It’s an obvious understatement to say that English National Opera has been having a tough time, but it is a testament to the commitment of those still keeping the wheels on the bus that they were able to pull off tonight’s piece of thrilling drama. A concert performance it was not – I’ve seen fully staged operas with much less – but with relatively minimal resources, director Stewart Laing and the team delivered a powerful production of Thea Musgrave’s complex and highly dramatic work, performed for the first time in the UK since Scottish Opera brought it to Sadler's Wells in 1980. It was an added bonus that the 96-year-old composer was present, taking a deserved standing ovation from her front row seat, moments after Heidi Stober sang Mary’s final lines from right next to her.
The opera focuses on Mary’s relationships with three men: her half-brother James, Earl of Moray, her husband Lord Darnley and her advisor, the Earl of Bothwell. Through the twists and turns of the men’s power struggles, Mary has to find her own strength and there is much made of her dilemma of how to stand alone, whilst needing the backing and protection of the men who are plotting around her. The three men demonstrate the classic methods of bringing down a powerful woman, from James’ gaslighting dishonesty to Darnley’s erratic instability and Bothwell’s ultimate physical domination.
Alex Otterburn’s James Stewart was convincing in his manipulation of Mary and his pent-up desperation for power, with a taut intensity in his voice. Rupert Charlesworth (Darnley) made the most of his more wildly extrovert role, delivering spitting anger and wheedling tantrums, building to his jealous murdering of his friend (and possibly more), Riccio. Barnaby Rea’s Riccio was also convincing, as a kind of slightly sleazy lounge singer, bringing a nice touch to the courtly songs, complete with backing group of four Marys and the onstage band. John Findon as Bothwell was a strong presence, shifting from the sideline to centre stage in the final act’s shocking rape scene, made all the more disturbing with the male chorus surrounding and observing the act.
But it was Heidi Stober’s Mary that stole the show here. Her vocal power, particularly at the top of her range, was highly impressive, as was her ability to steer a path through the dramatic manipulations her character faced. From her confident arrival from France in stylish shades and black jacket, through to her unravelling defeat at the end, with tender moments with her baby son en route, she utterly nailed the sense of Mary’s doomed attempts to stand alone. Her Act 2 defiant cry of “No!”, followed by the desperate aria “Alone, alone, I stand alone” was especially heartrending, as were her final lines delivered from the front of the stalls as she fled.
Musgrave’s music drives the action with constant tension, but also with remarkable flashes of orchestral colour, often in the woodwinds, but also lyrical use of viola and cello solos. The Scottish tune, Earl of Moray first appears on the cor anglais as Mary arrives from France (from the Stalls, with her four Marys and wheeled suitcases). She pushes the singers’ ranges, with some high choral parts, and of course for Mary at points of extreme anguish. Given the complexity of the characters and machinations, Musgrave’s own clear libretto meant that, even in modern dress without many visual clues, the plot was unexpectedly clear throughout. Conductor Joana Carneiro steered the musicians (uncredited in the programme, as were the full chorus) through the challenges of the score with precision and energy.
The ENO Chorus, switching between supporting armies and the general populus, being manipulated to offer their support from one of the men to the next, were a strong presence throughout. Presumably their costumes were to portray them as displaced people in some way, but the bobble hats, anoraks and backpacks did make them look rather like a group of slightly dishevelled hikers. The iron railings at the front of the stage served as a useful barrier between Scotland and the outside world. Onstage, a marquee was gradually constructed throughout the first two acts, finally being finished and closed in for the Act 2 climax. I'm not entirely sure why, although it served as the party venue in Act 1, but it then disappeared for Act 3, with only the tent frame remaining.
This performance is sadly only receiving two outings at ENO, but the co-production with San Francisco Opera will hopefully refocus attention on Musgrave’s phenomenal body of work. Fingers crossed that her latest opera, Orlando, completed just last year, will also arrive on stage somewhere soon.
This review was updated on 19th February after it was pointed out that this performance was not – as claimed by ENO in its programme book – the English premiere.
