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Opera Trio: Laughter Follows Loss and Satire
3 May
Summary
- Three one-act operas explore themes from death to divorce.
- Works by Maconchy, Bray, and Langer showcase diverse musical styles.
- The evening concluded with a witty satire on inheritance and family.
A recent triple bill by the Royal Opera's Jette Parker Artists offered a journey through operatic works, ranging from the deeply somber to the satirically hilarious. The evening began with Elizabeth Maconchy's "The Departure," a 1961 two-hander depicting a woman's spectral realization of her own funeral, which, despite its melodramatic elements, served as a vocal showcase.
Following this, Charlotte Bray's "Making Arrangements," first seen in 2012, presented a more contemporary ghost story with a wife's humorous, yet poignant, departure. The opera featured a lean score and captured a tragicomic mood.
The performance culminated with Elena Langer's "Four Sisters," a brand-new chamber orchestra version of her 2012 work. This piece opened with a vibrant overture and centered on the reading of a patriarch's will and the revelation of a fourth daughter, eliciting a satisfied audience reaction with its witty music and sharp libretto.
