A word for this excellent production, although there are only a couple of performances left. Nelia Jones has done a really tremendous job directing - as well as articulately translating, amongst other things - Glass's setting of Cocteau's film script, and the result was much the most convincing show of the four in ENO's 'Orpheus Season'. A judicious mixture of video montage, moving platforms and film-style dissolves, in grey and white with splashes of scarlet, it looked good, moved beautifully and was unfailingly intelligent and imaginative.
I won't go into the piece, except (for those who don't know it) to say that Orphée is generally acknowledged the very best of Glass's stage pieces after the early 'trilogy' (Einstein, Satyagraha and Akhnaten) and that I concur. It generates good momentum, and has a notably wide dramatic range - including some genuine comedy, just like the original film. The Coliseum is too large for it, really, as a chamber piece (best suited to somewhere like the Linbury Theatre, where it had its British premiere some years ago) but the production values and musical preparation overcame that problem.
What must be said, is that the solo singing was magnificent - both Nicky Spence (who's been doubling performances here as Heurtebise with Greek Passion for Opera North) and Jennifer France as the Princess (i.e. Death) were outstanding in their juicy roles, but all five principals were very satisfying. Not for the first time, a Glass production has rescued an ENO season.
I won't go into the piece, except (for those who don't know it) to say that Orphée is generally acknowledged the very best of Glass's stage pieces after the early 'trilogy' (Einstein, Satyagraha and Akhnaten) and that I concur. It generates good momentum, and has a notably wide dramatic range - including some genuine comedy, just like the original film. The Coliseum is too large for it, really, as a chamber piece (best suited to somewhere like the Linbury Theatre, where it had its British premiere some years ago) but the production values and musical preparation overcame that problem.
What must be said, is that the solo singing was magnificent - both Nicky Spence (who's been doubling performances here as Heurtebise with Greek Passion for Opera North) and Jennifer France as the Princess (i.e. Death) were outstanding in their juicy roles, but all five principals were very satisfying. Not for the first time, a Glass production has rescued an ENO season.
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