Page 97 - Guildhall School Media Highlights Coverage Book - 2019-2020

This is certainly true of La Fedeltà Premiata, which slides uneasily between pastoral
romance, romantic comedy and tragic intensity throughout its course with a plot of more
than usually confected absurdity to guide it. But the musical riches are such that with good
singer-actors and carefully considered lighting, set and design and costume, it can still
succeed very well across an evening. So it does here in the safe hands of experience director
Stephen Barlow and his immaculately tasteful creative team.

We are in ‘Arcadia’, but despite a pastel backdrop in the style of Claude, a set that shades
from classical architecture into picturesque poverty, and exquisitely atmospheric lighting
throughout (the work of David Howe) all is not well. The goddess Diana is offended and has
decreed that each year two lovers must be sacrificed to a resident monster she has imposed
on them (and which makes a series of impressive tentacular appearances at moments of high
emotion!)

A band of lovers, some opportunistic and others overly intense are scrambled and
unscrambled again prompted by the machinations of a high priest (Adam Maxey ) who
seems to anticipate Don Alfonso in ‘Così’ just as the pairs of lovers seem to pre-echo the
cynicism and hard-won self-knowledge of Mozart’s soldiers and their partners. And at the
other end of the emotional spectrum, particularly in the second half, there are self-contained
cantata-like scenes of deep emotional exploration that seem to suggest Donna Anna and Don
Ottavio from ‘Don Giovanni’ or the Countess in ‘Figaro’.

Nor is there any absence of orchestral virtuosity. Alice Farnham conjures a fierce concerted
storm and episodes of rare pastoral repose from the student orchestra, who get off to a
virtuoso start with an overture that we also know as a symphonic movement, such is its
complexity. We also get to hear from some superb instrumental soloists: as usual in Haydn
there is a lot for the horns to do, and the flautist was promoted to play his solos as an actor in
the drama, adding to the Arcadian atmosphere. With so many opportunities for every kind of
performer, player and technician to shine this is in so many ways a perfect choice for a
conservatoire production such as this.

There are no weak links in the excellent cast either in technical vocal production or acting
chops. Purely in terms of vocal tone, the women were generally more characterful and
dramatically engaging, while some of the men indulged in a tad too much tenorial sobbing
for this reviewer’s taste. There were a few outstanding performances that do need a special
mention (speaking of the first cast on this particular night). Lara Marie Müller, Emma
Nikolovska, and Eline Vandenheede provided three highly contrasted heroines, with equal
amounts of busy recitative to bring to life and showpiece arias to perform. Matthew Palmer
carried on his excellent work from ‘Venus and Adonis’, with a characterisation of a louche
aristocrat with an eye for escapade which held our attention with comic flair. All of them are
singers to look out for in the future. The chorus were excellent throughout, acting vividly and
moving naturally on a crowded stage.

This was a hugely rewarding evening both musically and dramatically as we watched
Haydn’s characters elegantly striving to escape the bonds of the Baroque into
foreshadowings of Mozart- like Michelangelo’s Slaves moving from marble into mortal
shape.