Day: September 19, 2014

Xerxes

G.F. Handel

ENO

Nicholas Hytner’s production of Handel’s Xerxes is close to perfect and it’s difficult to believe that this stalwart of the ENO repertoire is almost 30 years old; however, its matured well. It’s the usual daft confection of silliness, puff and history as a story, and even for a Handel opera it’s ludicrous, but then it’s supposed to be, this is comic opera played with a knowing wink for laughs, musical and lyrical laughs and delighting in the foolishness of theatrical pretensions.  We are in on the joke and this makes it more fun. Weighing in at three and a half hours it never lags although it does demand occasional concentration and an attempt to play the whole things as a restoration farce works and setting it in the pleasure gardens of Vauxhall also managed to capture the motion and frivolity at the Rocco heart of this piece.

Forget the plot it was the voices we came to hear tonight and Alice Coote as Xerxes captures the petulant monarch perfectly, all swagger and arched eyebrows and her tremendous vocal talents are thrusting and swaggering as well, and although the voice seemed to wear a little at the end, this did no more than express the journey of Xerxes and the audience towards its ultimate conclusion.  The audience loved her and quite rightly too, Coote has just the right combo of tongue in cheek menace and thrilling bombastic charm. She was a delight capturing the tyrant’s disbelief at the ultimate acceptance of his inability to really command the human hearts around him; she also brought a wonderful unpredictable sense to the role which allowed the megalomania of this classical king to shine through the silk and satin. See her sing ‘Ombra mai fu’ here:

Sarah Tynan’s Romilda was the delightfuly subtle foil to all this power and her purity of voice and texture balanced the raw power of Coote, Tynan’s sweet projection, although on occasion lacking in power was defined, refined and subtle, she milked her music for as many laughs and sighs and I sat back and marvelled at her control. Her cheeky flirting measured just right and she lit up the stage each time she stepped on it. Adrian Powter’s Elviro was great fun and appeared in some very funny drag too, with more than a knowing nod towards Conchita Wurst, he gathered a lot of laughter.

Rhian Lois as the naughty Atalanta frothed and bubbled like an uncorked chilled bottle of champagne and was just as soft and lyrical too, how we wished for more from her. Andrew Watts’s Arsamenes was wonderfully funny, his voice trembling with unrequited love and allowing the shadows of tone to colour everything he sang, he was on superb form and added value to this marvellous production. Designer David Fielding has given us a stripped down modern setting full of clever touches that invoke both Vauxhall Gardens and Handel’s London and some knowing hints towards the Persian arts and monuments that would have been familiar to a curious Georgian London too.

Michael Hofstetter conducted with one eye on the stage and another on historical propriety and although on occasional slowed considerable by the singers he managed to keep the tempo hovering between an acceptable rush and a playful plod. This is a great production, full of froth and fizz and presenting a non-stop evening of entertainment, with as many musical highpoint as comedic moments and (if you can last 3.5 hours) well worth going along to the ENO to see this gorgeous revival.

They ain’t called the House of Handel for nothing. See this and beam.

Runs until October 3

Performances on September 20,24 & 26 and October 1 & 3

For more information or to book, CLICK HERE: