THE first version of Candide, with a book by Lillian Helman, met with little success on Broadway and in London’s West End, but, rather like Topsy in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the show refused to die. Gradually, with a reworked book and lyrics, it has developed into a classic opera. I doubt if any production since that underwhelming 1956 opening has captured the biting wit of Voltaire’s novel – its comedy without sarcasm, humour with underlaying serious examinations of religion, politics, womens’ place in society, and the search for the meaning of life – better than this WNO presentation.
The wonderfully imaginative staging, using filmed video images to make a free-flowing plain curtain come alive with Monty Pythonesquecartoon images, takes the audience on a journey with the world’s greatest naive optimist Candide, from Westphalia via Lisbon, Paris and Buenos Aires, on train, car and ships (including a sinking canoe), until arriving back home still hopefully seeking the meaning of life. It is full of wit, but never frivolous.
As are the lyrics, which complement a Bernstein score as imaginative as the settings. With an MD McAdams, whose enthusiasm would lift any orchestra to its full hight, also acts out every note and lyric, we hear Bernstein’s music at its best. There are few big solo moments to show off the vocal skills of the principals, but when something like Glitter and be Gay arrived, Sonya Mafi as Cunegonde, the spoiled daughter of the deposed ruler of Westphalia, who learns the hard way to what ends women have to go in order to survive in the world, it is breathtakingly sung.
An ideal partner for Cunegonde is Ed Lyon’s Candide, with a whimsical, but never facile, expression throughout, he never wavers from his quest to find the good in man and life. He, Amy J Payne (The Old Women), Jack Holton (Maximilian), Francisca Saracino (Paquette), Aled Hall and Rakie Ayola cleverly mixing the character of Dr Pangloss with a narrator who has just the right lightness of touch, combine to fill the air with frothy comedy and underlaying serious thought.
Leonard Bernstein left the first London production of Candide upset with the response of both audience and critics. If he had seen this outstanding production, he would have left in a state of high delight.
In almost complete contrast WNO followed up Candide with the drama of Tosca. Edward Dick’s reworking of his Northern original production sets this story of romance and betrayal in the present day, with Baron Scarpia (Dario Solari) now a Marlon Brando style Mafia Boss, taking pictures of Natalya Romaniw’s Tosca on his mobile phone. For all of those modern images there was a distinct traditional feel about the production, particularly in the final act.
Despite a moment when the off stage and on stage choral singing did not blend well with the orchestra, with conductor Gergely Madras and the once again splendid WNO orchestra enthusiastically in full command of Puccini’s romantic and dramatic score, the production was always in safe hands.
Having established a well balanced duo with Andres Presno’s powerfully tuneful Cabanossi in the jealous interchange in Act 1 Natalya Romaniw underlined why she is such a favourite with WNO audiences by bringing true passion to her singing of Vissi d’Arte.
Between them A Night at the Opera, Candide, and Tosca, the three excellently produced choices for WNO’s summer tour, gave opera lovers a wonderfully wide choice of the best of operatic productions.
GRP