Massenet/Martinu at Guildhall

Last year the Royal Opera
demonstrated the cumulative strength of presenting Puccini’s Il
Trittico as a whole and Guildhall’s latest production, two short
operas by Massenet and another by Martinu, attempts to replicate the trilogy’s
scheme.  It succeeds wonderfully well, in
Stephen Barlow’s beautifully-judged staging, with a line-up of young singers as
talented as any GSMD have fielded in recent years.  The serious (La Navarraise)
gives way to the sentimental (Le portrait de Manon) and is
rounded-off by tightly-knit comedy (Comedy on the Bridge),
making for an evening of contrasting delights that follows the tone of
Puccini’s triptych perfectly.

Verismo doesn’t
come readily to mind with Massenet but La Navarraise, which evokes
the tragic intensity of Il tabarro, was often
doubled with Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana in its early
days.  At the second performance, despite
battling with a chest infection, Roisin Walsh was a resplendent Anita, the
heroine who braves enemy fire to bring about a truce by murdering the rebel leader.  Alas, it’s all too late, as her lover, the
virile Araquil, played with commitment if a little strain at the top by Adam
Smith, is fatally wounded before they can be reunited.  It’s a rattling good story, told with great
economy (two taut acts in just 45 minutes) and skillfully woven in Barlow’s powerful
updating.  Ben McAteer as the
Germont-like father of the hero and James Platt the ineffectual general who
leaves the dirty work to the girls, are strong in support.

Le portrait de
Manon inevitably abounds in familiar tunes drawn from the full-length
Manon, as Des Grieux reflects on the sadness of his past and
attempts to steer his nephew clear of the perils of the heart.  Vicomtes come a lot scruffier than they used
to, here a skate-boarding street urchin under Barlow’s direction, with the ageing
Chevalier presiding over a run-down antique shop.  Anna Starushkevych and Lucy Hall are a
touching pair of youngsters, and Benjamin Appl a hugely affecting Des Grieux, bowed
down with heartache and regret.  Adam
Smith, impressive in a vastly contrasting role (some great opportunities in
this programme), is the dependable Tiberge and all are vocally superb.

Of Martinu’s 14 operas, only five
are full-length and there’s a wealth of invention in the shorter works, nowhere
more so than Comedy on the Bridge, in which a group of
villagers find themselves trapped on a bridge between two warring factions; echoes
of the first opera with a comic spin. Written in 1937, it was conceived as a radio
opera, surprising given its striking visual theatricality, which director and
designer (Yannis Thavoris, excellent throughout) exploit to the full. Samantha
Crawford, James Platt and Samuel Smith stand out in an exquisite ensemble, with
Martinu, at his most whimsical, providing plenty of laughs.

Guildhall have produced all three
operas before (the Massenets in 2000 and the Martinu in 2003) and are to
be applauded for championing these hidden gems, offering great opportunities
for students to shine and something different for classics-weary audiences to
enjoy.

 

Singers in performance two not yet
mentioned were Gerard Schneider, Hendrik Zwart, Hadleigh Adams and Timothy
Connor, and Peter Robinson conducted the student orchestra with panache.

– Simon Thomas

There are further performances on
5 November (Cast 1) and 7 November (Cast 2).

Read our survey of
Martinu’s operas here