I’m an excellent believer in opera (and theatre productions) standing on their very own toes, a efficiency shouldn’t require an evidence. However right here, some clarification would have helped. The theatrical presentation gave no trace of what was meant, we had been on our personal and while I feel many within the viewers discovered the manufacturing charming, for me it had an artificiality which sat uneasily with Handel’s music.

The therapy of the refrain contributed to this. Merry Holden’s choreography was a big a part of the manufacturing, from the opening notes of the overture the eight members of the refrain had been dancing away. I’ve nothing however admiration for his or her arduous work, a number of the extra advanced choruses had been extremely choreographed (maybe an excessive amount of) and virtually definitely not meant to be mixed with such busy motion. And for the primary Act, the place admittedly not quite a bit occurs, the refrain was ubiquitous, even taking part in sheep for Anthony Gregory’s first entrance as Acis. Although their presenting of paper birds throughout Galatea’s ‘Hush, ye fairly warbling quire!’ was a pleasant contact.

Handel: Acis and Galatea – Elizabeth Karani, Chuma Sijeqa – Opera Holland Park (Picture: Ali Wright)

The entire of the primary act felt as if Bakker didn’t fairly belief the piece and was additionally nervous at filling the extensive areas of the theatre, so what we had was a efficiency that was always on the transfer, the place solos from Karani and Gregory had been disturbed by motion from the refrain and the place there have been a number of jokes. As a substitute of taking the courageous plunge and, say, staging nearly all of the piece on fore-stage, Bakker used the complete stage and made us conscious of any shortcomings due to the feverish exercise.

Issues improved in Act Two, for a begin there’s extra plot. Right here the relentless exercise from the refrain somewhat ceased, and the ultimate transformation of Acis right into a stream was utterly magical.

Elizabeth Karani made a chic and dignified Galatea, no flirty nymph she, and there have been moments when it felt as if Karani was channelling Dido – how about that for a double invoice! Karani, who was Musetta in La Boheme right here final 12 months, made a musically fashionable Galatea, filling out Handel’s vocal line because it wanted to be on this house, but by no means pushing the music into one thing interval inappropriate. All the time a classy singer, Anthony Gregory was a equally elegant Acis, filling the house but giving us a beautiful sense of line and interesting phrasing. If Karani’s Galatea was wearing a somewhat regal neo-classical robe (full with floral tiara), Gregory’s shepherd was wearing a mode which evoked, to me, early twentieth century bohemianism and admittedly if he’d appeared in public within the outfit, no-one would have batted and eyelid. The 2 singers made an interesting and balanced pairing, and far of the enjoyment from the night got here from listening to what they did with Handel’s music. Their duets was most interesting, and the opera’s ending was utterly touching.

Handel: Acis and Galatea – Anthony Gregory Opera Holland Park (Picture: Ali Wright)

Ruari Bowen, trying utterly unrecognisable with lengthy hair and an enormous beard, sang Damon’s two arias elegantly. Damon is the voice of purpose, which signifies that on this kind of opera, his interruptions will be tedious, however right here Bowen made all the pieces participating.

Chuma Sijeqa was not the funniest Polyphemus that I’ve seen, however like the most effective comedy, Sijeqa took his character critically and allowed us to be amused on the thought of the ungainly large being a lovesick idiot. ‘O ruddier than the cherry’ was a delight, rugged and unlikely, and all through Sijeqa handle to make Polyphemus threatening with out taking the drama into one other realm.

The small refrain had been, as I’ve stated, vividly arduous working within the face of the unrelenting vitality wanted by the fixed motion. Sadly, within the extra advanced choruses in Act One and the opening of Act Two, the wants of motion conflicted with good musical order and conductor Michael Papadopoulos was unable to maintain issues collectively. That is one thing that, hopefully, will mattress down however sadly the musical facet of those choruses is likely one of the main components of the opera in order that it’s extremely noticeable when issues go awry.

That includes extra musicians than Handel would most likely have had on the premiere, however nonetheless the smallest band I’ve seen at Opera Holland Park in a very long time, Metropolis of London Sinfonia fielded 16 musicians together with Paula Chateauneuf on theorbo and Ashok Gupta on harpsichord. Their method to the music was very participating, giving it sufficient welly to fill the auditorium but by no means feeling over-blown. This was taking part in that also had an clever period-appropriateness to it, and to my shock the continuo that includes cello, theorbo and harpsichord was stronger than I had anticipated.

Michael Papadopoulos clearly has nice love for the music and there was a lot to take pleasure in in his efficiency with Metropolis of London Sinfonia, so it was solely unlucky that his visitors policeman position within the choruses was a problem.

Handel: Acis and Galatea – Anthony Gregory, Elizabeth Karani – Opera Holland Park (Picture: Ali Wright)

I warmed extra to the efficiency in Act Two, and Bakker’s route right here appeared to do much less pulling focus from the soloists, however general I needed that her therapy of the opera had been just a little extra neo-classical and rather less relentlessly entertaining. It was for the musical values, notably the soloists and the orchestra, that I actually valued this efficiency. However I appear to have been in a minority when it got here to my appreciation of the manufacturing as an entire, I heard the presentation referred to as charming and the response from the viewers was overwhelmingly optimistic.