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Opera made and played for laughs
Diva undone: A gobsmacked Orla Boylan (Ariadne) being cheered up by Julian Close (Truffaldino) Owen Webb (Harlequin) Aled Hall (Scaramuccio) Wynne Evans (Brighella). Pictures: Richard H Smith Ariadne Auf Naxos Welsh National Opera Birmingham Hippodrome
OPERA and fun, even farce, in the same
sentence is a rare event unless both Gilbert and Sullivan have also
crept in there under cover of darkness. Much of opera revels in
tragedy piled upon tragedy but Richard Strauss's
Ariadne Auf Naxos
doesn't sport a single death, there is no impending doom, no event of
great import about to befall the heroine or her lover and there are
plenty of genuine laughs. Ariadne does not often see the light of day. WNO
first performed this production six years ago but look in one of those
lists of the worlds most loved or performed operas and the old girl
doesn't make it into the top 20 which is a pity because in the hands of
WNO this really is a little treat. You can see why in many ways it is not top of the
ops. For example it has no really well known arias so is never going to
make it to some Classic FM favourite opera CD even when it gets down to
volume 27. That being said it does have fine singers and an
excellent cast who milk every last drop of comedy out of the story. For those unfamiliar with this Opera the
wealthiest man in Vienna is laying on after dinner entertainment for his
guests in the form of a classical opera he has commissioned, Ariadne
Auf Naxos, whose high-brow company become apoplectic when they
discover that their serious opera is to be followed by their rich
patron's other theatrical entertainment for the evening by a low-brow,
lewd comedy from some commedia dell'arte troupe.
The comics in turn are worried that the audience
will be so bored after sitting through the tedium of an opera that they
will be difficult to raise into laughter. No matter. The Major-Domo (Eric Roberts)
announces that the Viennese VIP, who is paying all the pipers whatever
their brow, has decided that to save a bit of time he wants the opera
and comedy performed simultaneously - Oh and they have to finish by 9pm
because that is when the fireworks display starts. So get on with it.
Chop Chop. The Prologue is set backstage when all this is explained and we have some wonderful characterisations of prima donnas, divas and divos. There is the Music Master, (Robert Poulton) who looks a little like Albert Einstein with a baton worried about how his stars will react and then there is his star pupil . . . This is the distraught composer whose life is
ended and worthless and all those other operatic cliches if her opera is
not performed as writ. Sarah Connolly brings not only a fine voice but a
tongue in cheek quality to the role. Leading the Opera brigade is Ariadne herself
played with a mix of Wagnerian imperiousness and genuine fun by Orla
Boylan. A fine voice with a fine sense of comic timing particularly when
her tragic operatic ramblings are interrupted repeatedly by the comedy
act. No opera is complete without - the tenor. And
Brazilian Ricardo Tamuro's Bacchus has much to complain about from his
ill fitting wig to a comedy troupe and anything else he can think of. The wig maker, George Newton-Fitzgerald, by the
way, has to be seen to be believed . . daaahlings. Leather pants
and all. Camp is hardly in it.
The comedy troupe are lead by Zerbinetta who is
sung beautifully by Gillian Keith and her aria Großmächtige Prinzessin
(high and mighty princess) is one of the highlights as she and her
troupe of excellent comics Harlequin (Owen Webb), Scaramuccio (Aled
Hall), Truffaldino (Julian Close) and Brighelia (Wynne Evans) extract
every possible laugh from it. Their advice to the suicidal Ariadne is
when one bloke dumps you find another one quick. Which brings us to the finale of the opera within
an opera where Ariadne, abandoned on Nexos by Theseus, and wanting to
die, amid interruptions by Zerbinetta and her band, comes face to face
with the god Bacchus which produces a rather moving final duet which
ends with a brilliantly effective light show of stars on the backdrop as
everyone lives happily ever after. The orchestra conducted by Lothor Koenigs were,
as usual, excellent. It is not an opera where you will meander
home humming some well known tune in your head but at least you
will have a smile on your face, and that can't be bad. Tonight (Nov 10) and Friday (12) sees Fedilio
while Thursday (Nov 11)and Saturday (13) sees The Magic Flute from WNO
at the Hippodrome. Roger Clarke
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