Idomeneo
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow
It would be fruitless to pretend that the Alexander Gibson Opera School’s end-of-term production of Mozart’s pivotal early opera was not compromised by the indisposition of the tenor cast as Idomeneo.
Canadian James Schouten was onstage, and walked, mimed, and occasionally coughed, through the title role, while New Zealander Aidan Thomas Phillips sang the part from the side of the stage. Plaudits to them for their perseverance, but by the end of the night it was clearly a stretch for both, and the brave efforts of their colleagues could do nothing for the skewed balance of Act 2’s beautiful “farewell” trio and the ground-breaking quartet featuring all four main characters in Act 3.
Rehearsals had apparently been dogged by illness, but even if everyone had been well, it would be hard to enthuse about PJ Harris’s production. The imposing set, by Anna Yates, is dominated by “Neptune’s column” a lighthouse-like edifice which contains the god (sung by Joshua McCullough) and is mounted on a rocky plinth which later opens up to become the grotto/allotment of the captive Trojan princess, Ilia (Audrey Tsang). With the upper playing area being home to a collection of props – a safe, a crown, a tomahawk – that are the subject of much distracting stage business, and the restricted space below permitting only processional choreography of chorus and principals, the reason why David McVicar’s Scottish Opera production took a minimal approach to staging the same work was all too apparent. Perhaps all this opaque symbolism referenced a recently-popular fantasy TV series, but if so, so what? And, indeed, why?
Musically the performances were mostly very fine indeed. Tsang was in superb voice from the start – although her better solo music comes later in the score – and Rosie Lavery, dressed in scarlet as Elettra, Ilia’s rival for the affections of Idamante, was even more commanding vocally and the most confident performer onstage, ideally cast for the drama of her solos in Act 3. In a simpler staging, the decision to make Idamante the daughter of Idomeneo, rather than a “trouser role” in the traditional sense, might have seemed more significant, but making it almost incidental may well have been entirely deliberate. Charlotte Bateman sang well, and although her less powerful voice did not match the work of either of her suitors, the three blended beautifully.
The best ensemble work, however, came from the chorus, who also have their best music later in the work, and produced the goods in their eloquent commentary on the shenanigans of their supposed superiors. In the pit, conductor John Butt has the student orchestra as well-drilled as you would expect, while his own harpsichord playing characteristically drives the soloists’ accompagnato to fine narrative effect.
Picture by Robbie McFadzean/RCS