‘Who gives a fig for Tory or Whig? Not I, not I…’ sang Tom Rakewell, and as it was Election Day, immediately received the largest laugh of all. But topical coincidences apart, this is a very knowing opera in all aspects. Stravinsky wrote it as the culmination of his neo-classical phase, stuffed full of references to his predecessors, particularly Mozart, and especially ‘Don Giovanni.’ Likewise, Auden and Kallman contrived a libretto suffused with both their own artful word play and the stylistic literary devices of the eighteenth century. For it to work you need not only a cast fully equal to its technical modernist complexities, but also an ability to switch mood back and forth with precision and confidence.
For the greater part Antony Mcdonald’s production at The Grange Festival succeeds admirably in this. There were echoes of the famous Hockney-Cox production at Glyndebourne, and indeed of the fabulous opening tableau in the same house’s recent production of ‘Saul’. But in an opera based on a series of Hogarth engravings it is impossible not to walk some of the same distance into the eighteenth century. Suffice to say the production was unfussy, fast-moving, and quite predictable in its highpoints – Mother Goose’s brothel, Ann’s decision to head to London, Baba’s arrival, the auction and graveyard scenes, and the moving finale in Bedlam. There was excellent work by the chorus; all the main roles were well delivered, with a few of them outstanding; and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Tom Primrose were as incisive and brilliant as the scintillating score requires.
The opera tells a familiar morality tale of temptation derived from unexpected riches: a naive country boy is drawninto the big city, led by the devil himself, and despite the best efforts of his girlfriend to reclaim him, falls into madness and perdition. What makes it memorable is the contrast between cynicism and mordant wit on the one hand and sudden shafts of poignancy and regret on the other, together with a rambunctious set of supporting characters. Stravinsky cleverly reproduces the forms of Baroque and Classical opera while infusing them with a wholly individual rhythmic vitality and many moments of unpredictable harmony.
In the lead roles of Ann and Tom, Adam Temple-Smith and Alexandra Oomens were as well matched vocally as they were ill-matched in stature. Both were mostly equal to the technical challenges, and portrayed their characters with both clarity and charm. Oomens also showed the inner steel and determination that is needed to make a virtuous character interesting rather than bland. Michael Mofidian was outstanding as Nick Shadow, the personification of the Devil. His diction was impeccable, with every word projected clearly, making surtitles superfluous – also he had the right blend of charm and hidden menace that this character needs to be convincing . There was good cougar support from Catherine Wyn-Rogers as the brothel madam, and avuncular reassurance from Darren Jeffery as Ann’s father.
I was, however, particularly taken by the stylish performances from Rosie Aldridge as Baba the Turk, and John Graham Hall, as the auctioneer, Sellem. Despite struggling with a wayward hairpiece, Aldridge found warmth, wit and charm in a role that is often just played for somewhat painful laughs. She dominated the stage in all her scenes and only made you wish the role were larger. Likewise Graham Hall found the essence of the character of the pedant of an auctioneer, dominating proceedings from a tennis umpire’s chair with a fussy panache of his own. I have seen many productions of this opera, but in none of them have these two performances been bettered.
This was a fairly traditional production of a work that benefits from a director for once NOT imposing their agenda on an already complex dramatic matrix. Let’s hope it will be revived again before long.
Music: Igor Stravinsky
Libretto: W.H. Auden & Chester Kallman
Director: Antony McDonald
Cast includes: Rosie Aldridge, John Graham Hall, Michael Mofidian, Alexandra Oomens, Adam Temple-Smith, Catherine Wyn-Rogers
Orchestra: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Tom Primrose
Photo Credit: Craig Fuller