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An inspired
production
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REVIEW - MONTEVERDI’S ORFEO
London Coliseum By HELEN LAWRENCE
MONTEVERDI’S Orfeo, a retelling of the Orpheus myth,
returns to ENO after 25 years, in a co-production with the Handel
and Haydn Society of Boston.
Premiered in Mantua in 1607, it is the longest surviving work
in the repertoire from those extraordinary experiments at the
turn of the 16th century, aiming to recreate a form of ancient
Greek tragedy, that resulted in the new art form of opera.
It was an inspired idea to ask the American-based Chinese director
Chen Shi-Zheng to direct it. His oriental stylised approach
melds intriguingly with Monteverdi’s sound world and the
rituals of Greek tragedy.
The set by Tom Pye is minimal with a luminous screen as the
only fixed element. Use of clever lighting makes all translucent
and other-worldly. Colour is provided by elegant costumes, by
Elizabeth Caitlin Ward, and Balinese-style wedding and funeral
offerings of fruit and flowers, which decorate many scenes.
Dancers from the Orange Island Dance Company, a Javanese troupe
founded by Chen, function like a Greek Chorus during the performance,
with exquisite gesture and movement based on Javanese court
dance.
The only jarring notes were the plain modern trousers and shirt
dress for the men, and the portrayal of the wedding guests as
boozing yobs with disco movements. Why do directors today think
we are incapable of appreciating such a work unless “modern”
references are conspicuously flagged up? It is patronising.
In the title role the tenor John Mark Ainsley’s performance
is a tour de force. On stage most of the evening, his finely
sung performance convey’s all Orfeo’s emotional turmoil:
pride, self-pity, egotism, and then raw grief at the loss of
Eurydice.
He is well supported by Elizabeth Watts, Wendy Dawn Thompson,
Ruby Philogene, Stephanie Marshall, Jeremy White and Brindley
Sherratt, although not all of them manage to get their voices
round some of Monteverdi’s intricate vocal lines. Tom Randle’s
singing as the First Shepherd and Apollo was marred by a tendency
to croon.
In an unusual collaboration, musicians from the Orchestra of
the Age of Enlightenment combine with members of the ENO orchestra,
using baroque bows on regular instruments, under the expert
baton of Laurence Cummings.
The famous opening sackbut fanfare is thrilling; it is a fascinating
evening.
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