No 8 — November 1977 Edited by Michael Walters
OPERA VIVA WORKSHOP, Le Pont des Soupirs, New Theatre, King's College, Strand, London, June 1977.
Opera Viva's production began with an announcement, which one was tempted to believe was part of the script: that the smoke detectors in the New Theatre, King's College, are so sensitive that they spring into action calling the Fire Brigade and cancelling the show if someone so much as lights a cigarette. The orchestra then played the most dreary overture I've ever heard. The Bridge of Sighs, with libretto by Hector Cremieux and Ludovic Halevy, was first produced in Paris in 1861, three years after Orpheus, and was revised in 1868. During the intervening years Offenbach wrote La Belle Helene, Bluebeard, La Vie & The Grand Duchess; so The Bridge of Sighs was a product of Offenbach's most successful period: and musically, it is of consistently high standard. The ensembles are brilliantly written, and there are a lot of good songs, but there are no "hit" numbers. I was constantly expecting something magnificent to develop from the string of good tunes, by the beginning of Act 4, I'd given up hope. There is practically no plot: the Doge of Venice, who is also an admiral, having deserted the navy in fear of the enemy, has been disgraced. He returns with his equerry, Baptiste, to find his wife being serenaded by two lovers, one of whom is the Prime Minister, the villain, rejoicing in the name Fabiano Fabiani Malatromba. The latter individual is the pivot on whom the plot (ha–ha) revolves. We see him trying to seduce the wife, we see him bribing the Council of Ten to sentence the absent Doge to death, and proclaiming himself replacement Doge. And he commits the ultimate sacrilege of operetta: he wins. Thus the situation at the final curtain has not altered from that of the opening scene. It is merely a thread on which to hang satire. It relies entirely on the abilities of the cast and the inventiveness of the producer to use the basic material as a foundation. Unlike Offenbach's greatest stage works, which frequently succeed even with a talentless cast, The Bridge of Sighs must have lively actors and singers, and Opera Viva's cast is splendid. Despite my critical view of the material, I thoroughly enjoyed my evening. David Clyde as Malatromba, the villain, has about three times as much singing as any other member of the cast. He has recently switched from baritone to tenor, and is clearly not yet confident in the higher tessitura which probably accounts for his inability to stand still and keep his hands from aimlessly wandering as he approaches an awkward phrase. He has a powerful voice of great beauty, but I am not convinced that he really is a tenor; there seems to be only one register where he sounds completely at ease, as if the additional pressure at the top of his voice has shortened his range rather than lengthened it. But he is an experienced performer of considerable ability. Eileen Lowes is a powerful Catarina (the long–persued wife) a soprano with a tendency to wobble, and I couldn't hear her words. Her facility for acting with her eyes, however, is a great asset to this show. But why was she dressed in such an unsuitable and unflattering costume when she was disguised as a Nobleman? Disguised as a Nobleman? – don't ask me why; it wasn't very convincing at the time.
As in most Offenbach operettas one of the young men is played by a woman, in this case by Stacey Almond, a mezzo–soprano with a small, warm, sensitive voice; a little too self consciously technical for a really exciting performance. The lyric tenor Tom McAllister, the ineffectual Doge, is notable for his wide range and flexibility (I think I heard a top D at the end of a fiendishly difficult "Song without words"). But the honours of the evening must, I think, go to Simon Vaughn as Baptiste; not a dramatically important part, but one giving scope for Papageno–like comedy: and every opportunity was exploited with great intelligence. Much of the success of the production is due to his ability for teamwork. He makes use of every feed line offered, and can feed the others. His was the most assured singing – delightful baritone voice – and the driest humour, delivered with perfect timing, and he came dangerously close to stealing the show. When I read the programme note I was not surprised to find that he has sung parts with Sadlers Wells Opera and numerous other companies. Phillip Curtis, Catherine Fish, Glenn Wilson and Ronald Lane complete the admirable cast. The Opera Viva orchestra played well, and at sensible tempi, under Leslie Head. The production was by Roger Williams who, no doubt, was responsible for the outrageous liberties taken with stage convention in Acts I & II.
All of which leads me to ask: Is this all? – it is clearly beyond the capabilities of most Societies to make it entertaining, as it must be polished; it requires great attention to detail, the characters must come alive. It is not enough to commit it to memory, put the books down and hope that you've somehow arrived at a performance. Will Le Pont des Soupirs now return to obscurity ? I hope not: I'd like to see it again. ROGER THOMPSON
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