The Academy of Vocal Arts stepped admirably outside of its comfort zone by programming The Rape of Lucretia in its opera season, its first foray into Britten since 1998. The Philadelphia conservatory – which, of late, has largely favored bel canto and standard repertory fare – required no learning curve for wading into the thorny thickets of this oratorio-like melding of mythology and Modernism. Musically and dramatically, the assembled forces delivered an inventive and satisfying gloss on a work that can occasionally seem alienating in performance, with top-notch singing across the board from a game young cast.
Stage director Tara Faircloth smartly invented a frame narrative for the Male Chorus and Female Chorus, casting them as contemporary graduate students researching an ancient tragedy. The side panels of Peter Harrison’s set were ringed with overflowing bookshelves, suggesting a university library, and Val Starr costumed the interlocutors in the kind of contemporary fashions one might encounter on any college campus in the Northeast. Center stage, the Roman narrative unfolded with verisimilitude. The contrast introduced a particular poignancy to the Female Chorus’ rising distress over Lucretia’s treatment, which gained echoes, intentional or otherwise, of the #MeToo movement.
On the podium, conductor Robert Kahn – a late replacement for Music Director Cristofer Macatsoris – nicely balanced the score’s Classical style with a furtive edge. He produced a taut reading that generally matched the drama onstage. Especially impassioned playing from the woodwinds made up for the occasional intonation problems, and Helen Gerhold provided personality and beauty in the harp interludes. This was essentially a pick-up orchestra, and one cannot expect them to play with the same level of finesse as a standing band with regular rehearsals. Still, their overall commitment and attention to detail shone through.