The Roundhouse 1847
The Royal Opera returned to the Roundhouse in Camden yesterday evening for the second of their Monteverdi productions, Il ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria. I had greatly enjoyed their Orfeo there in 2015. I assume that they will get round to Poppea in 2019!
Christian Curnyn and his splendid Early Opera Company forces were drafted in for the purpose and what could be better than that? And the Royal Opera had assembled an outstandng cast led by Roderick Williams and Christine Rice, with distinguished contributions from the ranks of Britain's finest, Susan Bickley, Catherine Carby, Andrew Tortise, Stuart Jackson, Samuel Boden, Mark Milhofer, Nick Pritchard (SO many tenors!).....as well as Jette Parker programme members past and current - David Shipley and Francesca Chiejina. The latter made a notable impression as Melanto. And there was a remarkable substitution - Christine Rice played Penelope but was voiceless - and Caitlin Hulcup came to the rescue sing the part from the pit, quite ravishingly - and by the way the sound virtually seamlessly managed by the magicians of the Royal Opera's "engineering" department.
John Fulljames delivered a simply effective production in the rather circumscribed framework of the Roundhouse, complete with entertaining sound effects including sheep and popping balloons.
The Roundhouse is a refreshing space though with inevitable compromises that go with such a conversion. For the Ulisse run they have tried on a "dining experience" assuming that the typical opera audience likes to spend £50 and more per head for a fixed price supper. Together with apparently many others I eschewed the opportunity, and went to the excellent and amusing Belgo across the road. And next to it there is a good looking pizza place...........
On Monday I was at St Clement Danes for one of the Jette Parker Monday lunchtime recitals - my beloved Die schöne Müllerin sung by a JPYAP ex member Dawid Kimburg with Marek Ruszczynski his excellent partner at the piano. I learnt the cycle as a teenager from the Fischer-Dieskau and Gerald Moore recording of 1951- and age and experience makes one appreciate its journey all the more! So it is always an emotional as well as a musical pleasure to hear it again and again.
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