Venus and Adonis
CAST: Members of The Cape Consort
VENUE: Fugard Studio
until: October 19 (Sundays only)
RATING: ***
LATE 18th-century music in an intimate setting from a committed ensemble of singers and instrumentalists offers music-lovers an original and pleasing way to end their weekend.
Described as “a Masque for the entertainment of the King”, (that would be the fun-loving Charles II ), John Blow’s Venus and Adonis is just that – not a brain-cudgelling or esoteric work demanding much of its audience, but a tongue-in-cheek take on the myth of Venus and Adonis.
Seven musicians playing period instruments are joined by six solo vocalists for its performance, making for a sizable cast, especially when a quartet of little Cupids enter the fray. Judicious grouping of artists on the petite stage counters any impression of crowding, and the venue’s superb acoustics deliver every word of the libretto and every note of the score with crystalline clarity.
Surtitles and a brief introduction to each of the three acts make it easy to follow the action, and the only element lacking in otherwise excellent staging is the costume, or absence thereof. It is a pity that the performers’ hetero-geneous attire detracts from the sense of period painstakingly created for this production. For the musicians, all in sober black, this is not as important – but the singers’ appearance would be greatly enhanced by some effort to evoke the court fashion of the 1690s.
From the first stately strains of the overture, the musicians’ collec-tive commitment is manifest; their antique instruments muster a mellow sound that delights whether in solemn mode or the sprightly execution of Blow’s cheerful music.
Lente Louw’s Cupid is suitably impish, complete with flashy red heart worn as a badge of honour; she appears at ease in a role that brings her to the fore more frequently than that of Adonis, sung with distinction by Charles Ainslie.
The star of the show is Antoinette Blyth as Venus, by turns seductive, playful, cajoling, and, finally, grief-stricken. Her vocal delivery strengthens as the evening progresses, confirming the impression that subsequent performances of this opera will achieve an even higher calibre to reward its audiences.