Five: 15 was a little like Frankenstein’s monster – an interesting experiment but not wholly successful. Huge amounts of imagination were on display but, with notable exceptions, there was too much that felt self indulgent and probably seemed better on paper than it appears on stage.
The opener, Zen Story should have been an instructive delve into the religion but it was burdened with a bombastic score by Miriama Young and clashing the simplicity of Zen with Victorian Melodrama up served neither story or philosophy.
Second of five, Sublimation was far more successful. A tale of submerged memory this powerful piece was exquisitely played by Lee Bisset as the haunted heroine and Miranda Sinani as the sister attempting to hold her sibling’s sanity together. A dark, truly haunting piece it was the most fully realised of the evening.
The enjoyable comedy opera Money Man ended part one. Set in the world of high finance it was an oddly traditional tale of love, loss and scheming. The performances were excellent, Martin Lamb shining as the puffed up tycoon and Louise Collett – fast becoming one of Scottish Opera’s best actresses, on fine form as the scheming TV Journalist.
740 North, which opened the second half was a wasted opportunity. A strong concept of frozen ghosts in the arctic was let down by a unimaginative score and over dramatic playing leaving what could have been an intriguing piece feeling like an overwrought episode of the Twilight Zone.
The finale was the powerful holocaust tale The Letter, an emotive tale – made even more impressive as Mezzo Arlene Rolph’s illness meant she had to seamlessly mime to Louise Collet’s voice. This could easily have become mawkish but thanks to Bernard McLaverty’s libretto and sympathetic staging by Irina Brown this was a powerful and effecting piece to end the night on.
With the mixture of voices on display not everything would appeal equally and there were undoubtedly missed opportunities here, however Scottish Opera and their collaborators should be applauded for their willingness to push the envelope and revitalise the art form.
Òran Mór: Tue 25 May 7.30pm•Wed 26 May 7.30pm•Thu 27 May 7.30pm
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