Behind-the-scenes with English Touring Opera
Last month, on 12 September, I travelled to London to visit English Touring Opera for a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the production of two operas that will be performed at Saffron Hall later this month: Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert on 18 October, presented as a ‘double bill’ alongside a new commission Do not take my story for a fairytale, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snowmaiden on 19 October. I had the privilege of sitting in on rehearsals, spoke to key cast members, and chatted with the directors.
I learned that all these works explore the evolution of the Romantic imagination. Ludwig Tieck’s Der Blonde Eckbert, a supernatural short story that inspired Judith Weir's opera, represents one of the earliest expressions of German Romanticism, blending psychological realism with eerie, supernatural themes. As was evident in rehearsals, English Touring Opera’s critically-acclaimed production of Weir's ‘deliciously disturbing fairy-tale’ (The Telegraph) draws heavily on psychological drama. Watch the trailer below.
Do not take my story for a fairytale – featuring music by Beethoven and Haydn – traces the Romantic movement’s growth in literature and music, from the serene, classical elegance of C.P.E. Bach’s depiction of sunrise to the turbulent internal and external struggles in Schubert’s Prometheus, where the protagonist stands isolated on a mountain, questioning the existence of God. This new work, a staging of song cycles and cantatas, will be performed in an arrangement for period-instrument chamber ensemble by soprano Abigail Kelly, mezzo Amy J Payne, tenor and 2024 Kathleen Ferrier Award-winner Matthew McKinney, and baritone Mark Nathan.
A particular highlight of my visit was sitting in on rehearsals with the wonderfully-talented Matthew McKinney and ETO’s Music Director, Gerry Cornelius. In the absence of a proper stage, McKinney simply commandeered the closest table to stand on and sang Romantic Beethoven with passion and total conviction - a real ray of sunlight in an otherwise wet and bleak day in the 'Big Smoke'! Don't just take my word for it, watch a sample of McKinney singing in rehearsal below.
The Snowmaiden, composed in 1880, reflects later developments in Romanticism, using vibrant Russian folk melodies, dances, and vivid depictions of nature. The Snowmaiden is where lush Romanticism meets Russian folk – a truly intoxicating and heady mix. According to the production’s award-winning director Olivia Fuchs, the opera was where Rimsky-Korsakov found his compositional voice, and it was the work he was most proud of. It’s also very rarely performed, a fact that cast members were all too aware of during rehearsals, making them want to give their all to the performance. One cast member told me: 'enjoy it while you can, it's not on very often'. Indeed, who knows when it will next come around, making this a must-see for any opera lover (myself included!). Don’t miss this feast for the ears and eyes. Watch the trailer below.
Dylan Jardine
Marketing Co-ordinator at Saffron Hall