<<  -- 9 --  Roderic Dunnett    VERGING ON LONDON STANDARDS

More importantly, the well-travelled Ukrainian mezzo, Maria Ryadchicova, as the Queen's confidante, Princess Eboli, proved a real find for Stowe's capable conductor and prime mover, Robert Secret. She has glowing timbres -- a natural Mistress Quickly, perhaps -- and has already sung Eboli, significantly, in Washington.

Her former Soviet compatriot, the Russian Nataliya Kompaniyets-Jouri, is another asset, though on Stowe's first night she was suffering slightly, so that Elisabeth came across initially rather softly; the odd swallowed Russian back vowel also marred her Italian. Her exchange with Carlo revealed how well Buxton, with hints of the calibre of Dennis O'Neill's Welsh National Opera's Turiddu or Fernando del Valle in Dorset's marvellous Salvator Rosa, can encompass top registers. Brass (over strong trumpets amid Tebaldo's ditties), woodwind (the odd bit of straying) and strings (the occasional hiccup) all had brief drawbacks in this generally well-managed act; but the paired flutes for the Queen and cor anglais for both royals were first rate, as was the markedly sympathetic Elisabeth's Callas-like, prayerful conclusion ('Signor, Signor...').

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