Authentic Handel done with straightforward, spirited good taste
Radamisto Eto/hackney Empire
For the past decade, English Touring Opera has tended to focus its autumn seasons on baroque music – oratorio as well as opera. The relatively modest forces required make this economically viable, but it isn’t a cynical policy: on the move from Durham to Exeter, ETO has delivered a solid body of work with integrity and competence.
The current offering is Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas paired with some sacred music (to be reviewed later this month) and, as a centrepiece, Handel’s Radamisto.
Many Handel operas strike me as having something of the cookie-cutter about them, and I suspect that, in the early 18th century, every composer worth his salt was churning out similar stuff. Originality was nobody’s aim, and Radamisto certainly doesn’t intend to break any templates.
Written in 1720, it concerns the political tribulations and romantic confusions of ancient nobles living in a world where virtue struggles with vice. Passages of recitative carry the plot forward, with six soloists expressing their formalised emotions in extended arias; there is one duet, one quartet and one full ensemble to mark the arbitrarily arranged happy ending. Any attempt to mine ambiguities or complexities is misguided: the point of such exercises wasn’t to create psychological drama but to provide skilled singers with opportunities to charm an urbane audience.
ETO’S production, directed by James Conway, isn’t a sophisticated critique on this game. Instead, it takes it all at face value, avoiding any temptation to modernise or distort the action or characters. Some might find it a trifle dull; others will appreciate its straightforward good taste.
It helps that the staging looks so beautiful: Rory Beaton’s subtle lighting casts an alluring glow over Adam Wilshire’s simple but elegant representations of walled Thrace and its surrounding wilderness. The costumes are sumptuous, and a strong team of singers wears them with aplomb. Countertenor William Towers makes a handsome, melancholy titular hero, singing the aria “Ombra cara” with feeling. Ellie Laugharne and Katie Bray bring tonal clarity and sensitive style to the virtuous ladies in the case; Grant Doyle is a rough and gruff villain.
The performance lasts just over two and a half hours, including an interval: this implies considerable cuts have been made, but only scholarly purists will either object or notice. Played by a vivacious band spiritedly conducted by Peter Whelan, this is a performance that can be warmly recommended to all Handel lovers.