Eccentric circles: a youthful take from BYO

By Matthew Rye, 08 September 2016

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Reviewed at Sadler's Wells: Peacock Theatre, London on 7 September 2016

Williamson, English Eccentrics

British Youth Opera

Peter Robinson, Conductor

Stuart Barker, Director

James Cotterill, Set Designer

Laura Jane Stanfield, Costume Designer

Iúnó Connolly, Miss Tylney Long/ Miss Beswick/ Mrs Dards/ Sarah Whitehead/ The Duchess of Devonshire/ Princess Caraboo/ First Nun

Polly Leech, The Countess of Desmond/ Lady Lewson/ Miss FitzHenry/ Mrs Birch/ Lady Jersey/ Mrs Worrall/ Second Nun

Edward Hughes, Lord Petersham/ John Ward of Hackney/ Young Whitehead/ Beau Brummell/ Dr Wilkinson

Kieran Rayner, Dr Katterfelto/ Lord Rokeby/ Alderman Birch/ Lord Rothschild/ Mr Worrall/ Etienne

David Horton, The Rev Mr Jones/ Robert (Romeo) Coates/ A Clerk at the Bank/ Dr Graham/ The Vicar of Almondsbury/ Mr Clanronald MacDonald

Matthew Buswell, Thomas Parr/ Major Peter Labellière/ The Prompter/ Governor of the Bank of England/ Roberts the Forger/ Dr Dalmahoy/ Captain Philip Thicknesse/ Parish Constable

Southbank Sinfonia

Maria McGrann, Soprano

Siân Griffiths, Mezzo-soprano

Steven Swindells, Tenor

William Thomas, Bass

The Enchanted Island a rich and strange Baroque confection

John Johnston, 5th September

Rather than compiling a Top Ten of Baroque Hits, The Enchanted Island amounts to much more than a gallimaufry of choice gobbets, seasoned with French galenterie.

****1

Impressive Rake’s Progress from British Youth Opera

David Truslove, 4th September

Fine performances from a confident cast brought some terrific singing as well as depth of characterisation in Stravinsky’s only full-length opera.

****1

Soaring straight into our hearts

Charlotte Valori, 8th September

Jonathan Dove's joyous old-fashioned fairytale, magically realised in a very stylish production including some wonderfully original puppetry, is a fabulous talent showcase from British Youth Opera - and fun for all the family.

****1

Fall in love all over again: Cimarosa's The Secret Marriage with British Youth Opera

Charlotte Valori, 11th September

The Secret Marriage has been a hit from its earliest days. At its 1792 première in Vienna, King Leopold II was so delighted by the performance that he ordered the whole company to repair to his mansion, be treated to a magnificent dinner, “and then play the entire opera through again, immediately”.

****1

British Youth Opera takes on a New World in Britten's Paul Bunyan

Jaime Robles, 7th September

Wit is the ruling spirit of British Youth Opera’s delectable production of Benjamin Britten and W.H. Auden’s operetta Paul Bunyan, directed by Will Kerley.

***11

British Youth Opera 25th anniversary season: A Night at the Chinese Opera

Paul Kilbey, 12th September

British Youth Opera have been fostering the best of young British vocal talent for 25 years, and it’s a delight to see them celebrating their anniversary this year with a work precisely as old as they are: Judith Weir’s A Night at the Chinese Opera dates from 1987, and made for a lively showcase for these rising stars at London’s Peacock Theatre last night.

***11

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Matthew Rye

Matthew read music at Oxford and worked in music journalism for 30 years as a writer, critic and editor. He wrote numerous programme and CD booklet notes, spent 13 years as a Daily Telegraph critic, worked at BBC Music Magazine and was reviews editor of The Strad. He also wrote for The Wagner Journal and Opera and blogged at ferneklang.blogspot.co.uk. He was general editor of 1001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die (Cassell Illustrated, 2007) and was the author of a new series of eBooks, Masterpieces of Music (Erudition).

Eccentric circles: a youthful take on Malcolm Williamson’s English Eccentrics