Sir David Pountney spent COVID listening to all of Henry Purcell’s music, much of it rarely performed, and then devised an absurd eco-entertainment, which is a mixture of Baroque performance and a parody of it.
Masque of Might, conducted by Harry Bicket, is a collection of 46 songs, comic, tragic and sacred, written by Purcell for stage, court and church. A masque is a 17th century variety show offering songs, virtuoso singing, dance and spectacle, extravagant sets and costumes and extravagant gestures to match.
The songs blend despair, prayer and joyful celebration. The production, witty, satirical, fantastic, is a mixture of Versailles grandeur and tacky pantomime, including clowns in full whitened faces, red noses and rouged lips make-up.
The theme is climate change. The surprising number of references to a polluted planet in the lyrics are backed up with video projections of chaotic disasters: storms, fires, earthquakes and melting glaciers.
Opera North takes its environmental responsibility very seriously. Set, props and costumes have all been recycled. A throne is made out of piled-high broken chairs. There is a large Victorian pram full of rubbish, a desk made out of wooden boxes, a battered old caravan and props made out of cardboard. Opera North aims to be carbon neutral by 2030.
The leading character is Diktat, a ruthless tyrant, who stifles all opposition, imprisoning and killing climate activists. Wearing a suit, Callum Thorpe looks Putinesque. He bares his chest to project a macho image and kills a boar. He is warned by Stalin that he will end in Hell.
The other singers play multiple roles. Anna Dennis plays Elena, a climate change campaigner, a witch and Queen of the Night. Andri Björn Róbertsson plays Nebulous, an activist and a wolf. The chorus, dressed as communist peasants, wave pompoms enthusiastically.
The narrative side of Masque of Might doesn’t always work, but Purcell fans will be happy to listen to the music and the songs, which include "O Let Me Weep", "Arise Ye Subterranean Wind", "Soul of the World" (a high spot), "Sound the Trumpet" and "Welcome Glorious Morn", which is a positive note to end on, the world having survived an apocalypse.
Opera North’s Masque of Might can be watched on the OperaVision channel.