Jonathan Dove’s opera Mansfield Park (with libretto adapted from Jane Austen’s novel by Alasdair Middleton) was first performed in 2011 and commissioned by Heritage Opera – a perfect work for the company, as it was originally scored for piano duet and soloists, and their performances in several stately homes provided the perfect ready-made backdrop. In 2017, Dove reworked the opera for ensemble performance with a chamber orchestra/pit band, and it was this version that was presented at Silk Street Theatre by students at Guildhall School of Music & Drama on Monday evening.
Middleton’s libretto does an outstanding job of cutting Austen’s ambiguous, quasi-Cinderella, story down to its essentials of plot and personality, and Dove’s music, as always, captures the atmosphere. The sung announcements of ‘chapters’ nicely convey the episodic nature of the novel, and the generally fast pace of the music – in which ‘arias’ and ‘choruses’ are short, and arise seamlessly from the busy, recitative-style dialogue – conjures exactly the brittle character of the societal framework in which the drama takes place, while the instruments (in an almost Wagnerian way) suggest deeper, more venal motivations beneath the veneer (the sinister bassoon passage underlying Aunt Norris’s polite-but-cruel put-downs in the second Act, for example). Indeed, there are other touches of Wagner here in Dove’s characteristic use of tiny leitmotivs: the notes to which the put-upon Fanny Price’s name are repeatedly sung at the beginning, or Henry Crawford’s name in the letter scene, and the repetition of ‘Lovers’ vows’ in the play.
We get several examples of one of Dove’s most attractive compositional techniques (possibly taking his cue from Mozart!): the build-up of duets into quartets, sextets and more, each character delivering their own contribution to the conversation. The would-be lovers wandering around ‘the wilderness’ at Sotherton is one; other cast members singing ‘how tempting these pathways that lie just hidden’ under the duet between Maria and her father about her future; the best of the lot is the sextet that emerges from various protagonists reading the contents of letters. Little pastiches make their appearance to leaven the whole thing: a quartet that seems to recall Soave sia il vento for Sir Thomas’ departure; a Victorian part-song for ‘Music and starlight’; a Siciliana for Edmund’s gift to Fanny. All of these were brought out with subtlety and brilliance under conductor Dominic Wheeler’s sure and intelligent direction.
The staging for Monday evening’s production (designed by Anna Reid) worked well: the costumes, paying sharp attention to period, were big on Empire line, britches and top hats. The set was generally quite minimalist (apart from the final, glorious, reveal), but their effective use of a Regency-style, acanthus-pattern fabric everywhere (including wrapping around gates and providing bags for chandeliers) left you in no doubt as to when this all takes place. Zoé Ritchie’s lighting design was understated but then, there was no real call for bells and whistles, and it’s a compliment to say that it summoned atmosphere in an exemplary fashion. The whole, under the direction of Martin Lloyd-Evans, made for a well-considered presentation that conjured the spirit of Austen with a minimalism of which she would have approved.
From the vocal aspect, it’s an ensemble piece, needing singers of matched calibre to bring it off, and by and large it succeeded. When the singers came together to form a chorus, the result was well balanced (the hymnodic finale was magnificent), and the same was generally true of their duets, trios etc. There were several fine voices onstage, and, bearing in mind that most of these are second-year students, one could not ask for better (and, indeed, here were several voices to listen out for in the future, as a little more experience and training provide the fine-tuning). The writing for Edmund Bertram is quite high in the baritone range, but Thomas McGowan took it in his stride and delivered lines (especially ‘I love you more than life’) with a thrilling tenor clarity to them.
By contrast, tenor Joshua Saunders’ account of Henry Crawford was strong in his lower range, particularly in the busier passages, but became a little variable in terms of dynamic and vocal quality above the passaggio. Dominic Lee’s tenor tones brought an enjoyable precision and edge to Mr Rushworth, augmenting one’s annoyance at the character’s brainless wittering, and Hector Bloggs’ rich bass/baritone imbued Sir Thomas Bertram with all the respectable solidity the part needs. Soprano Samantha Hargreaves (Mary Crawford) has a delicious silvery tone to her voice, and her top range is crystalline. Karima El Demerdasch (mezzo) gave a convincing Julia (perhaps a pity her character in the opera isn’t as ‘whiny-princess’ as it comes over in the novel), and Georgie Malcolm’s rich soprano made for a perfect foil as Maria, the other barouche-obsessed sister. Mariana Fernandes’ more edgy soprano served her character, the disapproving Aunt Norris, well. It was, perhaps, the two mezzos, Julia Merino (Fanny Price) and Cecily Shaw (Lady Bertram) that left less of an impression. Shaw’s voice was fine in tone, but a little underpowered at times; Merino has a colourful mid-range with a characterful dual harmonic to it that suited Fanny’s character, but wasn’t always distinct.
The orchestra attacked Dove’s writing with verve and accuracy, and the slightly heterogenous sound that the composer’s scoring generates worked well in bringing the fractured quality of the drama to life.
Barry Creasy
Mansfield Park
Music composed by Jonathan Dove
Libretto (adapted from Jane Austen) by Alasdair Middleton
Cast and production staff:
Mary Crawford – Samantha Hargreaves; Maria Bertram – Georgie Malcolm; Aunt Norris – Mariana Fernandes; Julia Bertram – Karima El Demerdasch; Fanny Price – Julia Merino; Lady Bertram – Cecily Shaw; Henry Crawford – Joshua Saunders; Mr Rushworth – Dominic Lee; Edmund Bertram – Thomas McGowan; Sir Thomas Bertram – Hector Bloggs
Director – Martin Lloyd-Evans; Designer – Anna Reid; Lighting Designer – Zoé Ritchie; Choreographer – Charlie Morgan; Conductor – Dominic Wheelan; Assistant conductor – Jack Stone; Assistant director – Emily Beech; Associate designer – Lauren Jones; Assistant lighting designer – Eli Hunt; Orchestra – Students of Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Top image: Cecily Shaw, Hector Bloggs, Dominic Lee, Thomas McGowan, Samantha Hargreaves, Mariana Fernandes, and Julia Merino
Photos: © David Monteith Hodge