A Midsummer Night's Dream

Blackwater Valley Opera Festival's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Image Frances Marshall

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It is in the nature of experiments to miss their mark before finally formulating a breakthrough. The same might be said of Benjamin Britten's experimental opera A Midsummer Night's Dream. An abridged reimagining of Shakespeare's magical comedy, Britten's 1960 avant garde treatment, with libretto co-written with Peter Pears, subverts operatic conventions to explore what opera might do. In doing so, it discovers new possibilities as well as reaffirming what opera should never do. Such as be tedious, dull, and overly self-indulgent. Tendencies offset by moments that prove striking, delightful and memorable. The scales tipping into the success column for Blackwater Valley Opera Festival’s production courtesy of some outstanding performances, despite notable issues elsewhere.

Blackwater Valley Opera Festival's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Image Frances Marshall

Currently, love potions are all the rage. Both Irish National Opera’s superlative L’elisir d’amore and Blackwater Valley Opera Festival’s A Midsummer Night's Dream relying on a little love juice for plot devices. Here, fairy king and queen Oberon and Tytania, along with humans Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, and the hapless Bottom, find true love’s course rarely runs smooth in the mystical grooves of Athens. A little coaxing to help respective partners fall wildly in love works only if you affect the correct partner, which master of misrule, the non singing Puck (an agile Barry McGovern), seems incapable of achieving. Yet all’s well that ends well, even if A Midsummer Night's Dream doesn’t end well so much as grind to a slow, gradual halt.

Blackwater Valley Opera Festival's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Image Frances Marshall

Part of the problem is a three act structure with an intermission coming almost two hours in. Britten’s overwrought libretto, though abridged, begging to be abridged more. One suspects Britten and Pears sensed as much given so many references to tedium and brevity, leaving you wishing they’d taken their own advice. Not helped by forced, contrived language draining much of the humour and more of the charm from Shakespeare’s text, particularly in the first two acts. Only for the third act to arrive like a tacked on epilogue, hurriedly wrapping up the main story to introduce the play within a play that no one wanted. Shoehorning some weak slapstick for an additional forty minutes, reminding you of what was missing from the previous two hours.

Blackwater Valley Opera Festival's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Image Frances Marshall

Throughout, music dominates singing like a tonal poem with too few tones. Especially when contrasted with Britten’s introductions and intermezzos, whose cinematic sweep evoke the otherworldliness of Dimitri Tiomkin’s score for Frank Capra’s 1937 classic, Lost Horizon, or Jerry Goldsmith, lush elations for Ridley Scott’s neglected fantasy Legend. Conventional musical structures luring you down a rabbit hole into a curious musical wonderland. The arrival of voices seeing music cease to describe the supernatural so much as inform personal psychology whilst accenting, or dissenting from the action. Leaving music often in direct conflict with the text's charm and comedy as it force feeds subtext. Singing tailored as a result, suggesting a sung play with musical accompaniment, built from off tuned, sung recitatives rather than songs. Phrases and lines sounding more akin to a violin's expressiveness rather than a voice. Endlessly fascinating, even if it doesn’t always please the ear.

Blackwater Valley Opera Festival's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Image Frances Marshall

Little of which director Patrick Mason resolves; staging often suggesting a concert performance with costumes. Paul Keogan’s lights might be hugely captivating, but his four poster bed with two doorframes suggests a compromise of convenience. Costumes far more successful, with Catherine Fay’s Elizabethan costumes from the time of Shakespeare juxtaposed with 1960’s fashion commemorating the period Britten’s opera premiered. The Irish Chamber Orchestra under conductor David Brophy doing sterling work in giving Britten’s score life. Yet it is some truly impressive vocal performances that carry the day. Countertenor Iestyn Morris as a commanding Oberon and soprano Ami Hewitt as Tytania one of many strong duos. Tenor Peter O’Reilly’s Lysander and baritone Gregory Feldman’s Demetrius both engaging as duelling rivals sporting a cricket bat. As are baritone Christopher Cull’s Theseus and Gemma Ní Bhriain’s Hippolyta, along with a superb comic chorus in tenors Conor Prenderville (Flute) and Seán Tester (Snout), baritone Massimo Modini (Starveling), and bass-baritones Jakob Mahase (Quince), Rory Dunne (Snug) and Dominic Veilleux (Bottom). A young chorus, giving it their all, round out a committed cast. Yet the night belongs to mezzo-soprano Sarah Richmond and soprano Amy Ní Fhearraigh, whose round, full, confident singing, coupled with top drawer performances, prove irresistible.

Blackwater Valley Opera Festival's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Image Frances Marshall

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a risk taking opera looking to enrich the opera going experience. The same might be said for Blackwater Valley Opera Festival. Now in its fifteenth year, it has become a regular operatic fixture. Its success due to excellent productions and to the people and places that make up Blackwater Valley. From the gorgeous Lismore Castle and cathedral, to venues in small, local communities like Villierstown, opera is enriched by a passionate community who, like festival volunteers, are warm and welcoming. Different venues revealing a host of local treasures. Including, should you find yourself venturing to Villierstown for the Shakespeare in Music recital featuring Kelli-Ann Masterson, and why wouldn’t you, a sinfully delicious coffee cake in Tory’s Cake Shop. Or a terrific pint with exceptional company in An Cruiscin Lan. Where opera was discussed with passionate locals and seasoned connoisseurs like it truly mattered. Because, at Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, it does.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten, libretto by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, runs at Blackwater Valley Opera Festival until June 1.

For more information visit Blackwater Valley Opera Festival