INDEPENDENT OPERA at Sadler's Wells

The Sofa and The Departure

Reviews

Music and Vision

Great Delight

by Robert Hugill

‘…My first reaction, on seeing Independent Opera’s double bill of operas by Elizabeth Maconchy [15 November 2007, Lilian Baylis Theatre, London UK] was ‘why have I not seen these operas before’, and my second was ‘when can I see them again’. 2007 is Maconchy’s centenary year and it was enterprising of Independent Opera, a company designed to give opportunities to young singers, to select Maconchy’s work for their new show…’

‘…[The] Director Alessandro Talevi’s assured production inevitably, perhaps, set the piece in the present day…Costume designer Ryszard Andrzejewski has obviously had a lot of fun raiding contemporary styles for the cast…’

‘…Sharratt was excellent as a rakish prince who has to spend nearly half the opera embedded in the sofa. He conveyed the character’s appealing charm and sang with an attractive full voice…Tynan was superb as Monique. The character spends much of her time laughing and making ecstatic noises, all using tricky coloratura. Tynan made it all seem easy and a natural part of the character… George von Bergen impressed as Edward, the Englishman Monique consoles herself with after the prince disappears. And Alinka Kozari, Anna Leese and Patricia Orr created three charmingly air-headed girls who have a trio on the sofa…’

‘…The twelve piece band, under Dominic Wheeler’s fine direction, played the music as if they had known it for ever and seemed to enjoy it immensely…’

‘… For the second opera, The Departure, Madeleine Boyd’s set revealed its flexibility as the wall was stripped down to just its superstructure, thus creating a loft-style apartment…’

‘…If Talevi’s production of The Sofa was assured, then his production of The Departure was superb and did not put a foot wrong. The work has a movingly poetic atmosphere partly thanks to Anne Ridler’s libretto. (Ridler was a distinguished poet.) Talevi respected this atmosphere and did not attempt to add any gimmicks…The Departure is a short, moving work and deserves to be in repertoire immediately. With performances as strong as the one given by Independent Opera, it is difficult to understand why the piece has not been taken up more…’

‘…For a young company, doing a double bill of unknown one-act operas was a brave choice, but Alessandro Talevi and his company can now reap the rewards of their daring, and their hard work…’