Opera Reviews
29 March 2024
Untitled Document

Having fun at the Festival



by Catriona Graham
Gilbert and Sullivan: HMS Pinafore
Edinburgh International Festival
August 2015

Purists may wonder what a concert performance of HMS Pinafore, with a quip-laden narration from Tim Brooke-Taylor, is doing in the Edinburgh International Festival programme.

Wonder away – there has to be some fun in life, and there was plenty in this performance of W.S. Gilbert’s satire on the British class system. Too often, the only live performances of Gilbert and Sullivan operas are by amateurs. Some are of a very high standard, but I heard the difference in the crisp, precise playing of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera.

The fine details of Sullivan’s scoring are really noticeable when a professional orchestra plays – right from the start, and the raucous brass in the overture. Conductor Richard Egarr made sure to bring out the pastiche in the music. One particularly fine moment was Josephine’s (Elizabeth Watts) command to Ralph ‘Ah, stay your hand’ followed by the lingering and very quiet ‘I love you”, which was mimicked exactly by the Chorus of Scottish Opera.

The sailor soloists sported straw boaters, Captain Corcoran a white cap, and Sir Joseph Porter lots of medals. Compared with the statuesque ‘little’ Buttercup (Hilary Summers), Andrew Foster-Williams  as the Captain was short, which added a dimension to the by-play between them.

Toby Spence is a robust tenor, perfect for Ralph Rackstraw and his voice blended well with Watts for their duets. Watts ranged widely through the emotions, brining out the full comic potential of the role.

The star of any production of Pinafore is Sir Joseph Porter, KCB, and John Mark Ainsley did not disappoint. He was deliciously pompous and self-satisfied, with occasional slight (and anachronistic) Churchillian overtones in his delivery.

Gavan Ring as Boatswain gave a sterling rendition of the great set-piece ‘For he is an Englishman’. Earlier, in the trio ‘A British tar is a soaring soul’ with Ralph, his Mate Barnaby Rea had milked his low notes for all they were worth. Kitty Whately – Sir Joseph’s cousin Hebe - was suitably appalled at the Captain’s bad language.

If there were any lingering doubts about the justification for this performance in the programme, they should be dispelled by the number of children at the concert, some having their first experience of a concert, of opera, of a big concert hall, of sitting for an hour and a half. Judging from their faces, at least some of them will be back.

Text © Catriona Graham
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