George Frederic Handel

OPERA REVIEW: RINALDO, GLYNDEBOURNE FESTIVAL OPERA

The production, which included the release of numerous sparrows on stage to accompany Handel's glorious music, was quite sensational and immediately established the composer as the leading force in British musical theatre.

These days, however, sparrows are harder to come by and warfare between Christians and Saracens is rather a touchy subject, which may explain why Robert Carsen, the director of this new Glyndebourne production, has chosen to set the story as a young schoolboy's fantasy, as he does battle with teachers and school bullies.

When the curtain was raised on a 1950s classroom, however, and the children started fighting while the overture was being played, my heart sank.

Carsen is clearly a director who has to have something happening on stage all the time. Some composers benefit from such distraction, but not Handel. Both during the overture, and at later moments when the harpsichordist is given a chance to show off, just as Handel himself did during the original productions, one wants just to sit back and wallow in the glorious music.

Had Handel wanted to write music to accompany schoolboys fighting and the inevitable caning that followed, I am sure his composition would have been very different.

Resolutely pursuing this schoolboy fantasy idea, Carsen did, it must be admitted, come up with some fine ideas. Having the fantasy world revealed behind the blackboard and portraying the villainous sorceress Armida and her evil ally Argante as headmaster and headmistress was natural enough, but displaying Armida as a leather-clad dominatrix with seductive St Trinian's schoolgirls as her demons from Hell was a very nice and amusing touch.

On the other hand, there were rather too many moments when the whole idea was utterly unconvincing. Having one's girlfriend carried off by the forces of hell while one is snogging her in the bicycle sheds somehow lacks the dramatic force of a piece of evil wizardry during the Crusades.

The singing and acting, however, as always at Glyndebourne were magnificent, as was the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by Ottavio Dantone. The role of the hero Rinaldo was taken by the mezzosoprano Sonia Prina, whose voice is just perfect for Handel. Her coloratura warbling really brought out the best in the composer's glorious score.

Handel, George Frideric – Cd2 – L Allegro Il Penseroso Ed Il ...

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