<<  -- 3 --  Malcolm Miller    ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT

Some of his arias are entrancing, particularly the touching piece for Dromio when he discovers his wife Lesbia and daughter Dromia, and two love arias in the second act. There are also several racy patter songs. Even more delightful are the ensembles in each act and the multi-section finales which owe much to Da Ponte's experience as a librettist.

Particularly effervescent at Bampton was the nonet in the Act 1 finale as each group of characters, the wife and sister, and the two pairs of Euphomios and Dromios, challenge each other in the dark, with comical effects reinforced in the orchestration. There was fine projection from the singers Catherine Hamilton as Adriana, Amanda Pitt as Luciana her sister, Benjamin Hulett and the experienced baritone of Mark Saberton, as well as David Murray and Thomas Guthrie, and Gillian French as Lesbia. The Act II finale takes place at the ducal court where the Duke, a Sarastro-like character symbolic of Enlightenment justice and reason was nobly sung by Henry Herford, who has three Bampton festivals to his credit.

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