Alcina, opera review: High musical values in this jumble sale-chic show

Jenny Miller's production makes a virtue of its low-budget origins, writes Nick Kimberley
Jumble-sale chic: Matthew Durkan (Melisso) and Hanna-Liisa Kirchin (Ruggiero) in Alcina
Patrick Baldwin
Nick Kimberley5 August 2016

Not long ago, the words “country house opera” meant Glyndebourne. These days, more and more stately piles are opening their grounds to opera productions of varying quality and degrees of formality.

Based in the Cotswolds, Longborough, best known for its Wagner, is one of the less formal. In recent years, the company has turned its attention to Handel, whose operas — this year, Alcina — make an attractive showcase for its young artists programme.

Since not everyone enjoys the class connotations of country house opera, it was good to have the opportunity to see Longborough’s work in a more modest setting. The plot sounds silly, but makes perfect sense when intelligently staged: Alcina is an enchantress whose island domain is populated by her rejected lovers, transformed into flora and fauna. There are spells, disguises, a touch of cross-dressing and thwarted loves galore.

With its simple, effective set and costumes blending dressing-up box tat and jumble-sale chic, Jenny Miller’s production made a virtue of its low-budget origins, but the “poor theatre” approach sometimes came close to am dram.

Five operas for beginners

1/5

Still, musical values were consistently high. With Jeremy Silver conducting from the harpsichord, the tiny orchestra gave the music a sour-sweet poignancy, and there were no weak links among the singers. Julia Sitkovetsky caught Alcina’s dual personality, vengeful one moment, vulnerable the next, while in the trouser role of Ruggiero, Alcina’s latest flame, Hanna-Liisa Kirchin proved Handel’s characters are no show birds, but grown-up characters with grown-up emotions.

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