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An uncomfortable story is well told by characterful and beautifully sung performancesSummary
Rating
Good
The Snowmaiden was composer Rimsky-Korsakov’s favourite of his operas. In fact, he thought it was the best opera there was. Based on the Russian folk tale Snegurochka/Снегу́рочка,it’s full of characterful folk melodies and delicious harmonies. English Touring Opera’s reduced-size orchestra do a superb job with Patrick Bailey’s orchestration, which helps bring a welcome air of intimacy to the production under the baton of Hannah Quinn. It was a pleasure to listen to this infrequently performed music.
While the production itself is very enjoyable, with lots to shout about, unfortunately my lasting impression is of an uncomfortable story. I know that folk stories and fables are vehicles for the feeling of the time, and are to be looked at from afar – not taken as stories of real life. Perhaps it is complimentary to the very human playing of the titular character by Ffion Edwards, but her character lacked mysticism, which kept her trials and tribulations feeling grounded in this world, rather than one halfway to fantasy.
A more usual synopsis is available online, but here’s the way I saw it: A girl who is not prepared by her parents to experience love goes into the world to find it. There, her interactions with an interesting boy are awkward. The town’s Tsar rules that this intriguing girl must be shown what love is by a man. One, who makes the right moves, ends up choosing another girl, breaking the Snowmaiden’s heart. The second tries to impress her, and turns violent when it doesn’t work. Turning to her mother, the Snowmaiden is given some literal rose-coloured glasses, and returns to the world to find that she does, in fact, love the violent man after all. From there, things get literally too hot, and the poor thing melts away.
Reading Olivia Fuch’s Director’s Note about the production, I was interested to see that the misogyny is acknowledged, with an explanation of the Snowmaiden returning instead as someone “full of love for life” at the end. Unfortunately, this is not what I saw and understood from what was in front of us tonight.
Even so, this opera is full of lovely performances, notably Edwards as the Snowmaiden, and Edmund Danon as Mizgir, who both naturally flow with the music rather than acting ‘on top’ of singing. The stage is dominated by a dramatic and mystical ring of light, which lights up designer Eleanor Bull’s simple but dynamic rural stage-scape. Jamie Platt’s lighting is both sensitive and dramatic, showcasing the alluring cast.
The thing I find with operas is that they have a big identity before they are even a suggestion in a production team’s mind. Changing, updating or re-imagining this, I suspect, is difficult. Troublesome narratives such as The Snowmaiden’s deserve to be treated so that we can still enjoy the wonderful score – the very thing which maybe limits how far a new adaptation can go. Despite all, it is worth seeing a great performance of beautiful music performed by a committed cast.
Music by: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Libretto by: Alexander Ostrovsky
Directed by: Olivia Fuchs
Head of Production: Ryan Watson for English Touring Opera
Conducted by: Hannah Quinn
Designed by: Eleanor Bull
Lighting by: Jamie Platt
The Snowmaiden plays at Hackney Empire until 4 October. It continues to tour until 16 November. Full tour dates and further information available here.
