... this thoughtful, detailed production ... spirited staging ...

Opera Now magazine

Mendelssohn’s contemporary, Rossini’s friend and Cherubini’s pupil, Michael Balfe (1808–1870) was one of the finest baritones of his generation, wowing Paris, Milan and Palermo. He also wrote 35-plus operas — 15 ... before The Bohemian Girl became an overnight hit in 1843. ... With shades of Trovatore, The Bohemian Girl ... does indeed verge on Auber, Donizetti or earliest Verdi. ... Balfe could turn out a world-enchanting aria (“In marble halls”) and fire up a chorus, as Opera South’s spirited bicentenary staging by Tom Hawkes — a skilled director with a keen eye for visual import, and a gift for motivating both chorus and leads in this two-act version — demonstrated.

Opera South does some things supremely well. Its costuming — and slick costume-changing — was terrific. Hawkes shifted the action from a Ruritanian Poland to republican-inclined Ireland (ideal). Designer John Braithwaite based his sets on an early Balfe score cover, achieving marvels with a few clutter-free lamps, pots, low walls and benches, leaving Hawkes free to block his cast with pleasing variety, and relevance, on Haslemere Hall’s shallow stage ... this thoughtful, detailed production ... The Cardiff- and RCM-trained tenor Huw Llywelyn made an appealing rebel hero, torn between Fenian instincts and the British establishment to which he rightfully belongs. Catriona Clark’s matronly Arline pitched the heroine’s uppermost notes often to perfection. American Marc Callahan sang the father warmly, with a marked beauty of line. James Scarlett’s less steady Florestein (dumb cousin, who covets the gal) looked appropriately helpless. One performer knocked spots off the rest: Australian Nicholas Lester (the loyal brigand, Devilshoof). A fluent, bass-inclined baritone, a kind of Macheath meets Sweeney Todd, Lester brought piquancy and definition every time he opened his magnificent late trio. Tom Higgins’ reduced score, derived from Valerie Langfield’s new edition, served splendidly ... the handsome Guildford Philharmonic woodwind (clarinet especially) consistently delighted.

RODERIC DUNNETT

Opera Now July/August 2008 pages 95–96

All credit to Opera South

Opera magazine

All credit to Opera South — without whose stalwart efforts the bicentenary of the birth of Michael William Balfe might have gone unmarked — for reviving his most popular opera, which achieved more than 100 performances in 1843 when it was first staged at Drury Lane, and even had a run of 19 under Thomas Beecham at Covent Garden in 1951 during the Festival of Britain.

It also revealed the mystery of the dream of marble halls, best-known of the several ballads in the tuneful score. Not that Opera South stuck too faithfully to Alfred Bunn's libretto, which has an Austrian background and a Polish hero. Its production team went for a complete makeover: the director Tom Hawkes opted for a Northern Irish background (in sets by John Braithwaite) and a republican hero, and rewrote the story in collaboration with the resident librettist, Guy Davenport, and the music director, Tom Higgins, who also restored the work for 22 players. Together they fashioned a compact two-act opera out of the original three, smoothed out some tortured English from the dialogue, and eradicated a climactic shooting in favour of a more upbeat ending. They might as well have gone the whole hog and remedied the un-Irish names of the gentry.

Of the six principals, two represent the gypsies who kidnap Arline, child of the local landowner, who with the passage of 12 years has become the Bohemian Girl. Their leader, “Devilshoof“, was sung by Nicholas Lester, whose vigorous presence, tall stature and well-nourished and projected singing contributed to a striking performance. Elizabeth Traill displayed a soprano of substance and solid technique, and she vividly conveyed the animosity of the Queen of the Gypsies towards the heroine, though the editing robbed her of a fatal act of revenge, leaving her to fade out of the picture. Arline was sung in a pretty, though occasionally muted, light soprano by Catriona Clark. Her voice blended well in duet with the tenor of Huw Llywelyn as Thaddeus — the rebellious republican finally revealed as a suitably well-born match for Arline, restored to her proper status — and his upper register rang out strongly in his solos. Marc Callahan impressed as Arline's father, Lord Arnheim; and as Florestein, his foolish nephew, James Scarlett provided light relief. Tom Higgins drew firm, polished playing from the Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra and gave good support to his cast. The chorus as gentry, gypsies, yokels or servants did justice to Balfe's rousing ensembles... MARGARET DAVIES

Another triumph for Opera South ...

... bringing professional opera of such a high standard to Haslemere

The Herald

Opera South is renowned for staging lesser known and often neglected operas of real artistic value, and its choice this year was The Bohemian Girl by Balfe, whose bi-centenary it is. Balfe was a highly intelligent, cultivated musician and the most prolific British opera composer of his generation. He may have lacked the dramatic imagination of his contemporaries but his talent lay in writing charming melodies in the Italianate style of Bellini and Rossini.

The Bohemian Girl shows Balfe’s fertility of invention with an inexhaustible vein of tunefulness so that the work earned the description – a string of melodic pearls.

Opera South’s production has been updated to the early 1900s and set in John Braithwaite’s imposing Gothic castle in Ulster. The director, Tom Hawkes, has created a 2 Act opera out of the original 3 and made it more compact.

The story revolves round two main characters, Arline — the daughter of the Count who as a young child was kidnapped by a band of gypsies — and Thaddeus — a Republican rebel who sought refuge with the gypsies and brought up Arline with whom he falls in love.

Among the strong cast of soloists, Marc Callahan as the Count stood out. He uses his rich, warm baritone most musically and his diction and characterization were excellent. Here is a name to watch in the future.

As Arline, Catriona Clark has a bright voice used with technical skill. She gave a convincing characterisation of joy and sadness bordering on despair. She understandably sounded a little nervous in the most famous aria from the opera — I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls — which is only to be expected, as it is the first notes she has to sing.

Her lover, Thaddeus, was sung by Huw Llywelyn. He has a light tenor voice and coped well with the florid, yet lyrical writing, but sounded a little strained in the upper register. He needs to work on his acting and diction.

Nic Lester revelled in his role as Devilshoof, the Captain of the gypsies. His strong, rich voice and great height made him a very imposing figure. He acted well and his every word could be clearly heard.

The cast was completed by the bell-like quality of Elizabeth Traill as a forceful Queen of the Gypsies and James Scarlett in the unsatisfactory role as Thaddeus’s rival, Florestein.

The alert, precise chorus sounded and looked splendid in delightful costumes designed by Carol Stevenson.

Tom Higgins has re-scored the work very successfully. He paced the work effectively and brought Balfe’s attractive score to life with some superb playing from 22 members of the Guildford Philharmonic who gave sympathetic support to the singers.

So another triumph for Opera South in bringing professional opera of such a high standard to Haslemere.

Ann Pinhey

The Bohemian Girl played to packed houses

... certainly well worth reviving”

Petersfield Post

When it first appeared in 1843, Balfe’s The Bohemian Girl was a triumph. It was immediately translated into French, German, Italian, Swedish, Croat and Russian and drew huge audiences throughout Europe and America. Why, then, is it totally ignored today? Or was, until the enterprising Opera South resurrected it at Haslemere Hall for the composer’s 200th anniversary.

There was barely any tradition of English opera, and The Bohemian Girl, with its easy-going melodies and vigorous plot concerning noblemen and gypsies, proved to be exactly what the public, used to a diet of Italian opera, were ready for. Musically it has all the charm of Bellini and Donizetti, including a magnificent ensemble in Act Two, and is also sprinkled with typically English ballads.

Director Tom Hawles brought the action forward sixty years to the beginning of the last century, and cleverly set it in a steadfastly loyalist part of Ireland. To this end one must congratulate the cast in maintaining brilliantly the Irish accents demanded in Guy Davenport’s updated dialogue.

As ever, Opera South had assembled a talented cast of young professional singers, led by Catriona Clark, as Arline, the heiress brought up by a band of gypsies. She sang appealingly in “I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls”, and cleverly portrayed the conflict between paternal and romantic love before her triumphant final Rondo. She was partnered by a strong voiced tenor, Huw Llywelyn as Thaddeus, a Republican Officer, sworn enemy of Lord Arnheim, Arline’s father.

He was played by the American baritone Marc Callahan, who possesses a voice of great beauty, even throughout its whole range, and his grieving aria in Act Two, “The heart bowed down”, foreshadows many of Verdi’s great paternal arias, which I can imagine him singing in a few years time.

In the supporting roles Nic Lester’s physical stature and imposing voice dominated the stage whenever he appeared as Devilshoof, captain of the gypsies ...

Conductor Tom Higgins had cleverly adapted the score for a reduced section of the Guildford Philharmonic, and galvanised the Chorus into strong, forthright singing in a great variety of guises — noble guests, huntsmen, gypsies and servants, not forgetting the odd soldier and policeman. And a special word of praise to Hale Hambleton for his melting clarinet solos.

The whole opera, which played to full and enthusiastic houses throughout the week, was enhanced by John Braithwaite’s Gothic castle.

It was certainly well worth reviving.

“... thoughtful, detailed production ... spirited staging ...” (Opera Now magazine)

“All credit to Opera South” (Opera magazine)

“Another triumph for Opera South” (The Herald)

“Certainly well worth reviving” (Petersfield Post)