Sunken Garden at the Barbican

On the evening of Saturday 13th April 2013 I attended the English National Opera's performance of Sunken Garden at the Barbican in the City of London. This film-opera with libretto by bestselling author David Mitchell and score by Dutch composer Michel van der Aa combined music, text and visual images including one of opera's first uses of 3D film.

This occult mystery opera's world premiere featured Roderick Williams, Katherine Manley, Claron McFadden, Jonathan McGovern and Kate Miller-Heidke. The ENO Orchestra were conducted by Andre de Ridder. The characters Toby Kramer, Zenna Briggs and Iris Marinus appeared on stage while Simon Vines and Amber Jacquemain were on film. Put on the 3D glasses when entering the door under the flyover.

This film-opera follows a missing person and those who are searching for him. A parachutist falls to earth. Toby Kramer, a wannabe video-artist, is visited by one Zenna Briggs in his basement flat and wishes to see Toby's work in progress. This multi-layered production explores hoax and dark truth, while we ponder the connection of the disappearance of a software engineer with a neurotic film-maker and a gullible patroness of the arts.

The Sunken Garden is an occult engine built by Zenna in the dusk between life and death. The garden converts the visitors' souls and memories into immortality for its creator. In time nothing is left of the visitors but undying moths. Iris Marinus manages to use her dying voltage to stun her enemy, Zenna. At the last possible moment Toby exits the garden via the vertical pond but with one serious catch, he is now a man trapped inside Zenna's body.

Sunken Garden is an opera full of interesting ideas and innovations. This is a production for the 21st Century which uses a combination of live theatre with visual technology making this a truly contemporary piece. From my seat in the Barbican Theatre I was taken into many different dimensions and I really enjoyed how the live cast interacted with the filmed performances.

Simon Vines is dressed in parachuting gear, and Sadaqat and Mrs Wales wave him onto a light aircraft. Up it climbs. Out he jumps. Look at it, this... massive, unfair, beautiful, cruel, miraculous... World-Machine. Look at it. And you think, I'm part of this, too. This production asks questions about the future direction of opera. I found it very stimulating and enjoyable.

Medea at the London Coliseum

On the evening of Wednesday 20th February 2013 I attended the English National Opera's performance of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Medea at the London Coliseum. This continues ENO's pioneering exploration of French baroque operatic masterpieces with this being the first ever UK/London staging of Charpentier's dramatic full scale opera.

The exemplary cast included internationally acclaimed British mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly in the title role, US tenor Jeffrey Francis making his ENO debut as Jason, internationally acclaimed bass Brindley Sherratt returning to ENO to sing the role of Creon and exceptional baritone Roderick Williams as Orontes. David McVicar directed this reworking of Medea which updates the opera to the close of the Second World War. The Opera is set in a baroque palace which is being used as a war room and meeting place for allied officers.

Banished, betrayed, besieged on all sides, the barbarian sorceress Medea exacts a terrible vengeance upon her faithless lover and all those he holds most dear. David McVicar reworked one of the most disturbing of all the Greek myths, that of a mother who murders her own children. Charpentier’s thrillingly orchestrated score boasts a harmonic daring and psychological complexity unparallelled in its day.

This was an amazing evening to be at the London Coliseum as Sarah Connolly put on a wonderful performance as Medea on a brilliant but scary night on St. Martin's Lane. The musical theatre choreography with prancing sailors and chorus girls made for some light relief and laughter during the Opera. I always enjoy my visits to the London Coliseum as it is very interesting to see how the ENO are going to rework the Opera's they perform. This was a great success for the ENO and made this a night to remember for me at the Opera in London.

Britten Sinfonia at St. Andrew's Hall

I was back at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich on Friday 11th May 2012 for the second time in three days to attend the Britten Sinfonia concert as the Norfolk and Norwich Festival continued to thrill us all in the Fine City. Due to family illness Mark Padmore had to withdraw from this performance with Roderick Williams as his replacement on the evening.

The programme consisted of German Dances - Schubert arr. Webern, Five Movements - Webern, Lieder - Schubert arr. Webern, Ruckert Lieder - Mahler and Symphony No.5 - Schubert. From the full moon shines on mountaintops from Schubert's Romanze aus Rosamunde to his splendid emotional Symphony No.5 on to Mahler's If you love for beauty this was a programme full of classical music treats.

Britten Sinfonia along with baritone Roderick Williams gave us a performance of the highest quality with a programme that showed the versatility of Britten Sinfonia and the brilliant vocal skills of Roderick Williams. Its great to have Britten Sinfonia playing regularly in Norwich at the Assembly House and Theatre Royal while their Festival appearance at St. Andrew's Hall are always special events.