Stream: Acis and Galatea
The Royal Opera House
If you are a fan of cross-cultural performances, then this is the perfect show for you. The delicious combination of Danielle Di Nisi and members of the Royal Ballet, interpreting Handel’s musical work of Acis and Galatea is a confection to convince even the purists. The ROH chose this delightful pastoral piece, directed by Royal Ballet resident choreographer, Wayne McGregor, as the second free offering in their ‘From Our House to Your House’ season during the current pandemic.
Handel composed the mini opera in 1718, and it remained the most popular of his dramatic works. It tells the story in masque form of the ill-fated love between the mortal shepherd, Acis, sung by Charles Workman, and the goddess, Galatea, Their love is thwarted by the giant, Polyphemus, sung with conviction by a bare-chested Mathew Rose. This delightful piece reflects the fashion of the period for shepherds, villains and immortals. Shakespeare was fond of the odd shepherd, - think ‘As You Like It’ or ‘A Winters’s Tale’. The rapturous Galatea turns her lover into an eternal bubbling stream, when he is felled by a stone hurled by the jealous giant.
This interpretation by Wayne McGregor was a perfect vehicle to bring together the two art forms of opera and ballet in a stunning first collaboration between the two companies at the Royal Opera House in 2019. It was the Covent Garden debut of the divine Danielle De Niese, who counts it as a milestone in her career. Singing in Handel’s masterpiece with the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment conducted by Christopher Hogward in the pit and having McGregor create a pas de deux with principal Edward Watson was a career highlight. Dressed in effortlessly chic and simple attire against a brightly lit sky, with the eye of the Cyclops looming, the dancers of the Royal Ballet set the pastoral scene amongst static sheep and deer. Although McGregor’s choreographic language has developed, especially in his later work’ Woolf Works’, the effect here is both striking and apt. As De Niese sings, she is shadowed and interpreted by Sarah Lamb, just as Edward Watson shadows Acis, sung by Charles Workman. This effect does not distract from the vocal, but rather enhances the beauty of the music. It seems to create within the singers a deeper interpretation as the performance progressed. The final joyous combination of two great interpreters of their art in the final pas de deux was overpowering, and who better to create the image of a stream, but dancers from the Royal Ballet?
This was a delightful show to raise the spirits in these unprecedented times. Bravo!
The Royal Opera House is offering a free programme of curated online broadcasts as part of their #OurHousetoYourHouse series. Full-length productions, musical masterclasses and glimpses behind the scenes can be seen for free any time, anywhere across the globe. These are available on demand, for free, via their Facebook and YouTube channels.
