Written On Skin at Aix 'Moderne mais bon'

Christopher Purves, Bejun Mehta, Barbara Hannigan

'Shatter the printing-press.
Make each new book a precious object
written on skin.'

There was quite a buzz in the  Grand Theatre de Provence for the much anticipated new opera, Written On Skin, in English  by composer George Benjamin and librettist Martin Crimp  trailed as a new contemporary masterpiece.

The plot taken from an ancient local fable* is described by Martin Crimp on the publisher's website thus;

      ‘A rich landowner invites an artist into his house to make an illuminated book. He wants the book to immortalise in pictures both the violent operation of his political power and his peaceful enjoyment of domestic order – embodied by the humility and child-like obedience of his wife, Agnès. But the making of the book becomes a catalyst for the woman’s rebellion. After her first successful experiment in seduction, she exploits her new intimacy with the illuminator to influence the contents of the book itself – forcing her husband to see her as she really is – and laying the ground for an extraordinary final act of defiance.’

(Martin Crimp).

For the telling of this unremmitingly bleak  tale of the power, passion and oppression, the stage design uses a device of a two tiered set  divided into several chambers . There is a fracturing of time frames with honeyed  lighting and medieval costumes for the 13 century retelling contrasting with the flourescent lights and monochrome research lab setting of the contemporary chambers.  The characters, the main protaganists are joined by 'angels' and four other extras in modern dress who move between the spaces and busy themselves with scholarly tasks simultaneously with the main unfolding action of the bleak tale.  While this means there is always something to look at, it is distracting and it does rather diminish the shock of the murder somewhat when the victim appears upstairs, nonchalantly ambling around a few moments later in the 20th century. Strange  also is the device of the characters singing about themselves in the third person despite there being extra singers on hand to do the work of narration .

Clayton, Mehta, Loeb photo Boris Horvat AFP

A student of French composer Messiaen, Benjamin's  orchestration delivered by the full scale  Mahler Orchestra is very interesting, a constantly changing palette supporting the on stage action. Unusual elements in the pit were Harmonica de verre (GlassHarmonica) and Bass Viole de Gambe and mandolin. For such a bleak and sexually charged tale there is much use of woodwind and brass bass timbres in dramatic moments. Of the cast, for me, the countertenor Bejun Mehta is perhaps the most compelling voice. One can believe it is the voice of an angel  and the duets with soprano Barbara Hannigan are beautiful. Baritone, Christopher Purves* as the Protector sings so well, you can't  hate him too much despite his unsympathetic role. 

In contrast to last years' perfunctory applause following a production at LArcheveché, last night's performance was greeted with sustained applause and there were about half a dozen curtain calls and a standing ovation for the nine strong cast, joined on stage by Benjamin and Crimp.

Among the capacity house at this relatively new space was the conductor Charles Dutoit. The verdict of the post show cognoscenti?- Moderne, mais bon!

Note on Venue Grand Theatre de Provence.


We found it tricky to locate the venue which is in the modern  commercial district of town. Arriving at the office at L'Archeveché Theatre, no venue map was available for the festival and it was a hot and sticky walk to the Tourist Office to get our bearings. On arriving early at the theatre, I could find no obvious entrance as  the entrance is concealed behind circular metal  metal gates which open one hour before the performance.  This is not a space that lends itself to lingering in for  apres opera chat and  within fifteen minutes of final curtain call, the audience had cleared the theatre and moved to the attractive circular space contained within the gates.  Legroom was not generous and taking your seat in the centre of a row minutes before curtain up was a bit of an effort. 

Some afterthoughts Comments added 13th July 

* The fable  by Guillem de Cabestany Le Coeur Mangé


*Tickled pink to read that Christopher Purves sang with Harvey and the Wallbangers, a band I remember seeing in the Shaw Theatre, London in the early 80's 


The opera will be screened live tomorrow 14th July at 4.00 GMT Link here  It will be available for a few months.


I enjoyed this review from Fench critic Jacques Drillon Le Nouvel Observateur .

http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/culture/20120712.OBS7171/written-on-skin-un-opera-trop-erudit-aaix.html

Telegraph review from Liam Cagney here
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/9403789/Written-on-Skin-Festival-Aix-review.html

L'Opera at Aix-en-Provence

L'opera at Aix en Provence 

There will be blood

Having left the hurly burly of OFF Festival Avignon, we arrive in Aix en Provence to take in the more refined pleasure of the entertainment offered and secured a few tickets for the production of  Le Clemenza di Tito at the Theatre de L'Archveché. Adjacent restaurant tables are at a premium and we join the hoverers and manage to secure a table with a good vantage point to allow a little schadenfreude  at the view of the fil d’attente  which for once we are not in  and to look at the procession  of arriving operas goers. It is a relief not to be plastered in fliers and to  have to balance between nodding too encouragingly at actors beseeching you most graciously to 'aller a leur spectacle’ and indifference. The audience are mostly elderly and comfortably attired . This is not a bejewelled and tuxedoed gang  and we need not have worried about being underdressed. The show starts late at 9.30 to allow for the optimum lighting in this large outdoor courtyard theatre. The seats and side panels are in a fine silver  hard wood and there are monitors for surtitles discreetly set into  the panels on either side.  Having climbed to the top of the Amphitheatre in Orange  this is a piece of cake.

The LSO under Sir  Colin Davis are in a sunken pit but all the orchestral colours are clearly heard with the clarinet solos particularly prominent in this score .  Although with characters from Ancient Rome the costume is 18^th century with most characters in black or shades of grey with only Tito and Servilla in white.   The Estonian chorus sound splendid and the bit of choreography from the sword wielding guards adds some  welcome diversion to the action on stage.

Interior L'Archeveché Theatre

While opera plots are not known for their complexity, this one seems more flimsy than most.  There is a good girl (dressed in white)  and a bad girl (in what else –black)   Jealous bad girl, Vitellia (Italian soprano, Carmen Giannastasio) takes umbrage when Tito all in white, (so presumably good guy),  chooses another and begs basically confused  guy Sextus (in grey) to kill Tito  who also happens to be a good friend and Emporer of Rome.   Tito having called it off with unwilling good girl  (Brahim- Djelloul) finally comes around to idea of marrying bad girl too late to stop  confused  guy who attempts to kill Tito  and burn down Rome while he is at it but makes a mess of it.  Good pal Annius a guy (but also  a girl)  tells Sextus to fess up and ask for clemency while bad girl has much to lose and advises him to run for it.  Good boy and bad girl confess all and in an anticlimactic ending Tito forgives all so alls well that ends well.   This is just the sort of plot one imagines Mozart had in in mind in the scene from Amadeus where he pleads for permission to write a good German opera. We are grateful for the surtitles which allow us to follow the libretto with school French.

The singing is very fine, Sarah Connolly looking very much the part and carrying much of the hard work in the role of  Sextus. Anna Stephany sang very well but had  a somewhat insubstantial stage presence. Overall wih the predominantly female cast the production  lacks a masculine edge. American tenor Gregory Kunde  in the title role is supported by Darren Jeffrey as Publio, leader of the guards. 

Connolly,  Giannastasio

The audience did not applaud between scenes and the action flowed seamlessly.  The production looked flawless and the lighting effects were effective  particularly in creating an impression of a burning city. Any milking of  applause was discouraged at the close by the house lights going on as the performers and conductor, Sir Colin Davis were taking a final bow and the scramble to leave the stage before the audience made for the exits was a little undignified.  They might might have been allowed a little longer to bask in the glow of the appreciation of the production.

We enjoyed this performance, the playing and singing was very fine. We flagged a bit in the second half as it was late.  We loved the theatrical courtyard space inaugurated, I understand, in 2007 and the subject of some controversy according to a review in the Telegraph.  Being used to outdoor events in chillier temperatures we did not seem to feel the chill which saw most of the other patrons wrapped up in the fleecy blankets provided.

On a practical note anybody looking for a taxi in Aix after midnight should be warned they are thin on the ground!

Cloths Pegs Vital kit