BRIAN PARSONS DOES HIS OWN THING IN MOZART "THE IMPRESARIO" (Mozart) Rock Garden Theatre, Covent Garden, 30 November 1977.

Mozart's opera written in 1786 has never been a great "hit" although it does contain some extremely nice music; one of its problems seems to have been its libretto. Based as a skit on the life and difficulties of a theatre manager in the eighteenth century it hasn't had much success in the twentieth; the Impresario Company decided that it would be ideal for presentation as a lunchtime cabaret opera in the basement of a restaurant in the Pizza, Covent Garden. "Hello, I'm Brian Parsons and I'm a writer", the fair-haired, brown jacketed individual said to the proprietor as he entered the restaurant. I must admit that it did take me a couple of minutes to realise that the opera had begun and was actually cast in this format all the way through: "But you can't stop us now, we have just played the Overture! "..."What do you mean this is the opera? Where's the plot? Where are the characters? Am I in it?" asks the proprietor at one point "Yes, you are the impresario." As a format for an informal opera, this idea worked very, very well, and was admirably carried off by the participants. Brian Parsons, glib tongued and flashing eyed, presented us with an entrepreneur not easily put off by a blank refusal, he had already cast his opera and was going to perform it whether the proprietor wished or no. He moved easily round the small acting area and the adjacent tables while trying to persuade the rather solid and unmoving impresario of Blanche Marvin that his singers really were good and that she really did want to perform opera at the Rock Garden. Rosemary Ashe may not have been quite as vocally free as Mozart might have wished, but she certainly portrayed her character well; one of Mozart's original intentions in The Impresario was to poke fun at the rivalry which existed between the Primas of the eighteenth century opera houses. Brian Parsons found himself dealing with two sopranos both trying to be the "primas" of his affections, and both bitchily trying to outdo the other in singing and acting. Deborah Staiman, as the other soprano prima in the drama showed herself to have a very nicely modulated, lyrical lower register but with a tendency to be inflexible at altitude. John Walsh was the able accompanist throughout, and was joined by Brian Parsons in the Overture. MICHAEL WITHERS

• To Previous Page
• To Next Page
• To No. 9 Home Page
• To Gilbertian Gossip Home Page