Pop Up Opera - Mozart Double Bill
Photo: Fluid4sight
'Der Schauspieldirektor' and 'Bastienne and Bastienne'
'Singspiel', a beautiful word which translates simply as 'a German light opera with spoken dialogue'. This double bill was just as charming as the word promises.
Modernising 18th century opera is not an easy undertaking, as there may be a temptation to dilute to suit a contemporary audience. Pop-Up Opera has achieved it very well by staying true to the original music and libretto (text), yet adopting modern techniques such as the use of captions on a digital screen backdrop to provide clever and pithy translations with a delightfully comedic effect. A lengthy libretto is sometimes condensed to a witty one-liner or a quote from current pop culture by the inspired pen of Harry Percival. This use of humour engages with the audience who are of varying age and experience, while also allowing those of us not fluent in German to follow the, albeit uncomplicated, plot unhindered by lengthy translations.
Both acts were performed in the beautiful St Andrew's Church, which is a wonderfully intimate yet bright space, with high ceiling and stone pillars providing fantastic acoustics to resonate with these powerful operatic voices accompanied exquisitely by pianist, Conal Bembridge-Sayers.
The sets were suitably minimal to allow for the all-important performers to light up the stage with their voices, yet with cleverly chosen props to enhance character interactions and often provide much of the comical element.
Both pieces had the feel of an act within a Shakespearean comedy, set to the exquisite music of Mozart.
'Der Schauspieldirektor' is to all intents and purposes an impressive vocal battle between two extremely talented-and don't they know it- divas played superbly by Sarah Helena Foubert and Hazel McBain, while 'Bastien and Bastienne' is a classic story of a lovers' spat complicated by the devious intervention of a third party with comedic effect, brilliantly performed by Alys Mererid Roberts, Nick Allen and Piran Legg.
Pop-Up Opera is no frills theatre which not only enables existing opera fans to access high quality affordable opera on their doorstep but is also bringing the experience of opera to new audiences. All of this without compromising on talent and performance.
**** Review by Ivonne Fernandes-Bonnar
'Singspiel', a beautiful word which translates simply as 'a German light opera with spoken dialogue'. This double bill was just as charming as the word promises.
Modernising 18th century opera is not an easy undertaking, as there may be a temptation to dilute to suit a contemporary audience. Pop-Up Opera has achieved it very well by staying true to the original music and libretto (text), yet adopting modern techniques such as the use of captions on a digital screen backdrop to provide clever and pithy translations with a delightfully comedic effect. A lengthy libretto is sometimes condensed to a witty one-liner or a quote from current pop culture by the inspired pen of Harry Percival. This use of humour engages with the audience who are of varying age and experience, while also allowing those of us not fluent in German to follow the, albeit uncomplicated, plot unhindered by lengthy translations.
Both acts were performed in the beautiful St Andrew's Church, which is a wonderfully intimate yet bright space, with high ceiling and stone pillars providing fantastic acoustics to resonate with these powerful operatic voices accompanied exquisitely by pianist, Conal Bembridge-Sayers.
The sets were suitably minimal to allow for the all-important performers to light up the stage with their voices, yet with cleverly chosen props to enhance character interactions and often provide much of the comical element.
Both pieces had the feel of an act within a Shakespearean comedy, set to the exquisite music of Mozart.
'Der Schauspieldirektor' is to all intents and purposes an impressive vocal battle between two extremely talented-and don't they know it- divas played superbly by Sarah Helena Foubert and Hazel McBain, while 'Bastien and Bastienne' is a classic story of a lovers' spat complicated by the devious intervention of a third party with comedic effect, brilliantly performed by Alys Mererid Roberts, Nick Allen and Piran Legg.
Pop-Up Opera is no frills theatre which not only enables existing opera fans to access high quality affordable opera on their doorstep but is also bringing the experience of opera to new audiences. All of this without compromising on talent and performance.
**** Review by Ivonne Fernandes-Bonnar