Opera Holland Park's 2010 season opened tonight to the sound of water on canvas. Yes, it's June, so it must be raining. OHP usually, miraculously, miss the very worst of the capricious summer weather, but today it was a geriatric Glasto, puddles everywhere, a leaking roof and a trail of mud. And effing freezing to boot. You don't go to a summer opera festival to see your own breath.
Olivia Fuchs's new production of Pelléas et Mélisande didn't stand a chance.
We stuck it out till the interval, ninety minutes of shivering in the damp and wind to the patter of falling rain, then cold-footed it home for warming cups of tea, missing out on what promised to be some solid performances, particularly from Palle Knudsen (Pelléas) and Anne Sophie Duprels (Mélisande). Yannis Thavoris's all-white set, scattered with huge geometric shapes like a bodged Ikea kitchen, was less successful, often dominating the singers' attention as they struggled around it. Still, I would have liked to have given it a fair go, but there's a reason why Wagner erected a Festspielhaus and not a tent.
It would be a shame if critical reaction to this were influenced too much by the weather. I think it's a good production with potential to be very good indeed if they make a few changes. Generally I didn't go for the entr'acte business. But the principals are all excellent, with some very striking re-interpretations of the characters (Melisande surprisingly worldly, Pelleas a bit of a cad). Above all I thought Brad Cohen and the orchestra, even under dreadful conditions, were superb. At times the score seemed more beautiful than I have ever heard it, which is saying a lot.
Posted by: Giuseppe W | 03 June 2010 at 12:45 PM
One of the really big problems at Holland Park when it rains really hard is that you can't hear a thing for the rain beating on the roof. I was at a Nabucco a couple of years ago when they actually had to stop the performance for several minutes due to possibly the most torrential rainstorm of that whole year. It wasn't quiet music, and it was literally completely inaudible. Another time I was at a Don Giovanni where everything from the overture to Donna Elvira's entrance was drowned out by rain.
Posted by: Ruth | 03 June 2010 at 05:23 PM
Last night (11th June) was almost balmy in comparison. One of the most compelling Pelleas I've scene particularly due to the taut pellucid conducting and the pillow ladies were less of a distraction in the second half.
The programme for 2011 is out with Figaro, Rondine, L'Amico Fritz, Rigoletto, Don Pasquale(!) most of which I've seen at OHP. Excited though by La Wally which I have been waiting to see for over 40 years. How they will manage the final climactic avalanche is another thing.
Delighted to see Peacock Pie on the Bar menu after one particularly intrusive specimen did its best to gate crash my al fresco picnic.
Posted by: John | 12 June 2010 at 07:06 AM