The Pirates of Penzance

by Sir Arthur Sullivan, libretto by W. S. Gilbert

seen by live streaming from the Coliseum on 19 May 2015

Mike Leigh directs English National Opera's new production of this G&S favourite, with Andrew Shore as Major-General Stanley, Joshua Bloom as the Pirate King, Robert Murray as Frederic, Claudia Boyle as Mabel and Rebecca de Pont Davies as Ruth. Sets and costumes are by Alison Chitty, lighting by Paul Pyant and choreography by Francesca James.

Musically, the singing was fine but the pace occasionally slackened. Andrew Shore was an excellent Major-General Stanley, delivering the patter song with impressive agility and clarity, and later playing up the ridiculousness of his position for all it was worth. Robert Murray was a sweet-voiced Frederic, and Claudia Boyle a wonderfully accomplished Mabel. Rebecca de Pont Davies sang Ruth with conviction but no sentimentality, and contrived to look convincingly piratical. Joshua Bloom's Pirate King dominated his men with a fine voice and wonderful swagger.

Król Roger

by Karol Szymanowski

seen at Covent Garden on 12 May 2015

The Royal Opera's first production of Szymanowski's 1918-1924 opera is directed by Kasper Holten (artistic director of the Royal Opera House) and conducted by Antonio Pappano, with designs by Steffen Aarfing. King Roger is sung by Mariusz Kwiecień, Queen Roxana by Georgia Jarman, the Shepherd by Saimir Pirgu, and Edrisi by Kim Begley. 

King Roger II of Sicily is an historical figure (reigned 1112-1154) but the opera is really a meditation on the conflicting Apollonian and Dionysian impulses within human experiences (derived from Nietzschean writings), as the Shepherd preaches a potentially subversive cult of abandonment. The 'people', led by an archbishop and an abbess, clamour for the Shepherd's execution, but Roger wavers on the pleas of his wife Roxana and an adviser and friend Edrisi. When the Shepherd arrives he sings almost exclusively to Roger, who orders the execution then once again relents and asks the Shepherd to present himself 'for trial' that evening in private.

During the evening interview the Shepherd unleashes his Dionysian forces, in which Roxana becomes involved. However, when he finally appeals to Roger to follow him, the king appears to resist and instead places his allegiance with the rising sun.