Review - Il Turco In Italia at the Royal Opera

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WOLF HALL

I had to share this wonderful paragraph from WOLF HALL by Hilary Mantel
"In the forest you may find yourself lost, without companions. You may come to a river which is not on the map. You may lose sight of your quarry, and forget why you are there. You may meet a dwarf, or the living Christ, or an old enemy of yours; or a new enemy, one you do not know until you see his face appear between the rustling leaves, and see the glint of his dagger. You may find a woman asleep in a bower of leaves. For a moment, before you don't recognise her, you will think she is someone you know"

Love Never Dies

Few shows of recent years have created more internet controversy than Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical. Ranging from the insane ramblings of "Phans" of the orginal through to some critics who habitually rubbish the noble Lord's output it is now hard for anyone to attend the show with an unsullied critical mind. Lloyd Webber's output in recent years has been at best mixed - WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, although dramatically tight and containing much enjoyable music, can seem perilously close to Meatloaf tribute show; THE WOMAN IN WHITE a hugely promising subject and a good production by Trevor Nunn was hampered by lyrics so jaw droppingly bad that one is left baffled how they were ever accepted.
However I'm going to stick my neck out and say that, despite some faults, LOVE NEVER DIES is one of his best shows in a long time. Listening to the recording there are numerous moments which, even on repeated listening, still give me goosebumps.
Much of the critical (official and web based) opprobium has been based on the caveat that several of the characters have changed hugely from the original Phantom characters. Given that there has been a 10 year gap between the two sets of events I am at a loss to understand why this is such a stumbling block unless it is purely a problem of a sentimental aversion to change. But which of us can say hand on heart that we are not hugely different from how we were 10 years ago? 10 years ago voting Labour seemed a good idea. Now I'd be hard pushed to find any politician I wanted to vote for.
So Raoul has changed from the cardboard romatic hero of Phantom 1 to a soured drunk? Given the right circumstances that could happen to most people - Why is it so unbelievable in a musical? So Meg has turned from a ballet chit to a hard bitten player in the dubious dealings of Sodom by the Sea? Given that her mother has whored her to seal the deals that doesn't seem much of a stretch.
I don't think I am giving much away if I reveal that Christine is shot and killed in the final scene. This again has aroused huge critical ire chiefly, it seems, because the tragedy is not in some way telegraphed or set up. Well that's the problem with a bullet folks - if you could see them coming there would be an awful lot less dead people!
Anyway I finally got to see the show for myself last Thursday and, despite the best efforts of the audience around me, enjoyed it very much. As I said there are problems but none are insurmountable.
1)The show takes too long to get going - One of the strengths of the original Phantom was the stunning opening transformation from the auction room to the Paris Opera. The long projected sequence leading into the first Coney Island scene goes on just a bit long despite the undoubted beauty of some of the images.
2)The Phantom's first appearance lacks the theatricality of the original. He's just suddenly there. However his first number "Till I hear you sing" is a cracker and superbly sung by Ramin Karimloo.
3)Meg's descent into insaity needs a more detailed set-up - it rather comes out of nowhere.
4)The crucial dressing room scene where both Raoul and the Phantom try to force Christine to do their will is too slow - There should be no gap between Raoul's exit and the Phantom's arrival. Also they miss a trick here regarding the Phantom's entrance. Having him enter through the door is just dull.
5)The final scene on the pier including the tragic denoument is far too long and slowly paced (and not well blocked either, by the way) However Lloyd Webber was probably on a hiding to nothing here - if it had been quicker he would, no doubt, have been accused of trivialisng the events.

Now for the good points. Lloyd Webber has assembled an excellent cast without reliance on stars. Both Sierra Boggis and Karimloo encompass the wide range of notes and dynamics required and move with their respective plights. Summer Strallen is a good Meg although I would have liked her to have had a big emotional number as well as the Coney Island show songs.
Joseph Millson is very strong in the initially unsympathetic role of Raoul and his scene in the pier bar at the top of Act 2 was both moving and believable. Appropos of nothing he looked quite uncannily like Simon Williams 20 years ago.
Liz Robertson, freed at last from the yoke of years of "wholesome" roles, gleefully hammed it up as Mme Giry looking, for all the world, like a French Mrs Danvers.
However almost the most striking performance was that of Charlie Manton in the role of Christine's son, Gustave. Extraordinarily talented, yet wholly without the stage school muppetry which usually has me reaching for a gun, he creates an utterly believable and sympathetic character. I was not suprised to read that he has already portrayed Miles in Britten's THE TURN OF THE SCREW and indeed there are aspects of Gustave's character which put one in mind of Britten's creepy child protagonist. But perhaps that's just me - It's hard to see treble singing boys in sailor suits without thinking of Britten!
Anyway I've probably rambled on enough - My main point is that I urge people to ignore the critics and make up their own minds about the show (You can put the fiver in the post now, Andrew!!)

Giselle - Preston

A few pics of the revamped sets for EYB's GISELLE. Sorry about the crappy photo quality. I only had my snap camera with me! Thanks to Lisa who, as usual, did a stunning job on turning my sketches into vibrant and beautifully painted reality.

Handel Singing Competition

My review at Opera Britannia. Click on....oh you know the drill by now!

Measha Brueggergosman at the Wigmore Hall

Click on the title to link to my review at Opera Britannia

Ah, Paree

A few thoughts on my much needed sojourn in Paris. Starting with a hideous car drive to Ashford to pick up the Eurostar. Driving rain slowed everything to a crawl damn nearly resulting in me missing the train. However screamed in on the bell and hoisted my oversize suitcase into one of the undersized luggage racks and I was on my way. I love the Eurostar - Quick and easy check in, no endless waits near the suffocating perfume counter at Heathrow or in rancid hell of Stansted and a train which lands you bang in the centre of Paris, a mere two stops from my cousins in Montmartre.
Lovely to be back in Paris after a couple of years but horrible to realise that my once passable French has deteriorated still further. I managed to make the man at the Metro understand that I wanted a five day pass then cursed myself as I remembered that the passes run in days not hours so I had essentially wasted one day as it was already early evening. Heigh ho - It's only money..
Next morning straight onto to the internet to find out about exhibitions and earmark the opening day of a Munch exhibition and an drawing/watercolour exhibition at the Louvre. The Munch opened that day so the queue was long but I got in eventually. It was a fascinating retrospective of his work leading up to "The Scream". What became apparent is that some traumatic event must have affected Munch since he changed almost overnight from a merely competent imitator of other artist's work to a highly original talent producing work that is haunting, almost terrifying. The constant, often undefined threat which lurks in his watercolours and paintings bespeak a mind pursued by nightmares. His obsession with death's heads and hollow eyed cadaver like women is extremely disturbing. All in all the exhibition was a fascinating insight into a unique artist.
On from the exhibition in an attempt to get a return for LA SONNAMBULA with Dessay at the Bastille. No luck with the unhelpful box office lady. I comforted myself with a 3 course set menu in a cafe round the corner. Fantastic value - Even with wine and coffee it came to less than £18.00.
Saturday and the weather mixed. My cousin and I decide to try the Lisette Model exhibition at the Jeu de Paumes. I had never even heard of Model who worked in Paris and New York from the 30's to the 60's. I can't imagine why she is not better known. Even now the images have a vibrancy and eye for strangeness which is breathtaking. I don't know if the exhibit is due to tour but, if it comes to London, it is a must-see.
In the evening to A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the lovely Theatre Chatelet. I have always been lucky at this theatre and this was no exception. Lee Blakeley's excellent production showed off a top notch cast lead by Greta Scacchi who, rather to my surprise, was the best Desiree of my experience since Judi Dench. I had slightly mixed feelings about Leslie Caron's Mmme Armfeldt. It was certainly different but, for my taste, a little ungrounded. No complaints about the rest of the cast and there was a superb quintet of Liebeslieder. Great band too - Good to hear the score again with a full complement in the pit.
Sunday proved a frustrating day as I failed to get into either SONNAMBULA or the dance show at the Theatre de Ville. Still a good meal at a nearby restaurant followed by THE WOLFMAN at one of the cinemas in the Champs Elysees. An extremely silly and bloody film and just about my level after earlier frustrations.
Monday was Louvre day - Superb value as usual. I spent four hours there and barely scratched one of four floors! In the evening to a fun dress rehearsal of FALSTAFF courtesy of the lovely Anna Caterina Antonacci. I will observe the tradition that one never critiques dress rehearsals and content myself with saying that Anna was lovely and unexpectedly comedic (one is so used to seeing her in high octane roles like Carmen or Medea that it is a surprise to find her as Alice Ford)
On Tuesday I decided to have another go for SONNAMBULA. Unfortunately Dessay is off but the plus side is that I get a return fairly easily. Iride Martinez is an excellent replacement and the rest of the cast are all of a high standard. The production is the same one recently given at Covent Garden and Vienna. A bit odd but one has seen far worse. By all accounts the Met's version is an absolute shocker! The Bastille audience remain near the bottom of the league for audience behaviour. The constant unrestrained coughing was unbearable - Clearly Paris is still the home of final stage consumptives!!
Wednesday commences with pouring rain but then brightens in time for me to take a quick turn around Montmartre and Sacre Coeur which is lovely as ever. A quick struggle with cases on the Metro and back onto the Eurostar. I arrive in Ashford as it starts to rain heavily..