Edinburgh Studio Opera

The setting for Edinburgh Studio Opera's double-bill of Venus & Adonis and Acis & Galatea could hardly have been chosen better. The small, intimate space of St Cecilia's Hall—Scotland's oldest purpose-built concert hall—carries off director Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones' idea of courtly entertainment perfectly, aided in no small part by a superb orchestra under the musical direction of Geoffrey Paterson and the eight-strong chorus.

The first of tonight's pair, John Blow's Venus & Adonis, tells the tragic story of Venus, goddess of love, and Adonis, her mortal lover. Although the story bears little suspense, the three soloists serve to keep the audience interested throughout. Louise Alder's poignant performance as Venus displays well the tenderness and sorrow of her character's situation, especially in the final death scene. While Anna McAlpine's cheeky Cupid—with muddied knees and freckled cheeks—at times appears awkward on stage, she does bring some light relief to the piece.

Forming a stark contrast to the sombre mood of the first opera, Handel's Acis & Galatea adopts a more light-hearted approach. The storyline, as simple as the first, sees the nymph Galatea's love for Acis cut short by the giant Polyphemus (a terrific Donald Thomson) who lusts after Galatea. Musically superior to the first in both score and voice, Emma Harper captures the character of Galatea perfectly with vocal sophistication and comic physicality. While vocally very capable, Greer's performance as the young shepherd Acis appears weak at times, often relying on over-used comic devices and a fairly cringe-worthy Saturday Night Fever pose. Although easier to watch than the first—Thomson's hilarious entrance springs to mind—the length and degree of repetition within the opera serves to draw it out. Additionally, the company are ill-served by the fact that the longer of the two operas is placed last in the billing.

Although atmospheric, the small working space brings its own difficulties, often resulting in awkward, clumsy movements, especially during the choreographed dance interludes. But the greatest flaw of this otherwise visually stunning production is the weak, half-hearted attempt made by Llewellyn-Jones to drag the operas into modern day settings. Yet these flaws are small in comparison to the overall success of a production which transports the audience into the magical and often not easily accessible world of opera.

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