Scottish Opera, 10/12/2023
Strauss : Daphne
Orchestra of Scottish Opera
Stuart Stratfird
Scottish Opera gave three performances of this concert staging of Daphne, two in September, which I could not attend, and this one in Edinburgh which I was determined not to miss, even if it meant delaying my Christmas break by a week. Despite the floods of rain accompanying me on my drive over, it was worth it, for this is one of Strauss's most beautiful scores, and Stratford did it proud.
All Strauss is difficult to sing, and Daphne is no exception. Its brevity probably lightens the load a little, but you still need two first-rate tenors, a true contralto, and, of course, the soprano title role who has, after a good deal of very impassioned singing, to pull off that wonderful final scene. I think the only saving grace by that point is that she no longer has to fight the full might of the quite significant orchestra. I think Stratford was working with somewhat reduced forces, because I seem to recall the score calls for a couple of alphorns, and they were nowhere to be seen, but I don't think it significantly reduced the volume of the ensemble at its height.
Therein lay the single significant problem of this afternoon's performance; try as they might, and as good as they were, the entire cast was regularly submerged by the orchestra. Stratford was not holding back, and in most respects he was right, because that's something that you really feel with Strauss, when the conductor is choking things up just to keep the volume down. However, in a concert performance where the singers are standing in front of the orchestra, instead of above it, it does them no favours.
That aside, though, it was a very satisfying experience. The cast was fairly young, which was encouraging; finding not one but two clarion-bright and confident tenors of this calibre is a rare event, and to be appreciated. Shengzhi Ren was suitably rash as Leukippos, Brad Cooper a struttingly arrogant Apollo, but his duet with Daphne was magnificently incendiary. Claire Barnett-Jones was a warm, dark-toned Gaea, while Dingle Yendall impressed as Peneios - of all the cast, his big, resonant voice was the most easily heard.
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| Hey-Youn Lee (Daphne) and Shengshi Ren (Leukippos) Daphne, Scottish Opera © Sally Jubb (2023) |
The Daphne was Hye-Youn Lee, who has become something of a regular at Scottish Opera, to our greater pleasure, because she's both versatile and reliable, with roles for the company ranging from Mozart to John Adams. The last time I heard her was as Micaëla in Carmen, where she pretty much stole the show, but I had been slightly concerned that the fullness of her tone might make her sound a little mature for the adolescent Daphne, as I had felt it did for Micaëla. Fruitless concern, that richness was needed for the opulence of Strauss's score, and she remained as fresh-sounding at the end as she had at the start. It was a tour-de-force of a performance, clear, focused, expressive and beautifully sung from end to end.
The orchestra felt as if it was revelling in the vivid score, playing with a big, lyrical flow in the violins, rich brass, and eloquent winds, notably the Principal Flute Eilidh Gillespie. It's a little bit of a shame that Daphne has such a pompous libretto - that appears to have been Joseph Gregor's trademark, to be honest - but the music is inspired, and was well served today.
[Next : 13th December]