Having provided enjoyable concert performances of rare Italian works by Puccini, Leoncavallo and Mascagni, Stuart Stratford now moved on to their French contemporaries. The neglect of Massenet's short operas seems very surprising given how good they are. Let's hope that Thérèse is just the first to be revived.
In the event it must have been touch-and-go whether one or both performances would take place. The first one, scheduled for Thursday, 8 September at the Lammermuir Festival, was overshadowed by the news of Queen Elizabeth's deteriorating health. Her death was eventually announced around 6pm, no doubt too late for postponement to be considered. This second performance, in Perth's excellent concert hall, was scheduled for Saturday - the day of the formal proclamation of the accession of King Charles III. The Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall was cancelled, as was the entire programme of professional football matches. However cricket and golf continued as planned. Scottish Opera's performance also took place as scheduled. There was a minute of silence, after which audience and orchestra joined in a full-throated account of 'God Save the King.'
This superb example of late Massenet seems at first a strange work. It is undoubtedly short, not much more than an hour, but the two acts are well-contrasted, and it makes an involving and highly emotional drama. The first act contains elements of pastoral atmosphere, located at a country estate in October 1792 as the French Revolution is getting under way, led by the moderate Girondins. Much of the music is gentle and nostalgic - even a tinkling harpsichord in evidence, The second act, set in Paris the following June, at the height of the Reign of Terror, sounds very different, with stabbing chords from a full-blooded orchestra. However both acts do contain fine examples of Massenet's wonderful soaring lyricism, whether solo, duet or trio.
There are three main roles, the Girondin André Thorel (baritone) and his wife Thérèse (mezzo). Before the Revolution they were friends of the aristocratic Armand de Clerval (tenor), and have acquired his properties, rural and urban, with the intention of protecting them from the mob until he is able to return in public. Armand duly appears at the outset, is greeted with great affection by André, but is clearly in love with, and loved by, Thérèse. In the second act Armand tries to persuade Thérèse to escape with him, but as the violence increases, the Girondins are supplanted by the more extreme Jacobins. André is arrested and condemned, whereupon Thérèse abandons her plan to flee and elects to join him at the guillotine.
This is all good, dramatic, red-blooded stuff and it was given a rousing performance. The Orchestra of Scottish Opera was on superb form. The company seems to have had a few issues in finding a conductor. The one originally announced dropped out and so did a replacement. The third choice was Alexandra Cravero. She immediately revealed an idiomatic grasp of the late-romantic style and a wonderful control of the drama. It is certainly to be hoped that the company will get her back soon.
These performances of rare works are nominally in concert form. However while there are no costumes - all the singers are clad in black - the music is all learnt by heart and the piece is acted out in a fully-developed manner. Props are minimal, with a simple bench for the rural act. The second act was furnished with a simple chaise-longue (a short one - is there such a thing as a chaise courte?) The small chorus (six) played soldiers with efficient dispays of marching. This was all very straightforwardly directed by Roxana Haines, and the soloists all gave fully-committed accounts of their parts, including Dan Shelvey as that unexpected creature, a sympathetic revolutionary.
The Lithuanian mezzo Justina Gringytè was an excellent Carmen in 2015 and repeats the part later this season. This new role, while a contrasting character, also suited her very well. Vocally it is a big sing, and emphasised the lustrous contralto element of her beautiful voice. The other leading characters were also taken by familiar artists. Dingle Yandell showed a highly positive character as André and his baritone sounded well. Shengzhi Ren has a beautiful lyric tenor and made the most of music sometimes reminiscent of Werther.
It is clear that there is lots of good Massenet material still little-known here, and Scottish Opera should plan more, perhaps La Navarraise or Le Portrait de Manon. Nor should we forget Bizet's charmingly exotic Djamileh. Certainly the Perth audience received Thérèse with enormous enthusiasm.
The 2022/23 Season includes an open air promenade production in Glasgow of Bernstein's Candide. New productions to be seen in both Glasgow and Edinburgh are company premieres - Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar and the Puccini Trittico - Il tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. There is a new staging of Carmen which will tour to the four cities equipped with appropriate theatres. These cities will also see a concert of excerpts entitled The Verdi Collection.
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