Scottish Opera Don Pasquale Festival Theatre Edinburgh 8th November 2024 Review
Scottish Opera Don Pasquale by Donizetti was at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh tonight with a re-staging on their 2014 revival of this classic work. Working again with Scottish Opera are Renaud Doucet and André Barbe, the creators of the 2014 production.
Don Pasquale was first performed in the Théâtre-Italien, Paris on 3 January 1843 and there is something universal about the drama/comedy theme of this opera that has allowed it to survive over 180 years and the central characters to still be funny and strangely relevant. This production moves the time-frame and setting forward to Rome in the 1960s where Don Pasquale is running (if you can really use that word here) a small run down hotel where the three staff members are, if anything, even more run down.
The rather sad and not cared for atmosphere of this small hotel is perfectly captured by the stage sets and costumes which Renaud Doucet and André Barbe created for this production. There is though always this contrast of the gloomy atmosphere of the hotel and the bright colour palette that they are working with to create costumes and sets. Mirroring the decline of the hotel itself are cook (Steven Faughey), Maid (Frances Morrison-Allen) and Porter (Jonathan Sedgwick) and there are some fine character performances here from all three.
This is probably one of the shortest summaries of this opera ever, but here goes – Don Pasquale is disinheriting his nephew Ernesto because he wants to marry Norina, the woman that he loves, and not the wealthy woman that Pasquale had in mind for him. In a bid to teach him a lesson, his doctor, Malatesta concocts a scheme to make Don Pasquale see the error of his ways by luring him into a sham marriage. Of course this is a comedy and a dual identity switch takes place and the results do not often go to plan.
Here, David Stout is perfectly cast for bringing to life Don Pasquale, an old bachelor set in his ways and spending habits who should have known far better than to think that marriage to a beautiful young wife would bring him an easy life. This role gives David Stout many opportunities to show why he is regarded by many people as one of the UK’s most versatile baritones. David Stout’s Don Pasquale is also a very fine dramatic role that captures many heart-warming little moments. There is great humour in his Don Pasquale, but also when required great tenderness too.
Making her Scottish Opera Debut as Norina, Stacey Alleaume, one of Australia’s most accomplished performers, was again perfectly cast for this role and of course her dual identity as Sofronia (Doctor Malatesta’s sister from a convent). It takes someone with a gift for light comedy to get the difference between these two roles just right, both vocally and dramatically, and Stacey got this balance just right tonight and she was the perfect comedy partner for David Stout’s Don Pasquale.
Comedy/dramatic operas like this one always work best with a small cast, and very good performances from Josef Jeongmeen Ahn (Doctor Malatesta) and Filipe Manu (Ernesto) who were both making their Scottish Opera debuts in this production, brought to life (as did David Stout and Stacey Alleaume) the wonderful way in which Donizetti captured all of this humour in his musical score.
If for some reason you think that opera can be only serious and over-dramatic, then give a comedy opera like this one a chance. This production of Don Pasquale is simply fun to listen to and to watch and it is so well written that the chances are that you will recognise someone, even if just a little bit, in this story. Opera has many different stories and many different faces – this is just one of them.
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
Don Pasquale was first performed in the Théâtre-Italien, Paris on 3 January 1843 and there is something universal about the drama/comedy theme of this opera that has allowed it to survive over 180 years and the central characters to still be funny and strangely relevant. This production moves the time-frame and setting forward to Rome in the 1960s where Don Pasquale is running (if you can really use that word here) a small run down hotel where the three staff members are, if anything, even more run down.
The rather sad and not cared for atmosphere of this small hotel is perfectly captured by the stage sets and costumes which Renaud Doucet and André Barbe created for this production. There is though always this contrast of the gloomy atmosphere of the hotel and the bright colour palette that they are working with to create costumes and sets. Mirroring the decline of the hotel itself are cook (Steven Faughey), Maid (Frances Morrison-Allen) and Porter (Jonathan Sedgwick) and there are some fine character performances here from all three.
This is probably one of the shortest summaries of this opera ever, but here goes – Don Pasquale is disinheriting his nephew Ernesto because he wants to marry Norina, the woman that he loves, and not the wealthy woman that Pasquale had in mind for him. In a bid to teach him a lesson, his doctor, Malatesta concocts a scheme to make Don Pasquale see the error of his ways by luring him into a sham marriage. Of course this is a comedy and a dual identity switch takes place and the results do not often go to plan.
Here, David Stout is perfectly cast for bringing to life Don Pasquale, an old bachelor set in his ways and spending habits who should have known far better than to think that marriage to a beautiful young wife would bring him an easy life. This role gives David Stout many opportunities to show why he is regarded by many people as one of the UK’s most versatile baritones. David Stout’s Don Pasquale is also a very fine dramatic role that captures many heart-warming little moments. There is great humour in his Don Pasquale, but also when required great tenderness too.
Making her Scottish Opera Debut as Norina, Stacey Alleaume, one of Australia’s most accomplished performers, was again perfectly cast for this role and of course her dual identity as Sofronia (Doctor Malatesta’s sister from a convent). It takes someone with a gift for light comedy to get the difference between these two roles just right, both vocally and dramatically, and Stacey got this balance just right tonight and she was the perfect comedy partner for David Stout’s Don Pasquale.
Comedy/dramatic operas like this one always work best with a small cast, and very good performances from Josef Jeongmeen Ahn (Doctor Malatesta) and Filipe Manu (Ernesto) who were both making their Scottish Opera debuts in this production, brought to life (as did David Stout and Stacey Alleaume) the wonderful way in which Donizetti captured all of this humour in his musical score.
If for some reason you think that opera can be only serious and over-dramatic, then give a comedy opera like this one a chance. This production of Don Pasquale is simply fun to listen to and to watch and it is so well written that the chances are that you will recognise someone, even if just a little bit, in this story. Opera has many different stories and many different faces – this is just one of them.
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com