder of why it continues to endure. And in breathing fresh life and passion into this classic, it’s difficult to imagine for the uninitiated a more accessible introduction to the art form, or more reputable and impressive a company to invite you in.


 

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI runs at the Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday 9 June and Saturday 11 June 2016.

CLICK HERE for more information on both 'Cav and Pag' and 'In Parenthesis' - both appearing at the Birmingham Hippodrome this week.


Alternatively, call the Birmingham Hippodrome Ticket Sales directly on 0844 338 5000 now to book your tickets!


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