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Biblical tale of Godly sacrifice
Doomed daughter: Fflur Wyn as Iphis, right, with Laura Pooley from the WNO Chorus. Pictures: Bill Cooper Jephtha Welsh National Opera Birmingham Hippodrome **** HANDEL'S Jephtha is not one of the
most performed or best known productions in the operatic tool box which,
in a week which sees WNO present La bohème and Cosi Fan Tutte, probably
explains a less than capacity crowd for what is a fine production of
this Baroque piece. Strictly this is a religious oratorio rather than
an opera – it even ends on a soaring Amen - and was Handel's
last. The baroque traits of endless repetition in the libretto, a
simplistic story line which takes a shade over three hours to tell and
limited character development and drama are not to everyone's tastes.
But on the obverse we have a simplicity in the
music which always seems to have a splendour and a clean, period sound
under conductor Paul Goodwin and the excellent WNO orchestra,
furthermore the oratorio is full of Handel's engaging music with his
trademark, majestic choral work along with intricate duets and a
splendid quartet in the third act. Unmistakably Handel this is almost
like Messiah – The Musical, 18th century style.. For those who know their Old Testament and Judges in particular Jephtha was the illegitimate son of a professional lady, as in oldest profession, and was driven out by his half brothers. But as old Jephtha turned out to be the
best soldier around, a sort of Israeli Wellington, and Israel was at war
and threatened by the Ammonites and all of its old guard of the army
generals killed in battle, it seemed a good idea to decide all was
forgiven and Jephtha was called back by his brother Zebul to lead
the nation into battle. Unwisely Jephtha made a pact with God that
if he won he would sacrifice the first living thing he saw. Now, had he
filled in a risk assessment form he might have spotted that such a deal
might have a few drawbacks – but no, on he ploughed, won the war and on
his return the first living thing he saw was his daughter Iphis . . .
oops.
In Handel's version with a libretto by Thomas
Morell, just as Iphis is about to be despatched to meet her maker an
angel pops up to say the daughter no longer needs to be sacrificed and
merely dedicating her life to God, and er, oh yes, with a vow of
chastity, would be acceptable in heaven. In the Old Testament version there is no angelic reprieve and Iphis pays the price of her father's rashness with her life which, let's be honest, would beat dying of consumption in a chilly Paris garret in the list of all-time tragic opera deaths. But, then again, that would perhaps not go down
as well with the original opening night audience at the premiere in
Covent Garden in 1752. Chaste or sacrificed, Fflur Wyn is a wonderful
Iphis with her Farewell, ye limpid springs and floods as she
accepts her fate one of the highlights. Robert Murray as Jephtha has a light tenor
suited to the role and Handel's Baroque score while Hamor, who is
betrothed to Iphis, is sung by Andrew Radley, who has a clear and
powerful countertenor, that most unusual of male voices. His duets with Iphis are a delight with the two
voices blending so well including the final Freely I to Heav'n
resign. With everyone celebrating Iphis's life being saved the only
people not too sure about the deal are Iphis, who was now lumbered with
a life of chastity, and her betrothed Hamor. Hardly the best of dowries. Radley, Murray, and Diane Montague as the mother,
Storgè, and baritone Alan Ewing, as Jephtha's brother Zebul,
produce that wonderful quartet mentioned earlier Oh Spare Your
Daughter. The original 2003 WNO production was directed by
Katie Mitchell with Robin Tebbutt as the revival director and it is set
sometime in the 1940s, zoot suits and trilbies, while the set, designed
by Vicki Mortimer , looks like it could be an undiscovered alcove in
Grand Central Station, Art Deco, solid and huge with a sweeping
staircase which gives added visual interest and is somewhere for the
angel, played by Claire Ormshaw, to exit – the original Stairway to
Heaven perhaps?
There is not a lot of fun in Jephtha, it is
more depressing than uplifting with the only lighter moment, perhaps
unintentionally, when Storgè pleads with her husband to spare Japtha and
drags some poor soul out of the crowd and suggests the unfortunate
creature would do just as well for a sacrifice. The costumes give the authentic feel of a 40s
gangster movie although the return from the victorious battle is a bit
Home Guard with uniforms, apart from one beret clad soldier in combats -
Moshe Guevere perhaps – seeming to consist of the suit you were wearing
earlier with the addition of a haversack and the odd rifle. That being said this is another sumptuous
production from WNO, always visually interesting with an excellent
chorus who are always alive rather than statues waiting to sing, and
always providing little dramas in the background. The production also
employs the cinematic fade out, as with a three leaf shutter, employed
so successfully in Katya Kabanova, another Mitchell/Tebbutt revival Whether baroque opera, strictly religious
oratorio, is to your taste or not the quality cannot be denied and
successfully widens the repertoire of WNO. 07-11-12. The autumn season continues with La bohème on Nov
8 and 10 and Cosi fan tutte on Nov 9. Roger Clarke
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