Rating: 
Scottish Opera has 
produced a solid and pleasing Don Giovanni but one which, though it contains some fine singing, takes few risks and makes few demands of its audience. Sir Thomas Allen sang the title role for years so knows the piece inside out, therefore this opportunity to direct the work must presumably be a distillation of the insight and wisdom that he acquired though working with countless others on different productions.
Things began well enough with a strange masked figure suddenly appearing centre stage and beckoning the audience in during the initial doom laden chords of the overture. The mask was the first clue that we had been transported to Venice. We seemed to be there rather than Seville in order for a gondola to make a couple of appearances at the back of the stage. Other than that, it wasn’t immediately apparent why we were not in Spain.
The overture continued at a decidedly steady pace whilst the audience looked at a gauze screen in front of a dark stage. Eventually, when the lights on the stage went up, we found Leporello (Peter Kalman) hunched in a corner. Alas, the gauze remained firmly in place for the singing of the first scene, obscuring the view of what was going on. Some clichéd rushing clouds were briefly projected onto it. However, it is difficult to know why this was left in place unless to emphasise that the murder of the Commendatore (Jóhann Smári Saevarsson) was taking place at night when it was Difficult To See. If that were the case, it would have been better to trust the instincts of lighting designer Mark Jonathan who engineered a series of brilliantly moody atmospheres throughout the whole evening and who would have been better described as a Shadow Designer. The set by Simon Higlett was pleasant enough to look at – dusty street scenes and rich interiors but scene changes seemed ponderously long and sometimes rather noisy.
Kalman’s Leporello was the first voice to be heard in a balanced and reasonably confident cast. Indeed, his Catalogue Aria had more confidence than comedy about it, though he was later to get more laughs by continuing to sing whilst apparently eating chicken legs. He had a bold, assertive quality to his voice which one knew straight away was going to be one of the great strengths of the evening.
Jacques Imbrailo’s Giovanni, 
matched Kalman well and they made an interesting pair – sometimes more a couple of mates who had got themselves into scrapes than strictly master and servant. It is Giovanni’s mission to seduce all around him – not only his women but also his audience. This Imbrailo proceeded to accomplish with some aplomb. His baritone voice brought a polished and suitably aristocratic air to this Giovanni and there was no doubt that he was always one step ahead of everyone around him.
One of the most difficult parts to make sense of in Don Giovanni is surely Donna Elvira. Her vacillations over whether or not she trusts the central character go backwards and forwards. Lisa Milne wrung her hands and wrung her heart out over whether or not to trust him. She managed to find the necessary light and shade in her voice to bring out these sudden changes in desire. Though her fury was always more exciting than her affection she rose up and firmly grabbed hold of all that was expected of her.
A late substitution of Anita Watson for Susan Gritton who had been billed to sing Donna Anna brought a very confident and bright soprano to the stage. Her apparently relaxed ability to step into this role was rewarding and quite a delight to listen to.
Barnaby Rea’s Masetto was cheerful on the ear but grumpy by inclination as he became more and more exasperated by Zerlina, his intended. His attempt to keep her in one place by tying her up as she sang her apologies brought out something rather dark in their relationship, though she didn’t seem to be complaining. His rich and rewarding tone was a delight on its own and perfectly complimented Anna Devin’s Zerlina.
Indeed, Ms Devin had the sweetest singing amongst the entire cast. It was not merely her dove-like gentleness which was a pleasure but also that the orchestra could be kept from overwhelming her. The sensitivity which conductor Speranza Scappucci managed to inspire from the orchestra was never more apparent than during her “Vedrai, carino” which was the most delightful way of banishing any memories of previous Musical Director Francis Corti’s domineering heavy-handed conducting which dogged the company right up until his departure earlier this year.
Similarly, 
gentleness was the watchword for Ed Lyon’s Don Ottavio. Though bedecked in an unfortunate wig which resembled a wet day at a spaniel show, Lyon sang with a delicate purity, particularly during “Il mio tesoro”.
Both dramatically and musically, this Don Giovanni was a little subdued. There were several good ideas which were not developed. The appearance of the masked figure at the very beginning was rather enticing. Could such a silent figure have been some kind of narrator or Puck-ish demon through the whole piece? We never found out – masked figures moved the scenery but never directly related to the audience again. Similarly, Leporello was much more implicated in the Commendatore’s murder than one usually sees (his hand was on the weapon along with Giovanni’s) yet though this was obviously a point deliberately made, it went undeveloped later on. The surreal appearance of two blank-faced nuns in the second act was never entirely explained. The splendid cornettes which adorned their heads told us that they were Daughters of Charity but didn’t really tell us much about why they were simply standing around on the streets of Venice. Meanwhile, Ms Scappucci tended towards rather cautious (or might we say indulgent) tempi throughout the piece.
The most exciting dramatic moment came at the end of the first act when Don Giovanni made his escape by walking into the fireplace of his room and striding right through a blazing fire and into the darkness. This was breathtaking and one can only presume that he was wearing asbestos knickerbockers.
Fire-proof underwear might well be a metaphor for what Scottish Opera needs at the moment. This production came just days after the news broke that it had already lost its new Music Director Emmanuel Joel-Hornak, who left without conducting a note of music less than two months after being appointed. Scottish Opera is currently subject to intense press speculation that not all is well within its company. Given the apparent crisis, it is commendable that such that a musically coherent new production such as this made it onto the stage at all. However, ultra-safe choices seem to be being made and this was one third of the company’s whole output for the main stage this year.
This was a pleasing and pleasant production. However, Don Giovanni’s breeches were not the only things which didn’t quite catch fire.
37 responses to “Keeping the faith”
It was an inspiring recitation. Following the English translation in the service sheet provided added insight to the life of Mary. All the more so as the cathedral is dedicated to St Mary. You are reminded of Mary every time you walk into the building with the Gwyneth Leech mural over the High Altar.
Kelvin is quite right. The very self-righteous defenders of the Bible (including the ones who trolled a brave young Muslim woman, for days, with the most vile language, and those who did not reprimand them) totally ignored the Biblical instructions for raising concerns with a brother in faith (Matthew 18:15; 2 Tim 23). Very practical instruction too! As anyone who has ever lived in community can verify. Could all these obsessive men *please* stop trying to divide our communities in Glasgow. We will not be divided. At the first sign of trouble we rush out to embrace one another. These abusers have much to repent of, even if *just* standing by while others throw stones.
I HATE it when the wrong tune is picked for a hymn … it is simply an abomination before God.
However, helping people to think about how we share hospitality, welcome and learn from each other is the WAY of God! Blessings on you Kelvin.
Some reasons why this time was different:
1. The other quaran recitations you mentioned happened at Nine Lessons and Carols, or special ecuminical and interfaith events. While 9L&C was originally a modified Evensong, nowadays it’s usually considered a seasonal community musical recitial with a religious tinge, so having a Muslim from the community recite something from their faith would seem natural enough. Civic and interfaith services will likewise naturally include representatives of every faith in the community. By contrast the Eucharist is the central act of Christian worship and people expect to hear ONLY Christian doctrine proclaimed in the Holy Eucharist. In other words, this was the wrong venue for showing hospitality to Muslim neighbors. You did not intend to practice syncretism, but I think the outcome was syncretic despite your good intentions.
2. Post Brexit (and post Trump) British Muslims are now seen as alien invaders rather than fellow members of the community.
3. Because hostility to Muslims is now fashionable, the Express and rest of the gutter press decided that this was a story worth reporting. Since conservative Americans often read the online editions of the British gutter press, the story then went global.
4. Because you are gay and out, your every action is scrutinized for any possible hint of heresy by GAFCON and Co.
Of all these reasons, only reason #1 is a legitimate criticism, but I hope you do think about criticism #1 as well as defending yourself from other, illegitimate criticisms.
Thank you for your comment Whit J – all the more because it is a thoughtful criticism.
I’ve plenty to reflect on about the how and the when we do things like that and I do hear loudly and clearly that many people think this was an inappropriate context. Though of course, I’d be bound to say that some are saying that the Eucharist is precisely the place indeed there are some saying that is what it is for.
I’m not going to get into a back and forth with all the comments on this post and I’m deliberately not letting through things that have already been said but be assured that I’ve heard the criticism and will reflect on it not simply now but over coming months. (I’ve learned a lot about where God is this week that will take a long time to process). I’m grateful for the way you’ve made your point.
I think there is a good deal in what Whit J says, although I am not sure the effect actually was syncretic. I think one does perhaps have to be a regular worshipper at St Mary’s to understand how totally orthodox the worship there is, and how much Jesus is the focus of worship – how utterly unlikely it is that anyone there would make the mistake of thinking he was not revered by the congregation as a whole as very God from very God. It would be impossible for them not to realise that all the clergy there rejoice in this belief. The congregation saw the words of the Qu’ran in an English translation which portrayed that book’s far-from-easy-to-follow account of Islam’s view of the conception of Jesus, in which there was nothing offensive, and heard a very beautiful voice singing in a strange and glorious language. These were clearly indicated to be the beliefs of another faith. We certainly neither saw or heard or understood any insult to the person of Christ. I am sure none was intended, either. Whereas, and this bears repeating, I am totally sure that many of those commenting (not of course by any means all of them, and nobody whose comments are published here) simply wish harm to relationships between the great faiths in Glasgow.
I have spent my whole adult life in dialogue with people of other religious traditions, it has been deeply rewarding. However I feel that what happened at this service was profoundly wrong. When we are truly ourselves we allow other people to be profoundly themselves. The truth of Christianity is not compatible with any other religion. To avoid that incompatibility is to avoid reality. Worship of Jesus is the fountain of our faith the Qu’ran is opposed to that. I love Jesus and therefore cannot conceive of reading the Qu’ran in an act of worship – no problem doing so in other contexts but not in worship. I am profoundly disturbed that you cannot see this Kelvin.
There are so many things aren’t there, not just around this issue which we hold dear in faith and which we can’t see from another perspective?
I can hear and see that people are upset by this and clearly there are many people not upset by it too. And obviously, at least I hope obviously, I love Jesus too.
The trouble with religious questions and the questions that religious people have I think is that so often that our love for our faith can make it impossible to comprehend others who also claim to love the same faith but who take different views about things. We can hear them claim that love but be intellectually unable to process it because it leads them to different conclusions.
I’ve found the same thing to be true in the sexuality debates very frequently though I perceive that to be changing sometimes now. Similarly with other identity issues and some political issues. Israel/Palestine conversations for example often seem to be conducted (when they are conducted at all) by people who seem to behave like ships passing in the night.
I happen to have views about Church Schools which are pretty intransigent and negative. You are one of the few people, no the only person, who ever made me really think there might be a point of view about them other than mine which might have an integrity I could respect. And I’m very grateful for that.
Kelvin, thank you for your reply. I have enormous respect for you. I have no doubt that church schools can be argued against from perfectly respectable positions. Worship of Jesus is simply a different order, it cannot include a reading from the Qu’ran. Worship is one thing, study, dialogue, relationship something else.
I am really grateful to Richard for the phrase “When we are truly ourselves we allow other people to be profoundly themselves” which reflects my experience of interfacing with sincere people of other faiths. Is a Christian Eucharist a place this should happen? I can understand some Christians feeling it is not, but as long as everything was clearly labelled as what it was and the integrity of the liturgy was intact, I can also understand some feeling it is.
Brother Kelvin,
Although I do not agree with allowing the Koran to be read in our Christian churches, I truly appreciated your firm and resolute stand for the deity of Jesus. He is our great God and Savior and I love Him very much. Blessings from Tennessee.
Just as a perhaps amusing point of reference, the 1982 hymnal of the Episcopal church in the USA has “Brightest and best of the STARS” (caps mine) “of the morning,” apparently so as to avoid offending any daughters who might be present, and the two tunes included are “Morning Star” by James Proctor Harding (1850-1911) and “Star in the East” from The Southern Harmony (1835). The Harding tune was also in the 1940 Hymnal, wherein the word “sons” was still used.
I am not clear as to whether the hospitality at St Mary’s anticipates infinite extension of parallel lines between Islam and the Church in Glasgow. Are you planning some opportunities for Glasgow Muslims to understand the Christian faith and prepare for Baptism and the glorious liberty of regeneration by the Holy Spirit? (In whichever order; no axe about that!) As you move around the Glasgow community and meet more Christians of Islamic background, why not invite such to participate in groups for new Muslim enquirers? The testimony of an ex-Muslim can express vibrantly “How I know He lives” (as your SA brethren would sing). You might find not only new hearts from a divine work of grace among your Muslim neighbours but in other neighbours too. Amen. Inshallah!
There are a small number of people in St Mary’s who are converts from Islam to Christianity just as there are a small number of people in local mosques who are converts from Christianity to Islam.
St Mary’s regularly puts on events and courses for people discovering and exploring Christianity. Most living religions do the same thing.