<<  -- 12 --  Roderic Dunnett    WIT AND ORIGINALITY

Musically, Garsington laid on a feast. There was a huge amount to enjoy in the score, partly for the reasons outlined above, even though one hopes Steuart Bedford has enlivened a few slightly drearily delivered passages (there were many splendid ones too) since the first night, when several apparently needless gaps (there may have been unseen reasons), especially later on, caused lapses in audience concentration that were far more dramatically damaging than might casually be divined. There was also a feeling of 'getting through' the score in places, rather than simply relishing it, perhaps in part due to its unfamiliarity, or maybe to the bedding in of a new instrumental team and the exigencies of getting familiar with the challenging May Night score (launched a week earlier) and also mastering Don Pasquale, the three operas being with three different conductors.

Thus The Philosophers' Stone was a highly enjoyable Garsington first night, albeit a flawed one. Yet for all this initial cavil, much of the ensuing orchestral playing under Bedford's watchful direction was terrific. Both the overtures (by Henneberg) were exciting and well-driven; and large parts of the cheeky recitative and a clutch of the nattiest arias proved musically very catchy indeed. The Garsington Orchestra's woodwind made some very alluring sounds, both individually and paired or in chorus.

The storm which begins Act 2 -- a terrifically inventive opening -- was shiveringly dramatic musically and at the same time amusingly handled visually, with a huge blue cloth supported by rearing (drowning) figures underneath serving as the relentless 'heaving deep': one of those moments where Garsington's sense of humour really did rise to Bampton's inspiredly zany trademark comedy.

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