The Stage

Orfeo

Published Tuesday 18 April 2006 at 17:30 by George Hall

Monteverdi’s 1607 retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is the earliest opera to be regularly performed and ENO’s new production, by the Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng, aims at a timeless quality in a universal setting.

The vocal ensemble wears modern western dress, with more extravagant mythological costumes for the Ancient Greek deities. Threading their way through much of the action are the twelve Indonesian dancers making up the Orange Island Dance Company, whose intricate interventions regularly support and comment on the narrative, though some of their appearances are surplus to requirements. In Tom Pye’s multicoloured sets and Elizabeth Caitlin Ward’s costumes much of the show looks ravishing.

Where it is less certain is in ensuring that the performers act and interact with moment-by-moment definition. At best beautiful to look at, at worst the result is vague.

Conductor Laurence Cummings leads a vivid musical performance, with ENO’s regular players given period-specialist support by members of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, but it needs a touch more dynamism. 

John Mark Ainsley is an articulate Orpheus, with Elizabeth Watts striking in her dual role of Music and Hope and Tom Randle making the most of Apollo. Ruby Philogene is attractive as Eurydice though not always smack on the note, while Brindley Sherratt ensures that Charon’s scene is memorable. The totality a rich and intriguing mix, though the show has not quite blended into a unified statement.