Gemma Morsley’s waspy yet vulnerable Marcellina is an absolute delight, getting right to the heart of the role with her finely-honed mezzo (not to mention some fabulous dancing, handbag clutched and ready).
The jaunty violence and paranoia of the piece were really effectively brought to life in three totally confident, big performances by singers Iain Milne, Samuel Queen and Andri Björn Róbertsson. Here was real music theatre, wound as tight as a spring, full of terrifying musical and dramatic strength.
Andri Björn Róbertsson...here reveals that the true bass repertoire is well within his grasp...Again the characterisation is strong and lucid-his sententious moralising, disapproving sobriety, visionary fear of god. All three roles require surprising excursions into falsetto, and all three sounded very good here. Particularly impressive at this was the Róbertsson who brought a fully supported sound right up into the high notes which meant that they were richer and more beautifully resonant than many a counter tenor that I have heard. Maybe a second career option!?
Andri Björn Róbertsson's Gremin was exquisitely sung
