EIF: Rusalka
Festival Theatre - 06/08/22
When the opera programme was announced at the launch of the 2022 Festival, I was disappointed with only one staged opera, ‘Rusalka’, and two concert performances of ‘Fidelio’ and ‘Salome’ respectively. I commented to the outgoing festival director Fergus Linehan that this is thin gruel for the 75th anniversary of a festival founded by and led by opera over its existence. Fergus responded by saying opera companies were unwilling to travel in the post-pandemic world, hence the only staged production came from Garsington, a small country house opera in England. Disappointed also that the opera was ‘Rusalka’, not one of my favourite operas with only one stand-out aria, the famous ‘Song to the Moon’. Indeed among the writers of the Edinburgh Music Review there was no great enthusiasm to review it, so in the end as the editor I decided to do it myself. I have to say I’m very glad I did, it was not only a revelation in changing my view of ‘Rusalka’, it was one of the best nights I’ve spent in an opera house for years!
I had read the good reviews from Garsington and an old friend and occasional critic who had attended confirmed it was very good so I was hopeful that it would prove a more satisfying experience than previous nights at ‘Rusalka’ around the world. However I was blown away by the whole experience; firstly and most strikingly by the set - a lake dominating the stage of the Festival Theatre and revealed by a giant roof which lifted to reveal the underwater life of the water nymphs below. This coup de theatre was amplified by a very talented team of acrobats who shimmied up and down ropes all around the lake. This was a visually stunning production which kept your attention in what with two intervals is a very long evening.
Secondly the music; yes, it’s true there is only one stand-out aria, but there is a wealth of glorious music by Dvorak and it was played here by the Philharmonia, one of the leading orchestras in the world, conducted by Douglas Boyd. Having played it at Garsington they were clearly very familiar with the music and it was superb.
Next the singers; of course in Scotland we are familiar with Natalya Romaniw, having seen her with Scottish Opera in Verdi’s ‘Tosca’ and Mascagni’s ‘Iris’, both in 2019, but even this did not prepare me for her outstanding performance as Rusalka. Her ‘Song to the Moon’ was outstanding and her acting and movement in what was a difficult physical role, climbing in and out of the lake, was very good. She is clearly set to be a star of the world opera stage. She was supported by a great cast with not a weak voice among them. Musa Ngqungwana was a dominating Vodnik with his great bass baritone voice. Gerhard Schneider was a very convincing Prince, Christine Rice an excellent Jezibaba, as was Sky Ingram, a young Australian soprano, as the Foreign Princess. They were backed by an excellent cast for the smaller parts and a good chorus.
My pleasure at the performance was shared by the whole audience. My neighbour in the next seat had not seen ‘Rusalka’ before but loved it. Experienced opera-goers I spoke to at the intervals were entranced and at the end the Festival Theatre audience rose to give the cast a standing ovation. It may be the only staged opera at the Festival, but it is a very good one and it is on again on Monday and Tuesday the 8th and 9th with tickets still available. Don’t miss it!
Cover photo: Andrew Perry
