Theatre Royal,Glasgow
A strong cast work hard but their verve isn’t matched by orchestra or direction in a patchy production of Handel’s opera[br]“savor yourself,” sings a caustic Ariodante in this darkest of baroque operas. Violins ripple under the melody, and a quiet bassoon steps in where the voice chokes up. The aria is Scherza infida – music that carries profound damage via pretty simple means,but a total synergy between singer and pit. It’s Handel at his most brilliant.
Caitlin Hulcup sings it well in Scottish Opera’s current production: her Ariodante is baffled, callow, and subtle. Yet the orchestra under Nicholas Kraemer plays only functionally,and the same goes for much of the long evening. Kraemer scrubs out vibrato to get a period-ish sound, but doesn’t muster enough verve to match the singers, or I craved more direction in bass lines,more shape in phrases, more spark in syncopations. The cast has to work hard.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com