No 41 -- Spring 1994 Edited by Michael Walters
After years of grousing, I came away from both these productions with a feeling almost of delight. Leaving aside the question of whether a company calling itself the D'Oyly Carte ought to be performing operettas like ORPHEUS, the latter was quite the most enjoyable production of this piece that I have seen. The company opted for the shorter 2-act version, which omits quite a few of the well-known numbers, including (mercifully) Orpheus's lengthy farewell to his pupils. The whole performance lasted little more than 2 hours (including the interval). Frankly I think the shorter version works better. There was, however, no mention in the programme of the fact that the 2-act version was being used, nor, incredibly, did Arthur Jacobs in his crit in OPERA make any mention of it. This confused some people.
The production raced through the story with trememdous energy, and although unfamiliar with the translation I heard most of the words clearly. All the soloists seemed well cast in their roles, the sets were simple but effective, and the costumes colourful without being garish. Jill Pert was a Public Opinion of Lady Bracknell-ish determination and tyranny. David Fieldsend was an animated Orpheus, and his quarrel with Eurydice was really electric. Eurydice (Kathleen Tynan) had the right sort of voice for this role, large and brilliant; she had a habit of flinging it about in a somewhat undiciplined way, but this was not inappropriate for the role. Barry Patterson was a brilliant Pluto, leaping about with glee. He had a bit of vocal trouble with his opening Aristaeus aria, but once transformed, came into his own. Alan Watt was a doddery Jupiter, but able to transform himself into an elderly rou for the Fly Duet. Frances McCafferty was an excellent battleaxe of a Juno, well-built and belligerent, but I couldn't understand why she addressed her husband as Ernest. Gareth Jones was a suitably pseudo-lugubrious Styx, but played the part entirely for laughs (all of which he got). There was no hint of pathos at all, and I was forced to think of the haunting performance of John Delaney in the old ENO production of 25 years ago. Such pathos, of course, would have had no place in this frenetic production.
PIRATES was apparently borrowed from Australia, and it showed exactly what can be done to make a G&S opera sparkling and vivacious without resorting to gimmickry, or in any way violating the tradition. The only anomaly was in having wooden steps and balconies leading down on to the beach. They were most attractive and effective but made the line "in all probability we are the first human beings who ever set foot on this enchanting spot" sound kind-of daft! Some people would argue that such things don't matter, and to object is to be "purist", but I happen to believe that stage productions should have a dramatic truth, which was here violated. At the opening, the real prow of a pirate ship was on the shore, when the pirates left, it retreated, to be occluded by a sky drop-curtain, to reappear later.
Ian Platt was a light-weight Pirate King, Alan Watt a kilted Major-General. Philip Sheffield, tall and fresh-faced, had an extremely powerful tenor voice, almost too big for Sadlers Wells Theatre!, and sang Frederic very forcefully. It was quite an unusual reading of the role, there was no suggestion of the naivity inherent in the text - this was a man who appeared to be the master of his own destiny (and certainly more mature than 21!) "O is there not one maiden breast" became melodramatic rather than touching, but this was no bad thing, and it was certainly a performance to remember. However, Kathleen Tynan's voice was totally unsuitable for Mabel; she woofed and shrieked her top notes. Mabel of all roles, requires an "olde English" voice of crystal clarity and precision. What worked as Eurydice did not work here. Gareth Jones was a Sergeant of Police in the old DOC style, but of course without the traditional business. The smaller parts were well taken, but I felt that Frances McCafferty (Kate) was much too large and matronly to be convincing as one of General Stanley's daughters. Superb as Juno, she was wrong here, but this is obviously one of the problems of touring two operas as disparate as these, where the characters in each do not easily cast with the same artists. This is one of the reasons why G&S is good for touring in repertory.
I cannot truthfully say that I was really turned on by John Owen Edwards' conducting in either opera. He was no less than adequate, but rarely exciting. Some of his tempi were surprisingly leisurely - the "ha, ha, ha" chorus, for example in ORPHEUS was taken almost at an amble, whereas it should race along like a patter song. However, every word, was clear, and no doubt this was the reason.
Several of my acquaintances who saw ORPHEUS, commented that they found it pallid and even "amateurish". Particular comment was made of Barry Patterson's change of costume from Aristeus to Pluto, which took quite a long time offstage. The production was compared unfavourably with the ENO production of the 1980s, which I did not see. However, on the whole I thought this production was better than the somewhat twee ENO production of the late 1960s and early 1970s, which was very much in the cosy Sadlers Wells Opera 1960s style.
MICHAEL WALTERS
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