jonathan swain
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« Reply #30 on: 10:43:13, 17-04-2007 » |
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Did anyone see the Pegasus company’s Koanga at Sadler’s Wells last week? If so - any reactions? No newspaper reviews that I was able to find (are we surprised!) I went on the last night (Saturday), and it struck me as valiant. The set pieces worked well - especially the ‘La Calinda’ wedding sequence near the end of Act Two (complete with off-stage banjos!). But elsewhere the production, acting and music-making left me wondering if Delius operas have the bad name that they do (as music drama), because, when (infrequently) staged, their production values aren’t high enough. Oh for top levels of investment, imagination, stagecraft - and singing: significantly, the highest score on the ‘clapometer’ at the curtain calls was for the four dancers (voodoo spirits). Disconcerting moments of recycled Wagner in the final act, which really shouldn’t have sounded like the pale imitations that they did. …. Still - glad to have seen it.
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #31 on: 10:56:29, 17-04-2007 » |
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Being based over 500 miles away, I didn't see it Jonathan, though I was in the last production at the Old Wells in 1972 (substantially the same cast as the EMI recording with the LSO/Charles Groves). Production values then were pretty high, but somehow we knew from the inside that for all its felicities it wasn't quite a first rate piece. What about those Mahlerian echoes at the end, very "ewig...ewig..."? Interestingly though, the opera predates Das Lied.
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smittims
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« Reply #32 on: 11:34:49, 17-04-2007 » |
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I am glad to hea that there appears to have been a successgful,staging of 'Koanga'. I agree that Delius' operas are not nearly as undramatic as some people have been led to believe.
I wonder if there is a parallel with films here.Distributors tend to prefer films with lots of action and little dialogue. Even 'wordy' or cerebral Films tend to incorporate more action to satisfy this demand, e/g. 'the English Patient' and the Albert Finney foilmof 'The Brownig Version' .Delius'operas are wordy in that the plot is carried forward by the dialogue rather than action,e..g Fennimore and Gerda.I hope that their time will come, though.
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A
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« Reply #33 on: 13:08:59, 17-04-2007 » |
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Did anyone see the Pegasus company’s Koanga at Sadler’s Wells last week? If so - any reactions? No newspaper reviews that I was able to find (are we surprised!) I went on the last night (Saturday), and it struck me as valiant. The set pieces worked well - especially the ‘La Calinda’ wedding sequence near the end of Act Two (complete with off-stage banjos!). But elsewhere the production, acting and music-making left me wondering if Delius operas have the bad name that they do (as music drama), because, when (infrequently) staged, their production values aren’t high enough. Oh for top levels of investment, imagination, stagecraft - and singing: significantly, the highest score on the ‘clapometer’ at the curtain calls was for the four dancers (voodoo spirits). Disconcerting moments of recycled Wagner in the final act, which really shouldn’t have sounded like the pale imitations that they did. …. Still - glad to have seen it.
Hi Jonathan, Yes, I went to Koanga on Sat afternoon. It was , in my opinion, good on the whole but for the fact that the soloists were swamped by the orchestra and hardly any words could be heard by any ... except occasionally Koanga. I was a bit disappointed in the looks of Prymera as she was supposed to be young wasn't she? and Koanga was supposed to be old ... hardly in this production ... but, you can't have everything. The 4 dancers were of course inserted for no apparent reason although I found them quite mesmorising I have to say. The 'wild dancing' was not really that wild was it? I sort of missed it... I blinked! But..... good to see a Delius opera although it was nearly spoilt by abou 30 7/8 year olds that swamped me before it began ( I made a hasyty move!!!) A |
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Well, there you are.
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jonathan swain
Posts: 7
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« Reply #34 on: 14:57:12, 17-04-2007 » |
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Yes A - the words were none too clear. They might as well have been singing in Bantu a lot of of the time (something I’ve often felt at ENO in the past!). Sur-titles would have helped of course.... But it is very good to know that someone felt a group of 7/8 olds would get something out of Koanga. Hope there are a few Delians in the making there!
J
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A
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« Reply #35 on: 16:04:46, 17-04-2007 » |
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I saw one comment that the people watching the sign language at the afternoon performance were the lucky ones !!!
I agree about youngsters going - but I wonder if it may not have put children of that age off opera for life!! , not the easiest of operas I may suggest!!
A
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thompson1780
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« Reply #36 on: 19:12:35, 18-04-2007 » |
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You all have made me realise there is so much Delius I don't yet know!
Popped into local Oxfam shop today and found Song of Sunset, with Janet Baker, John Shirley-Quirk and the Liverpool Philharmonic under Groves.
Just listened, and love it. Have to pop out now, but will try Cynara and An Arabesque later.
Thanks
Tommo
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #37 on: 19:22:09, 18-04-2007 » |
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Tommo,
I had a Songs of Sunset arrive the other day on a disc including Sea Drift and Songs of Farewell - BSO/ Hickox et al. I listened to Sea Drift yesterday, but promise I'll give the Songs of Sunset a spin later on....
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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A
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« Reply #38 on: 20:21:44, 18-04-2007 » |
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You all have made me realise there is so much Delius I don't yet know!
Popped into local Oxfam shop today and found Song of Sunset, with Janet Baker, John Shirley-Quirk and the Liverpool Philharmonic under Groves.
Just listened, and love it. Have to pop out now, but will try Cynara and An Arabesque later.
Thanks
Tommo
Tommo, don't forget the 'unknown' Delius... a lovely new recording of the piano concerto ..Piers Lane, the violin sonatas (Tasmin Little) especially the posthumous one... the cello sonata....... and so it goes on !!! A |
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Well, there you are.
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smittims
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« Reply #39 on: 09:08:02, 20-04-2007 » |
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And there's more, a wonderful bargain, on Classics for pleasure with the Cello Concerto and the Double Concerto, both very neglected works,played by Tasmin Little with Mackerras conducting. And Yvonne Kenny's recent Hyperion disc of the songs is a must. .
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lovedaydewfall
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« Reply #40 on: 18:51:11, 19-05-2007 » |
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Also being based over 500 miles from London I couldn't normally attend "Koanga" except that most annoyingly I actually arrived in London two days after the event (on a pre-booked jaunt), and so could almost have gone to it! As a Delian I can't find any fault with his works, and the only piece I really don't like much is that melodrama with a spoken text over the orchestra - is it called "Paa Vidderne"? The Piano Concerto is a bit Grieg-like, and quite early. The other concertos are beautiful, especially the Cello Concerto.
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