Opera
Cavalleria Rusticana (English Touring Opera) Salvator Rosa (Dorset Opera)
Loud and lusty
Michael Tanner
At this time of year opera, at any rate in cities, tends to be given either as part of a festival, or as part of an annual course, or the collaboration of a few professionals with a body of amateurs. Thus the English Touring Opera, which does such magnifi- cent work throughout the country during most of the year, has a week-long summer school at the beginning of August, the cul- mination of which is a single performance of the piece that has been intensively worked on. This year's opera was Cavalleria Rusticana, or since it was given in English, let's call it Chiv. I'm not sure it was a wise choice, since Chiv contains really only two meaty roles, taken in Cambridge by two seasoned singers, as was the small one of Alfio; and a couple more still smaller ones, and not much work for the chorus. Again, the cost of an orchestra being out of the question, the accompaniment was provided by a solo piano, which in the case of this score more than most meant non-stop left-hand tremolandi with right-hand octaves. This may have been the only time I have seen a solo pianist performing alone being con- ducted, as Nicholas Bosworth was by Andrew Greenwood, the company's music director, and an inspiring presence always. Quaint though the sight of the full reper- toire of conductorial gestures spurring on Bosworth was, the result was intense, even the notorious intermezzo seeming to lose little of its sweaty passion in this account. In principle I think it would have been a good idea to do a work less on the beaten track — Moore's Ballad of Baby Doe was markedly more successful a couple of years ago — since memories will be less invidious. The principals actually gave crudely pow- erful renderings, unremittingly loud and lusty, and launched into the home stretch of their big duet with relish. The majority of the chorus, regrettably, were too old to be able to make decent contributions, and their movements on stage — Robert Chevara is usually gifted at handling ama- teurs — were sadly conventional. I wish I could be more enthusiastic, because I feel that it is to this kind of endeavour that we can look for hope on the contemporary scene, but in such valuable enterprises there is always a large element of chance.
Two evenings later, at the Bloomsbury Theatre, there was a demonstration of a comparable enterprise working admirably: Dorset Opera, which previously has staged only two performances of its annual pro- duction at Sherborne School, brought its production of Carlos Gomes's Salvator Rosa to London for a single further one, to celebrate Brazil's 500th anniversary. I hope London becomes a regular feature. The proportion of professionals is larger than in the ETO's summer school, but the largely youthful contingent of chorus members both acted and sung with tremendous panache, making this somewhat absurd piece an enjoyable melodramatic romp. It is the weakest of Gomes's operas that I have heard, and the only one I have seen. You will hear him to better advantage in the recording of II Guarany with Domingo. Maria Tudor is also a stronger score. Rosa seems to have been written by a man hyp- notised by La Forza del Destino, the struc- ture of whose overture is copied with sedulous devotion by Gomes. And the whole piece is constructed according to for- mulae developed by the grand Italian trio of the earlier part of the century, and then enlarged and enriched by Verdi during his extraordinarily varied and unequal middle period.
The subject matter of the opera is stan- dard Verdian fare: Naples under Spanish rule, with an incipient rebellion organised by a fisherman called Masaniello, friend of the painter who gives the opera its name. It goes without saying that Salvator Rosa is in love with Isabella, daughter of the Spanish viceroy — the libretto is by Ghislanzoni, whose mind seems to have been incapable of working along any other lines. A believ- er in strong situations, he certainly gave Gomes plenty to set, and also a trouser role of considerable charm and energy, in Gennariello, Rosa's assistant, who is wont, as assistants in opera are, to sing serenades to his beloved to show that apprentices have feelings too. Andrea Baker from Nurnberg made a great impression, so much so that one can be sure that it will be necessary to go abroad to see her again.
The all-round standard of singing was astonishingly high: my only serious com- plaint is that no one contemplated, or had been encouraged to sing at less than mezzoforte. That meant that by the end of the second act (out of four) hoarseness was setting in. Even so, I hope some talent scouts were there to note the colourful and confident acting and singing of Fernando del Valle in the title role, though he has already sung in many countries, and with the dearth of tenors of international calibre is presumably hard to book — he is a remarkable catch for Dorset Opera. Set- tings and costumes were traditional, rather lavish. There was lots of atmosphere, and sensitive conducting from Patrick Shelley.
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