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New opera proves an asset to the Abbey in St Albans
22 May 2009, St Alban's Abbey, Hertfordshire, UK
Opera Now’s Roderic Dunnett reports from the world premiere an accomplished chamber opera that recalls the church parables of Benjamin Britten . . .
With last Wednesday's world premiere of Alban, young British composer Tom Wiggall has served up a cogent chamber opera worthy of Britten’s Church Parables. Admirably structured around a wittily unsentimental libretto by award-winning poet John Mole, Wiggall’s score freshly persuades at every turn, from the haunting initial oboe and strings motif to the forcefully designed confrontations/mishaps that engineer a cogent dramatic build-up, thanks to conductor David Ireson. Director Beckie Mills had her alert large chorus marshalled in impressive detail: slyly plotted, all action relevant, strikingly well-clad (beiges, russets, browns) by Ann Hollowood.
Dominique Thiebaud (Alban’s wife) shines amid six strong principals and a bevy of believable youngsters (notably Alban’s Miles and Flora-like children), drilled to perfection. Thanks to a shrewdly judged text and Wiggall’s fertile, assured composing, Alban, full of absorbing storytelling echoing the Gospels, easily rose far above a kitsch local-historical piece of amateur dramatics.
Set against the ancient stone-clad backdrop of St Albans Abbey, the ecclesiastical ambience was sensuously lit by Colin Innes-Hopkins, yards from Alban’s martyrdom. This may be harder to recreate in a theatre context, but the strength of the work should mean that it’s eminently viable. This piece should travel (Buxton, York, the Linbury Studio in Covent Garden). It betokens great expectations of composer and producers alike.
