Bear At The Concert: Sally Matthews and the LSO

Boulez, Messiaen and Bruckner at the Barbican- 8th October 2008

Boulez - Livres pour cordes (1948-49 arr 1968, rev 1989)
Messiaen - Poemes pour Mi (1936)
Bruckner - Symphony No 4 in E flat major (1874)

Obviously the 20th century works of Boulez and Messiaen did not appeal to the audience at the Barbican. The hall had many empty seats and some did not come back for the Bruckner after the interval (or maybe they were just 20th century music lovers - one could only hope)...

The evening started with the edgy Livre pour cordes by Pierre Boulez.... the piece reminded me of an interview with Alex Ross (the writer of The Rest is Noise) who describes much 20th century music as being known as 'horror movie' music.... and this piece would certainly fit into that niche.... perhaps because of its mercurial changes in textures and patterns; it certainly unnerves you but also enlivens. Exciting.

Now to the highlight of the evening and why I was here; to hear the wonderful soprano Sally Matthews (recently seen in Cavalli's La Calisto). And what a joy to hear this musical love letter that Messiaen wrote for his wife (the 'Mi' in 'Poemes pour Mi'). Daniel Harding, the conductor, describes this song cycle as Catholic jazz and certainly you can hear the spirituality intensely in this music. It is reverential, voluptuous, sensual and ecstatically beautiful. It reminded me of a Chagall painting... the one where he is flying over the city with his wife in a tender embrace.

This is a small extract from 'Poemes pour Mi' at it's most sensuous... 'The Necklace'.



Even though Sally Matthews was sometimes lost in the lush orchestration (though only rarely) this was an impassioned rendering of the text... with every word the meaning was torn out... no more like teased out. This was the most wonderful testament to marriage I have ever heard.

The night ended with Anton Bruckner's Symphony No 4 in E Flat Major which Bruckner himself named the 'Romantic' symphony. It brings to mind fairytale landscapes of crystalline mountains, dark forests and swift running rivers; indeed they were intensely romantic soundscapes. Perhaps a little too romantic for me. I prefer the edgier, personal work of the 20th century composers.

Catch this whilst you can on Performance on 3 on Radio 3 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00f124v but not for very much longer.

Bear At The Opera: La Calisto

Curtain Call - (l to r) - Giove (Umberto Chiummo), Calisto (Sally Matthews), Diana (Monica Bacelli), Giunone (Veronique Gens), Linfea (Guy de Mey)

This is a first outing for Francesco Cavalli at Covent Garden, and what an evening. This production first aired in Munich a year or so ago and hopefully will see a resurgence of interest in Cavalli. David Alden's direction certainly emboldens the spirit and brings out the more bawdy aspects - a very different interpretation than Raymond Leppard's back in 1971.

I heard this synopsis by Sally Matthews who plays Calisto on Tom Service's programme for Radio 3 - Music Matters - it was so succinct I just had to transcribe it.

I am a very chaste nymph. I'm one of Diana's followers and I am desperately in love with her. Giove comes down and takes advantage of me; dressed up as Diana, seduces me, gets me pregnant. I spend the rest of the opera pining for Diana because she spurns me because of course she never slept with me in the first place; it was Giove in disguise. The Giunone, Giove's wife, spurns me; turns me into a bear.

This has been promoted as a sexual comedy, not for sensationalism but because that is what it is - what with Gods and Goddesses messing with the lives of mortals - seducing, deceiving, and manipulating. It has all the hallmarks of a Shakespearean comedy - think 'A Midsummer's Night Dream' set to music and you would not be far off the mark. This was an immensely enjoyable, ribald and racy affair.

As befits a tale of Gods and mortals the set and costumes were particularly adventurous; fabulous beasts and outrageous decoration. The main set was a lurid striped affair which put me in mind of some 1930s Hollywood movie (you know the one - all singing and dancing, no plot and flocks of dancing, plumed women). There was even an Art Deco lift that brought the Gods down from the heavens. Unlike some other reviewers I loved the decadence of the set - after all this is theatre.

Now to the performances. Sally Matthews' Calisto was amazingly tragic as the seduced, and spurned nymph. Her real-life pregnancy did not effect her performance in any way (frankly I did not notice) and if anything it was more poignant. Umberto Chiummo's Giove was wonderfully treacherous - especially the seduction scene where he disguises himself as Diana (Chiummo mimes the vocal lines whilst the warm-toned Monica Bacelli sings the role in the orchestra pit). His disguise is later discovered and Giove is forced to sing a falsetto to great comic effect - a marvellous touch by the director David Alden.

Sally Matthews

Umberto Chiummo, Sally Matthews, Monica Bacelli

The highlight vocally was Lawrence Zazzo's Endiomone - another mortal whose live is torn apart by a Godess - this time by Monica Bacelli's richly voiced Diane. Tragic and beautiful. A great pairing.

Lawrence Zazzo

Dominique Vissi's raunchy goat Satirno and Guy de Mey's nymphomaniac follower of Diana, Linfea brought the majority of the comedic moments and the most lewd and ribald..... great entertainment.

Dominique Visse

This was a wonderfully spectacular night. Alden's direction was inventive and spirited and I certainly enjoyed every single minute. Chatting to a few people in the interval, everyone seemed to be enjoying the production.... sadly, the ROH was not sold out (even for a first night). More fool those who missed an amazing theatre experience. I hope that this does not stop Covent Garden from showing other operas by Cavalli; according to Ivor Bolton, the conductor, and David Alden there are about 10 other Cavalli operas worthy of attention. Maybe I am in the minority but I would love some more!

Hear this production of La Calisto on BBC Radio 3 on Saturday 25th October.

Umberto Chiummo

Conductor (Ivor Bolton)

La Calisto - Royal Opera House, London - 23rd September 2008

Calisto Sally Matthews
Satinino Dominique Visse
Eternity/ Giunone Veronique Gens
Destiny / Diana Monica Bacelli
Giove Umberto Chiummo
Linfea Guy de Mey
Endimione Lawrence Zazzo

Director David Alden
Conductor Ivor Bolton