By MARK MORFORD
The Arcadia Players, with the Henry Purcell Society of Boston and members of The Poets’ Theatre of Boston, performed “King Arthur,” a “semi-opera” with music by Henry Purcell and libretto by John Dryden, Sunday at Grace Church in Amherst.
The church was packed, and rightly so, for a unique musical experience. This is, to say the least, an unusual setting for so secular a work. Unfortunately, the church’s lengthy nave meant people toward the back could not see or hear the proceedings as well as they should.
“King Arthur” is not well known in this country. It is very British, and it was quite startling to hear American voices singing “Let Britannia rise In triumph o’er the main” and similar sentiments. I sang in this work as a boy, in 1943, when there were air attacks “across the main,” and again as an undergraduate in more peaceful times. In both these performances Purcell’s wonderful music dominated, and Dryden’s rhyming libretto, one of his weaker productions in a genre in which he was supreme in his time, was subordinated to the music.
Purcell was the greatest English composer between the 17th and 20th centuries, and it is a tragedy that, like Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn, he died (in 1695) before he had reached the age of 40.
This semi-opera was produced in 1691, at a turbulent time in England. The country still had not recovered from the Civil War of the 1640s and the beheading of King Charles I in January, 1649. The Commonwealth that followed was ended with the return of Charles’s son in 1660, who was followed as king by his brother, James II, who attempted to impose Catholicism on his Protestant subjects. He was driven out in 1690, and the Dutch leader, Willem of Orange, who was married to Princess Mary (daughter of James), was invited by the English Parliament to come to England and reign with his wife as William III and Mary.
This was the background for a “vacation from reality” as Bob Scanlan (artistic director of The Poets’ Theatre) calls it, “a fantasy parable from a more confusing and unsettled time.” Yet the Arcadia Players presented us with stunningly beautiful playing, to remind us that music is the great healer of troubles, be they for an individual or a state.
The orchestra consisted of 14 players, and the chorus similarly was small, about 15 singers, many of whom sang as soloists. Ian Watson, the conductor, had a tambourine strapped to one knee, and provided percussion occasionally, and he led the music with extraordinarily skill and tact.
Tact was needed, because The Poets’ Theatre expanded the spoken parts (usual in Purcell’s day) to give some sense of continuity to a work that had none. Its hero, King Arthur, wins his battle against the Saxon invaders off-stage in Act One, and the rest of the opera is a series of arias and choruses depicting, without realism, life in a peaceful England and ending with a Grand Dance.
The Poets’ Theatre added large spoken parts for Arthur’s fiancée, Emmeline, who is blind but later receives her sight, well spoken by Esme Allen, and for her companion, Matilda, Paula Langton. The wicked Osmond, Glen Moore, both spoke and acted maliciously, while Arthur, Ben Evett, spoke and moved with authority. It is much to Watson’s credit that Purcell’s superb music was properly integrated with long spoken parts delivered by professional actors.
The third Act is dominated by the Frost Scene, in which the Cold Genius, the bass, David Kravitz, is summoned, only to long to return to his frozen home. Kravitz skillfully sang his frozen aria, no mean feat, and he was followed by a remarkable chorus who ‘assemble though quiv’ring with cold.’
The most well-known music from the work is the exquisite aria, “Fairest Isle, all isles excelling,” sung beautifully and with restrained power by the soprano Sarah Yanovitch, who showed how scenes of nymphs and shepherds playing could lead to an inspiring representation of true patriotism.
This extraordinary production was enthusiastically received with prolonged and well-deserved applause.