A Delight
'Albert Herring' in Florence
impresses GIUSEPPE PENNISI
impresses GIUSEPPE PENNISI
Benjamin Britten's Albert
Herring is a staple of British, North American and Australian opera houses. It is a brilliant comic opera, as sparkling as an icy cup of high class
champagne. It requires a simple stage set and an orchestra of twelve soloists where each instrument is closely
linked to a character on stage. It can easily move
from city to city. Finally, it is perfect for young voices and singers with great ability to act;
thus, it is often a choice of music schools. It is also frequently seen
and heard in Germany and Central Europe because it is very funny and has a key message against
hypocritical petty middle class. Most M&V readers
will be familiar with the plot (based on a Guy de Maupassant
novel) and with the lovely libretto by Eric Crozier.
 Orla Boylan as Lady Billows and Sam Furness in the title role of Britten's 'Albert Herring' in Florence. Photo © 2016 Michele Borzoni. Click on the image for higher resolution |
However, Albert Herring is a rarity in Italy. It was staged for a few
nights in Florence in the Teatro della Pergola
in 1968 and in a few theaters of the
southern regions in 2004. I have no memory of other productions, except a
one-evening-import from Britain by the Associazione
Filarmonica Romana some forty years ago.
 Anna Gillingham as Miss Wordsworth and Zachary Altman as the Vicar in Britten's 'Albert Herring' in Florence. Photo © 2016 Michele Borzoni. Click on the image for higher resolution |
I was at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence on the 21 May 2016 opening night. I hope that this new British
and Italian production will travel
to other European opera houses because it is
just a delight. The stage direction by Alessandro Talevi and
the sets and costumes by Madeleine Boyd are
designed for a swift action. With a few props and a
curtain, the single set transforms the location quickly from Lady Billows' pretentious palace to Mrs Herring's fruit and
vegetable shop, the church, the banquet room and the
central square of the East Suffolk village which contains the Herrings'
store and house. The singers — S Furness, O Boylan, R Kelly, P Smith, G Sborgi,
A Gillingham, C Lemmings, Z Altman, K Huml, M Custer, B Callaghan, S Gallagher
and N Challier — have good voices and are excellent actors too. All fit the score and the stage well. Albert
Herring is mostly an ensemble opera, with only one recitative and aria by the title role (Sam
Furness) in the second act. In between ensembles, there are some 'chit-chat'
moments — eg in the conversation between Sid (Philip Smith) and Nancy (Rachel
Kelly).
 Sam Furness as Albert Herring, Rachel Kelly as Nancy and Philip Smith as Sid in Britten's 'Albert Herring' in Florence. Photo © 2016 Michele Borzoni. Click on the image for higher resolution |
The conductor (Jonathan Webb) is the key to
the success of the production because, as
mentioned, each character on stage except Albert is associated with an
instrument in the pit. For the title role, especially in the recitative and
aria in the second act, all twelve instrumentalists provide a
carpet of sound. Jonathan Webb handled this
quite well, and was especially good in dealing with the delicate counterpoint.
 A scene from Britten's 'Albert Herring' in Florence. Photo © 2016 Michele Borzoni. Click on the image for higher resolution |
Thus, this was an excellent performance which I
intend to propose for the 'Premio Abbiati' — the yearly award presented by the
National Association of Italian Music Critics to the best opera production
and performance.
 Manuela Custer as Mrs Herring in Britten's 'Albert Herring' in Florence. Photo © 2016 Michele Borzoni. Click on the image for higher resolution |
However, the small eight hundred seat Teatro della Pergola was only half
full for the opening night. I have already discussed the financial problems of Florence opera
houses (See Troubles in Florence, 2
May 2015 and 7 May 2013). The issue
here is much deeper: disaffection of the audience.
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