Once again, Chelsea Opera exhumes an operatic rarity, one probably only known reasonably well by opera buffs with extensive collections of recordings, presenting a cogent argument for it being better known – perhaps even afforded a full staging in the UK. It is strange how encountering a work performed live leads to a better understanding of its potential drama and power.
Lalo’s music is lush, his orchestration surehanded and characterful, and in this energetically conducted and propulsive reading under Paul Winfield the theatricality was evident. Le roi d’Ys was described by his contemporaries as being Wagnerian. Whilst the orchestration certainly shows (inevitable?) influences it certainly has a more distinct feel of the grand romantic French opera of the time. The libretto elaborates an old Breton legend and Lalo uses old Breton songs in many of the choral passages. Another curious aspect of the work is the title. One assumes this was intended to link it to the fable, but in essence the plot revolves around the King’s two daughters, Rozenn and Margared. The latter is a pawn in a proposed peace-making political marriage to the King’s enemy Prince Karnac. Discovering the knight she has secretly loved has returned she halts the nuptials causing mayhem as the insulted Prince Karnac challenges Ys. Leadership of Ys’ forces is taken up by Mylio the returning knight to whom the King then promises Rozenn’s hand. The sisters now are at enmity. When Mylio’s forces prevail, Margared, changes sides revealing to Prince Karnac that Ys is vulnerable to marine flooding and is protected by dykes. She can help him exact revenge by revealing how to open the sluice gates. However, in the process of forming their pact she offends the city’s protecting saint whose voice issues a dire warning. Karnac breaks the dykes as Rozenn and Mylio emerge from their marriage ceremony. As the city floods a remorseful Margared reappears, explains her traitorous actions and incurs the wrath of the crowd. As her family and Mylio try to protect her she states the city can only be saved by a sacrifice to St. Corentin. She leaps into the rising waters and, by drowning, quells them.
As Margared, mezzo-soprano Maria Schellenberg held impressive dramatic and vocal sway. The lower reaches of her voice are richly colourful and project well. The upper range is also powerful too, and she was always able to ride the orchestral and choral ensembles with ease. The character’s vacillating and complex conflicting emotions were deftly realised by stance and economy of telling gestures. As Rozenn, ostensibly a rather more benign ‘goody’ character, Hye-Youn Lee managed to make her a little more complex and insinuating. Her biography indicates her growing prowess in dramatic coloratura roles. Here she offered some expected technically assured vocalism allied to an ample voice with a wonderfully free and open top register – particularly in the final act where her duet with Luis Gomes’s Mylio found her singing with a perfect sense of abandon. Mylio has the one aria from the opera that is more widely known; the Aubade is occasionally included in concerts given by high tenors that embrace French-repertoire. Luis Gomes’s voice has all the requisites – a pleasingly heroic sound when needed, an airy head-voice register for the romantic episodes and a sure sense of line. In this taxing role he surmounted most of the challenges, although there were occasional imperfections of pitch. The singers of the other male characters all gave notable assumptions. Thomas D. Hopkinson’s capacious, warm yet focussed bass was a great asset as the King. Ross Cumming’s baritone was heard to advantage too; as the herald Jahel he launched his scene-setting declamations in Acts 1 and 3 with great brio. Edward Jowle’s brief interventions as the voice of St. Corentin also made their mark. Best of all was Alexey Gusev’s Prince Karnac, which was truly exceptional. His baritone is virile, incisive, even throughout its entire range, and seemingly effortless. He bought suavity, dignity and a strongly baleful presence to what could so easily become a stereotypical villain. He thrilled. His will be a career to watch for sure.
As ever, Chelsea Opera’s Orchestra performed with considerable aplomb under Paul Wingfield’s baton. They managed to bring out many of the felicities of the scoring with a great sense of immediacy. Mention should be made of the vital contributions of Sam Whitby’s calm cello solos and Lindsay Bramley’s organ playing. Lindsay Branley also serves as chorus director. Her singers were certainly lusty and enthusiastic, although their placing behind the orchestra and only slight elevation meant that the voices tended to be subsumed in the orchestral melee in Cadogan Hall’s rather roomy acoustic. All told though, the performance was yet another feather in Chelsea Opera’s cap as they move to celebrate their 75th anniversary later in the year.
www.chelseaoperagroup.org.uk
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