Amour Masqué 2005Opéra de Tours
Read more about the opera Amour Masqué
Messager's stage works, indeed the works of all the post-Offenbach generation, are largely unknown in Britain - even the once-popular Véronique seems to have disappeared. This is a great shame, and Brian McMaster did very well to bring this delightful comedy to serve as a soufflé at the end of the 2005 Festival. Not remotely serious, and wonderfully enjoyable.
Perhaps it should have been in the more intimate King's Theatre, but it still came over well. Like the Spanish zarzuelas he had given us in previous years, there are plenty more to be revived at future festivals. Jean-Yves Ossonce and his Tours company would certainly be ideal performers of this repertoire.
