The Daily Telegraph

Routine working of an old standard

- Until July 2, in rep with Jenůfa and Die Walküre. Tickets: 01962 737373; grangepark­opera.co.uk By Rupert Christians­en

Tosca Grange Park Opera

If the country were run by people with Wasfi Kani’s force of personalit­y, it wouldn’t be in the pickle it is today, and we should celebrate her truly astonishin­g achievemen­t in steering her way through green belt planning laws and getting a brand-new opera house up and running – all within two years, and for less than £10 million.

Though still short of refinement­s, the building, designed by Tim Ronalds, is intelligen­tly laid out and smoothly functional, with steeply tiered seating and a bright acoustic. In the great tradition of the English summer garden party, the first-night organisati­on was all a bit damp and improvised, but Blitz spirit carried us all through, and I am sure the glitches in the “visitor experience” will soon be ironed out.

I have to admit to more disappoint­ment in the opening production. Summer opera festivals should be platforms for exceptiona­l quality, unusual repertory and daring experiment: all we got here was a bog-standard account of that familiar old warhorse Tosca, distinguis­hed in no department and occasional­ly bordering on the bathetic. It wasn’t positively bad, but it just wasn’t good enough.

The big draw was Joseph Calleja, playing Cavaradoss­i for what I believe was the first time. He is no great shakes as an actor, but he sang here with all the buzzing vibrancy, ease and warmth that are his trademarks – some imaginativ­ely coloured moments in “E lucevan le stelle” were the evening’s brightest vocal spot. Roland Wood’s saturnine Scarpia radiated bad temper rather than pure evil: perhaps he could have done more had Ekaterina Metlova’s Tosca not been so mousey and bland. This young Russian soprano has a powerful and strident voice that hit all the notes fair and square, but she comported herself more like a girl from the typing pool than the imperious prima donna who also remains a superstiti­ous peasant.

Peter Relton’s utility staging, resourcefu­lly designed by Francis O’connor and updated to Mussolini’s Italy, had no special points to make, and Gianluca Marciano’s competent conducting of the BBC Concert Orchestra wasn’t more than routine either.

Neither Cavaradoss­i’s torture, Scarpia’s murder, nor Tosca’s death leap struck a spark of excitement; the highest drama of the evening was undoubtedl­y the moment when Jonathan Dimbleby appeared spotlit in front of the curtain before Act Three to announce the exit polls.

 ??  ?? No prima donna: Ekaterina Metlova had a mousey blandness as Tosca
No prima donna: Ekaterina Metlova had a mousey blandness as Tosca

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