United Kingdom Rimsky-Korsakov, The Snow Maiden: Soloists, Refrain and Orchestra of Royal Northern Faculty of Music / Matthew Kofi Waldren (conductor). RNCM, Manchester, 13.12.2023. (MC)
For its December manufacturing, the Royal Northern Faculty of Music has regarded to Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera The Snow Maiden in 4 acts with prologue. With staged productions themed for the season of Winter and Christmas time it’s Humperdinck’s opera Hansel and Gretel and Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker which have the lion’s share of the eye. Different lesser-known examples embody Rimsky-Korsakov’s Christmas Eve, Tchaikovsky’s Vakula the Smith revised as Cherevichki and his incidental music to the play The Snow Maiden, Menotti’s Amahl and the Evening Guests and Adams El Niño.
Perennially well-liked in Russia, The Snow Maiden has by no means aroused the same degree of consideration elsewhere. I checked and it has been carried out far much less within the UK than I had supposed. Opera North did stage The Snow Maiden in 2016 nevertheless it was its first skilled efficiency within the UK for sixty years. Impressed by Russian legends and folklore Rimsky-Korsakov based mostly his fairytale opera The Snow Maiden on the Alexander Ostrovsky 1873 play of the identical title.
Within the UK it’s because of music faculties and conservatories that so many unfamiliar operas are staged, and this RNCM manufacturing of The Snow Maiden actually fitted the invoice. This manufacturing by stage director Jack Furness and music director Matthew Kofi Waldren used an English model translated by Christopher Cowell full with English surtitles. As appears typical with RNCM productions this was twin forged and was a purple forged efficiency that I attended.
There was nothing esoteric right here to fret about as Jack Furness centered his manufacturing of The Snow Maiden on the altering seasons as winter transforms to spring. Marked is the incongruity between the fairy-tale, ice-cold kingdom of the Snow Maiden and her mother and father Mom Spring and Father Frost when in comparison with the human world of the Tsar and his Berendeyans notably Lyel, Kupava and Mizgir. Curious to reside amongst people, the Snow Maiden had her want granted. Her coronary heart of ice finally succumbed to mortal love and when a shaft of sunshine appeared she started to soften away. Heartbroken, Mizgir entered the pool of water and drowned.
The first focus of designer Georgia de Gray’s set was a cuneus design, as in a Roman theatre, a wedge-shaped seating part, cut up down the center, constructed right here with six or so terraces. In entrance of the seating was a round empty pool within the stage, a few ft deep, which might be lit in several colors and full of water. Within the prologue the terraces and despair had been coated with white polyethylene sheeting that represented snow. De Gray dressed the characters from the fairy-tale world in fur robes and cloaks with extravagant headdresses whereas the mortals primarily wore a mixture of on a regular basis outfits from varied eras. Lighting designer Ben Ormerod illuminated the set satisfactorily, my solely grumble was that the falling snow was barely seen, actually from my seat. Total, I’m shocked that there wasn’t extra emphasis on video projections.
For The Snow Maiden the RNCM had assembled one other first-rate scholar forged who had clearly been properly ready. I quickly seen that the depth and energy of the forged went additional than the main characters.
As Mom Spring soprano Olivia Swain was fantastically wearing an extended, white robe with floral design and excessive headdress of flowers. The opening aria of the prologue was attractively sung by the elegant Swain offering readability and expression. Baritone Adam Jarman had the position of Father Frost full with a headdress of twigs and feathers. Making a splendid impression Jarman supplied the Music of King Frost with a gentle tone and was capable of exhibit a fearsome aspect to his voice when wanted.
Excelling within the title position was award profitable soprano Jessica Hopkins who entered the stage in an extended coat and fur Cossack hat, each in white. Such an achieved singer, within the Snow Maiden’s entrance aria To go berry selecting with associates Hopkins gave an attractive efficiency. Excessive on confidence Hopkins displayed her heat voice that projected so properly by way of the corridor to actual benefit. Along with her pure stage presence Hopkins was capable of preserve her excessive commonplace all through the opera.
Our Tsar had lengthy truthful hair and beard and was decked out in maroon jacket and purple headband. Giving a delightfully adept charactisation Henry Strutt was a benevolent Tsar who proclaimed that he wished all of the {couples} to marry as an honour to God. A most tasty tenor, with a sweetness to his tone, Strutt traversed his broad vary to splendid impact. Shepherd boy Lyel’s garments proved to be a noticeable blast from the seventies with black leather-based jacket and loon trousers. Liked by the Snow Maiden the trouser position of Lyel was taken by proficient mezzo-soprano Sophie Clarke who sang her coronary heart out. A village woman Kupava was to marry Mizgir however falls in love with Lyel.
Conspicuous in her plain lilac costume and truthful hair, within the position of Kupava, soprano Charlotte Baker sang with energy and actual enthusiasm. In her arietta I famous how successfully Baker achieved her excessive notes. Matthew Secombe had the a part of Mizgir, a service provider who was to marry Kupava however fell in love with the Snow Maiden having pursued her arduous. Darkish haired and sporting a parka, Secombe’s low baritone had readability but sustaining pitch introduced some difficulties.
The Orchestra of RNCM flourished underneath Matthew Kofi Waldren’s conducting that felt safe and with wise tempi. Expertly performed had been the solo contributions from the part principals with the flute and clarinet standing out. Coached by Kevin Thraves the RNCM refrain, typically divided between female and male voices, sounded in excellent type and made a big impression.
Pleasant and convincing this RNCM opera manufacturing of the Snow Maiden was cheered to the rafters by the enthusiastic viewers, which mentioned all of it.
Michael Cookson
Creatives:
Stage director – Jack Furness
Designer – Georgia de Gray
Lighting designer – Ben Ormerod
Choreography – Bethan Rhys Wiliam
Refrain grasp – Kevin Thraves
Purple Forged:
Mom Spring – Olivia Swain
Father Frost – Adam Jarman
Snow Maiden (Snyegurochka) – Jessica Hopkins
Bobyl – Yihui Wang
Bobylikha – Leah McCabe
Tsar Berendey – Henry Strutt
Byermyata – Alexander Gibb
Lyel – Sophie Clarke
Kupava – Charlotte Baker
Mizgir – Matthew Secombe
Boggart – Nicholas Collins
Maslyenitsa – William Jowett
First Herald – Dominic Morgan
Second Herald – Patrick Osborne
Web page – Daisy Mitchell
