No 45 Autumn 1997 Edited by Michael Walters
A Society that numbers among its patrons Mark Elder, Lady Geraint Evans, Ava June and Josephine Veasey, was founded by a former member of the D'Oyly Carte (Muriel Woodall), includes Ceinwen Jones among its life members, and has David Mackie as its MD, must have something going for it. I have seen this Society a number of times over the years (Mark Nelson came from its ranks, he sang Arac for them many years ago), and they can be relied upon to put on an enjoyable show. There were three sets. Act 1 was a fine pavilion, with a throne for Hildebrand (which he never used) mounted high at the back. Act 2 was a garden with a backcloth depicting a river flowing from three curious naked mountains. Act 3 used the same backdrop with battlements in front of it. Costumes from The Costume Studio were very brightly coloured, Hildebrand blazing in scarlet and gold. The ladies court costumes for Act 1 were magnificent, but the girls' academic robes were rather disappointing - all white. They were evidently rather difficult to get into - for the three princes, when they put them on, were unable to do so on stage but had to go off while two of the young ladies came on and there followed an invented scene of dialogue in which they gathered up the books left behind from the previous lesson. There was only one suit of armour - donned by Arac in Act 3 only, and then only to take it off again. This seemed a bit of a cheat, the whole point of the armour is that the three men wear it at all times except in battle. To compromise Gilbert's intentions in this way is almost as great a sacrilege as it would be to cut the song.
Bruce Walton was an exuberant Florian, but needs to learn how to control his eyebrows, which jerked up and down to irritating effect. I am living proof that over-active eyebrows can be controlled on stage, but you have to learn the professionalsm of self-discipline. David Epstein (Hildebrand) sang with great clarity and force, but his dialogue suffered from over-vehemence, and over-gesticulation. As a result he lost some of the necessary kingly dignity. The veteran Harvey Kesselman was a distinct disappointment as Gama. Wisely resisting the temptation to overplay the role, he nevertheless had not troubled to learn the part properly, and stumbled and muddled his words on several occasions, thus ruining a promising performance. Peter Weston and Russell Bowes were rather low-key as Hilarion and Cyril respectively, the latter surprisingly starchy, but the music was firmly sung and the dialogue delivered with assurance. David Morris (Arac) and the brothers Simon and Paul Higgins as his side-kicks, were dressed rather like the Sheriff of Nottingham's men, one was awaiting for Robin Hood to appear at any moment. Nadine Small (Ida) had the finest voice in the company by a long way. It was enormous, and certainly of professional quality. I can't remember when I last heard a voice like that in an amateur production. It is not easy to find an amateur voice that can ride over the top of the full chorus in the Act 2 finale like Miss Small's did. The remaining parts were well taken.
David Mackie worked wonders with an orchestra consisting only of strings and piano (the woodwind solo in the prelude sounded curious played on a violin) but the musical reprises for the curtain calls were unforgiveable. I was amazed that a musician of David's integrity should have countenanced such a thing. Ida ends on a gentle fairy-tale note which is totally destroyed by jolly curtain-call reprises. They are a phenomenon of modern musicals, and though this is not to decry them in their proper place, they have no place in period opera.
MICHAEL WALTERS
Web page created 25 July 1998