Post by tmesis on Nov 26, 2019 10:27:20 GMT
Well it's not often that you can start a review of an opera at ROH by saying you were responsible for the start of the musical education of the conductor so indulge me a little. The conductor last night was Leo Hussain. He is now aged 41 but when he was 8 years old I taught him (as a complete beginner) piano. In fact I prepared him for his grade 1 exam (which he passed with distinction.) He was at the time living in Berkshire but successfully passed an audition to join the choir of Kings College Cambridge and therefore had to board in Cambridge so after a year's tuition with me we had to part company. I remember seeing him a year or so later on TV singing in the annual carol service. I then forgot about him entirely until, about ten years ago, he conducted a performance of Britten's Death in Venice at ENO and subsequently Oedipe at ROH...
...anyway, the opera, it was great. It's one of their very best productions and this was one of the better revivals. Vocally it was a well balanced cast. Benjamin Hulett was a little pallid at first as Tamino but he gained in confidence and was excellent in ensemble. That one trick pony of a part, The Queen of The Night, was not the best I've heard. Christina Poulitsi had the essential top end but an unpleasant tone elsewhere. Stefan Cerny was an excellent Sarastro (spot on bottom end) Vito Priante was very engaging as Papageno, although maybe a tad too old looking but he acted well and had a lovely tone. Most impressive of all was Elsa Dreisig as Pamina - her duet with Papageno was lovely and she was very impressive in the exposed and difficult 2nd act aria, nearly as good as the gold standard in the part - Felicity Lott.
In the main though I just was most impressed at Mozart's genius. I love all his operas and would rank this one as second only in my affection to Cosi. Die Zauberflote shouldn't really work - it's a bonkers amalgam of pantomime, music hall and Masonic ritual but Mozart pulls all these disparate elements together, lavishing upon it some of the most sublime moments in all opera.
...anyway, the opera, it was great. It's one of their very best productions and this was one of the better revivals. Vocally it was a well balanced cast. Benjamin Hulett was a little pallid at first as Tamino but he gained in confidence and was excellent in ensemble. That one trick pony of a part, The Queen of The Night, was not the best I've heard. Christina Poulitsi had the essential top end but an unpleasant tone elsewhere. Stefan Cerny was an excellent Sarastro (spot on bottom end) Vito Priante was very engaging as Papageno, although maybe a tad too old looking but he acted well and had a lovely tone. Most impressive of all was Elsa Dreisig as Pamina - her duet with Papageno was lovely and she was very impressive in the exposed and difficult 2nd act aria, nearly as good as the gold standard in the part - Felicity Lott.
In the main though I just was most impressed at Mozart's genius. I love all his operas and would rank this one as second only in my affection to Cosi. Die Zauberflote shouldn't really work - it's a bonkers amalgam of pantomime, music hall and Masonic ritual but Mozart pulls all these disparate elements together, lavishing upon it some of the most sublime moments in all opera.
