Page 557 - Aldeburgh Festival 2022 FINAL COVERAGE BOOK

with Welsh National Opera’s titan grip. Their commitment to new chamber opera is
their standout feature; Violet, a co-production with Britten Pears Arts and the
London Sinfonietta, might just be one of the highlights of the post-pandemic

period.

I arrive at this opera most familiar with the work of its librettist: Alice Birch, best
known for Normal People, Lady Macbeth and a turn in Succession. Whilst these TV
and film credentials stand out, her time on stage is also noteworthy, now fluttering
her way into opera circles. Violet is, in essence, a mystery period drama with
intrigue, depth and some F-bombs here and there. Though the end may induce

head-scratching, and may even be considered a letdown, there are nods to Lost and
other dystopian shows.

In a village, time appears to disappear. An hour is lost one day, five hours during
another, and no one understands why; people turn on each other, crops fail and
society gradually breaks down. Violet, plagued with depression, is the only one to

feel it initially – yet, as time is lost, her depression appears to have floated off. As
she is ready to save herself, her husband Felix meets an ugly fate.