Don Giovanni at The ENO

This production of Don Giovanni has a modern urban feel, and is eerily creepy. The interpretation of Mozart’s famous opera is much darker than other shows I have seen recently at the ENO. We are warned before entering that we will experience strobe lights, a strange sensation when sitting in a big opera house. Besides the visual effects, atmospheric breath noises are used and throughout the performance masked demons sneak and run about on stage, an appropriate production for Halloween.

Kirill Karabits is an energetic conductor and he seems to empower the orchestra which is in fact a lot smaller than it sounds. Unfortunately I found the orchestra’s rendition of the overture a bit lacklustre and boring, which didn’t set the scene particularly well. The cast is made up of familiar names, with Iain Paterson in the lead role, bellowing maliciously as the callous Don Giovanni. His only fault is not being quite charismatic enough for this lecherous role. Brindley Sherratt is the most convincing actor on stage as the greasy sidekick, Leporello. He is surprisingly hilarious as well vocally brilliant. I particularly enjoyed Leporello’s catalogue aria that director Rufus Norris re-imagines as a doctor’s statistical presentation, clever timing provides the audience with many laughs. I must also mention the witty translation of Jeremy Sams, that brings some entertainment to an otherwise rather dreary night.

I found Norris’s overall production idea bewilderingly strange. I was confused about where the action is in fact set, at the start it resembles the skate track on the Embankment, and later in the performance is more like an underground drinking dive. The vile Jesus t-shirt costumes worn by the rampaging demons are also very bizarre, and muddle the already complex storyline.

All in all I found this to be a disappointing setting for Mozart’s great opera, and with the late start I was relieved to be leaving at 11 o’clock.

Don Giovanni continues at The Colliseum until 3 December 2010, book tickets here.

The Magic Flute at Hamstead Garden Opera

The Magic Flute is surely one of the most theatrical operas in the standard repertoire. It combines comedy, tragedy and magic, but is above all a moral story about love and fidelity. Upstairs at the Gatehouse has been Hampstead Garden Opera’s (HGO) home since 2001, and this year they celebrate their 20^th anniversary with Mozart’s masterpiece.

As an adoring fan of Stephen Fry, I was delighted to discover he had translated Mozart’s libretto, originally in German. This witty script definitely makes the piece more family friendly. Fry translated the work for Kenneth Branagh’s film, and HGO are perhaps the first company to perform it to a London audience. The young singers have good diction, and because the venue is so small, you can hear every word.

James Hurley directs the opera, with costumes by Madeleine Millar and set by Rob Mills. At the helm of the HGO band is music director Oliver-John Ruthven, who I myself have been lucky enough to be conducted by in the past. The production has not one, but two talented casts, made up predominantly of Oxbridge graduates and other twenty-somethings. I guess with this in mind, I shouldn’t have been surprised to spot a few friends in the cast.

I saw the show on their first night, and I felt the excited anticipation in the air. Director Hurley has decided to set the opera in a child’s playroom, which however strange, is quite intriguing to watch. The only problem is the presence of adult themes that don’t quite suit this vision, and make the already complex story even more confusing. The singers however, seem to relish the unique setting and play around with their characters with an amusing quirkiness.

The star of the show is, without a shadow of a doubt the 22 year Guildhall student Raphaela Papadakis, who sings with such clarity and ease, she has the skill of an older singer, but the delicate freshness of a young girl. This is Raphaela’s first production with HGO, I only hope she stays with them, as she brightens up the whole night. I also loved watching Samuel Queen, who is completely adorable as birdcatcher Papageno. He wears a hilarious adult size babygro decorated with birds, I was delighted to see his companion Pagagena in a matching outfit, these are genius finds from Madeleine Millar. I can honestly say that these amateur HGO singers are more pleasant to listen to than the professionals I heard in The Barber of Seville a week earlier.

The Dionysus Ensemble accompany the singers playing Mozart’s recognisable tunes with experience and style. I was, unfortunately seated a little too close to the musicians and found they occasionally overpowered the vocalists.

A bizarre interpretation of a favourite classic, but more importantly a bunch of extraordinarily talented musicians, frolicking about and singing their hearts out. Hampstead Garden Opera is definitely a company to look out for!

Evening performances of The Magic Flute are on November 4, 5, 6, 10, 11 12 & 13 at 7.30 pm:
Matinées on Saturday November 6 at 2.30.pm and on Sundays November 7 and 14 at 4.0 pm.
Tickets – November 4 & 5 £18 (concessions £16): all other performances £20 (concessions £18): 18 and under £12 for all performances. All seats unreserved.
Box office: 020 8340 3488.
Further information: Martin Musgrave (martin.musgrave@hgo.org.uk - 07590 567 790) Website:www.hgo.org.uk

Don Giovanni at Opera Holland Park

This was, surprisingly, my first visit to see Mozart’s famous opera, Don Giovanni. Once again sitting in the buzzing audience at Opera Holland Park. I can’t get enough of this company!

The first thing I noticed as I sat down was the striking set in front of me. It was a luxuriously dark and moody stage, on one side the same devilish picture of Don hangs in frames small and large, a constant reminder of his presence throughout the opera. The set barely altered during the show, but clever props transformed the scene and made the changes in location completely believable. This was also thanks to the brilliant lighting director Colin Grenfell. Director Stephen Barlow decided on a late Victorian setting which suited the unique Holland Park setting.

Don Giovanni is a murder story, gripping from start to finish. Nicholas Garrett, who I have previously seen as ‘Scarpia’ in Tosca, plays the lead Don Giovanni. Garrett seems to have great fun playing the extremely licentious young nobleman. He owns the stage and sings the legato melodies with charm and charisma. Claire Wild is delightful as the naive Zelina; the seduction scenes between her and Garrett were witty and exciting. Simon Wilding is fierce as the Commendatore and particularly haunting when he returns in the final scene. Conductor, Robert Dean is an enthused leader for the orchestra injecting the whole show with musical energy.

This production certainly rivals London’s main opera houses. Every seat under the canopy was filled for a show that could have attracted an audience of double the size. I strongly urge you to visit Opera Holland Park especially if you haven’t been before, but hurry the season ends on 14 August.

Idomeneo at the ENO

The ENO boldly present Idomeneo this month at Covent Garden. Idomeneo is the young Mozart’s classical drama.

This production is directed by the award-winning Katie Mitchell. It is presented in modern day dress, an interesting concept but one that occasionally overpowers the drama. I definitely miss the grandeur of the antique costumes you might expect in a Mozart opera. The staging is immense, with an almost constant rippling sea as the backdrop. The theme of water is central to the drama and you are reminded often of its importance.

Performances are impressive from the four leads. British tenor, Paul Nilon leads the company as the great Idomeneo. Nilon’s performance is staggering, he sings every virtuosic aria with ease and perfection, making the most of Mozart’s lyrical writing. Robert Murray is less convincing as the son Idamante, although sings well throughout. The two women, Emma Bell as the tormented Electra and Sarah Tynan as Princess Ilia have a wonderful dynamic on stage. Bell is ravishingly fiery and Tynan melancholic and gentle. Adam Green sings the role of Arbace with great gusto.

Idomeneo is rarely staged, perhaps because of its length. Hopefully after this run at the ENO it will make it to our London stages more often.

Idomeneo continues until 9 July, book tickets here.