United Kingdom Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Soloists, Saffron Opera Group Refrain (refrain director: James Davey), Saffron Opera Group Orchestra / Michael Thorne (conductor). Saffron Corridor, Saffron Walden, Essex, 15.9.2024. (JPr)
Solid:
Hans Sachs – William Stevens (Acts I & II) / Andrew Greenan (Act II)
Sixtus Beckmesser – William Dazeley
Walther von Stolzing – Charne Rochford
Eva – Eleanor Dennis
David – Alex Aldren
Magdalene – Georgia Mae Bishop
Veit Pogner – Andrew Greenan (Acts I & II) / Simon Grange (Act III)
Fritz Kothner – Simon Thorpe
Hans Schwarz – Paul Sheehan
Kunz Vogelgesang – Joshua Baxter
Hans Foltz – Pauls Putnins
Konrad Nachtigall – Andrew Mayor
Hermann Ortel – Charles Johnston
Balthasar Zorn – Jonathan Finney
Augustin Moser – Philip Clieve
Ulrich Eisslinger – Lawrence Thackeray
Nightwatchman – Simon Grange
Within the Saffron Opera Group’s informative tenth Anniversary Memento Programme you might learn how ‘Throughout rehearsals for Das Rheingold in 2016, a singer turned indisposed and at very brief discover we needed to discover a substitute. Though we had been ready to try this, it was inevitably slightly annoying, and we decided then that we might additionally forged understudies going ahead, and that’s the way it’s been ever since.’ By no means has that proved extra helpful than on this live performance efficiency (with a touch of staging) 10 years and a day after Saffron Opera Group (SOG) was ‘born’. That was additionally with Richard Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg which is nearly by no means heard within the UK today and is nearly as uncommon elsewhere on the earth.
Having a short time in the past misplaced the beforehand introduced Julian Near the New York Met, Andrew Greenan was now singing the position. Quick ahead to the weekend of this efficiency and Paul Carey Jones – who many in Saffron Corridor I think had been trying ahead to seeing and listening to – succumbed to sickness. This sorely examined the SOG’s concept to have understudies, which clearly depends upon how ready they’re.
Promising British bass William Stevens upgraded from the position of one of many masters, Hans Schwarz (now sung by Paul Sheehan), to valiantly step in and provides Hans Sachs a go throughout the first two acts, with the Hans Sachs of 2013, Andrew Greenan, relinquishing Pogner to Simon Grange (who had been Nightwatchman in Act II) and singing it once more to complete the opera in 2024. If this appears a bit complicated, properly, I suppose it was, however it’s a credit score to conductor Michael Thorne and Elaine McKrill (answerable for casting and live performance staging) that finally SOG triumphed over this adversity.
I’ll repeat right here one thing I wrote after being there in 2013 when SOG ambitiously started huge with Wagner’s 4¾-hour ‘romantic comedy’, and what marvels there have been since: ‘I fought lengthy and arduous towards individuals’s prejudices when in command of The Wagner Society that performances like this – or on a smaller scale – are by no means the “actual factor” and this all the time retains many away who may want in hindsight they’d been there. Sure, in the event you had been ultra-critical I might “nitpick” extra regarding tempo, stability, or the suitability of sure soloists for his or her roles and so on. – if anybody desires any recommendation I’m simple to seek out – however I used to be so impressed by the achievement of all involved that I’ll resist my typical inclination to be hypercritical, particularly the place Wagner is anxious!’
If something, SOG’s ‘ambition’ may be outgrowing the modestly-sized Saffron Corridor as I think – even in the event you had been within the farthermost seats – the sound from an orchestra of about 90 and a refrain or virtually 50 at full quantity may very well be overwhelming at occasions. Regardless of this the vehement tutti sounds on the finish of every of the three acts will reside lengthy in my reminiscence. As I wrote once more in 2013: ‘Michael Thorne proved himself completely “at one” with the expansive spirit, spaciousness, geniality and dramatic structure of the work and though he hurried issues alongside, he gave the music some much-needed time to bloom when obligatory.’ As I discussed earlier than, to ‘nitpick’ could be very simple however would do a disservice to the dedication of the stentorian refrain and completed orchestra. After all, the whole lot might solely have benefited from extra rehearsal and regardless of very occasional problems with tempo and stability, in addition to ensemble and solo blemishes, there was nowhere else I’d slightly have been than in Saffron Corridor for my annual September go to. (With revered Wagner interpreters Lionel Good friend and Anthony Negus within the viewers, I ponder whether Thorne has thought of often handing over the baton to one in every of them whereas they’re nonetheless with us?)
I think Elaine McKrill’s minimalist staging concepts had been undermined by the casting shenanigans. There was an Act I tablature on the conductor’s podium (if you understand your Meistersinger you’ll know what that’s) and a Marker’s sales space with slate and chalk for Beckmesser. In Act II other than aprons there was a small shoe final/anvil and small hammer for Hans Sachs; and Beckmesser entertainingly mimicked his lute enjoying. For the concluding riot the masters wandered in sporting dressing robes and Beckmesser was very realistically rough-up by David ending bandaged up for the ultimate act. For the opera’s Festwiese scene the refrain wore what they’d don on a summer time’s day and the masters had been of their finest bib and tucker with a plain colored sash as their regalia, with David, Magdalene, Walther and Eva additionally dressed up for the event. All this helped to detract significantly from the row of music stands and chairs in entrance of the orchestra.
Charne Rochford realistically portrayed younger love and sang with virtually baritenor tones as a forthright and indefatigable Walther discovering some extra colors and nuance – when it most mattered – for the pivotal final scene’s ‘Prize Track’. Eleanor Dennis had all of the radiance obligatory for Eva, trying and – extra importantly – singing like Lise Davidsen after I first heard her. Dennis had all the amount obligatory to chop by the orchestra’s wall-of-sound and ‘O Sachs! Mein Freund’ and the opening to the Quintet was as ravishing because it have to be. Alex Aldren was a hyperactive – virtually ever-present – David and did okay since I think he’s unlikely to sing the position once more any time quickly, although his singing of the position appeared secondary to his appearing. Georgia Mae Bishop was a rich-voiced, characterful Magdalene; a very world-class assumption and making extra of the position than it in all probability warranted. Even with much less to do initially than Magdalene, Simon Grange’s voice resounded gravely from the balcony because the Nightwatchman earlier than he develop into Pogner within the third act.
The most effective total efficiency was from William Dazeley as a pathetically vainglorious Beckmesser, and he made him each pitiful and really – very -funny in his absolute self-belief. Dazeley has a advantageous baritone voice and was definitely a match for a lot of extra well-known Beckmessers I’ve watched previously. The masters collectively sang very properly and all appeared to have their very own bits of enterprise to maintain them engaged with what was happening even when simply sitting on their chairs.
William Stevens and Andrew Greenan are critic-proof given all of the last-minute adjustments. Stevens’s focus was on his rating for his two acts and after a nervous begin his Act II ‘Was duftet doch der Flieder’ gave proof that he may be a reputation to look out for sooner or later. Greenan’s bass was superb for the sternly protecting Pogner and he nearly had sufficient in reserve for Sachs’s resplendent paean to German Artwork ‘Verachtet mir die Meister nicht’. Stevens and Greenan deserve the best reward for rescuing SOG’s tenth anniversary from potential catastrophe.
Jim Pritchard
Featured Picture: William Dazeley singing Beckmesser © Sara Platt
