 |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Reviews
|
|||
|
|
Francesca da RiminiMusic by Sergei Rachmaninov. Libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky, based
on Canto V of Dante's Inferno Because of other commitments I had to miss the second set of Eight Little Greats (La Vida Breve and Il Tabaro) and, to be honest, was not looking forward to the rest of the season after the disappointment of Pagliacci and Djamileh, although the latter was rescued by the quality of the performances. But, in the event, I need not have worried. Francesca da Rimini was superb. Highly theatrical, yes, but here the theatricality served the piece rather than working against it. Low lighting, atmospherically designed by Adam Silverman, complemented a stark cage of a set (designed by Johan Engels) in which the souls of the damned were like the inhabitants of a gulag, a concentration camp or, given the fact that each carried a suitcase, a camp for asylum seekers. Into this, down a steep staircase at the back of the stage, descended Virgil and Dante, carrying powerful torches which looked like searchlights sweeping through the black-clad figures. When Paolo (Jerrey Lloyd-Roberts, doubling Dante), Francesca (Nina Pavolvski) and Malatesta (Jonathan Summers, doubling the Ghost of Virgil) tell their story, the chorus use their suitcases to create beds, platforms and rostra.
Sue Willmington's costumes complement the rest of the design beautifully, with the souls of the damned in stark black trousers, overcoats and hats, whilst, within the story, the three protagonists were reminiscent of the darker side of the Pre-Raphealites. More than most, the libretto and Rachmaninov's sweeping score lend themselves to a very static production - there is no doubt that Modest Tchaikovsky was very influenced by his brother's earlier symphonic poem on the same subject - but director David Pountney makes great use of chorus movement to, as it were, fill in the gaps and add to the sense of pain and desolation. This is a very powerful production, making full use of all the theatrical resources available, an object lesson in how the director's overall concept, realised by the various designers, can bring the score alive and support the singers and orchestra. The tour continues to the Lowry, Salford Quays; the Theatre Royal, Nottingham and Sadler's Wells
|
||
|
|
