The Winter's Tale (opera)

''The Winter's Tale'' is an opera in three acts by Ryan Wigglesworth. The libretto is by the composer, based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare. The opera, in a production directed by Rory Kinnear, and conducted by the composer, was premiered at the English National Opera on 27 February 2017.

Roles

Synopsis

The opera follows the main story of the play, reduced to three acts, and dropping the character Autolycus, and some other well-known features of the play such as Antigonus's stage direction "Exit, pursued by a bear".

Act I is set in Sicily. Leontes is hosting his old friend Polixenes on a long visit; Leontes's wife Hermione is heavily pregnant. Leontes becomes obsessed with the notion that Polixenes is the father of the unborn child. He puts his wife on trial, even though the oracle of Apollo declares her to be innocent. The death of Mamillius, the son of Leontes and Hermione, during the trial causes Hermione to collapse, and to give birth. Hermione is assumed dead. The distraught Leontes orders Antigonus to abandon the newborn child, whom Antigonus names Perdita, in a distant land.

Act II is set in Bohemia, some sixteen years later. Perdita has grown up adopted by a shepherd. Polixenes's son Florizel has fallen in love with her. To escape the wrath of Polixenes at his son's attachment to a lowly shepherdess they flee at the suggestion of Camillo to Sicily. In Act III, set in Sicily, the repentant Leontes is overjoyed to rediscover his daughter. He appeases the pursuing Polixenes, and at the suggestion of Paulina they go to view a statue of Hermione. The statue comes to life and forgives Leontes.

Reception

The opera received a mixed reception from critics. Guy Dammann wrote in ''The Times Literary Supplement'' that the opera "represents a remarkable achievement for Wigglesworth. Perhaps its most striking feature is the complete self-assurance of its restraint." Rupert Christiansen, in the '' Daily Telegraph'', found that the composer, using an idiom which was "a sugar-coated mélange of Berg and Tippett" had "reduc dthe play’s ambiguities and resonances to something charmless, turgid and unmoving." In ''The Observer'', on the other hand, Fiona Maddocks called the score "fluid and sensuous, building on the tradition of Britten and Tippett but with plenty of individuality." George Hall, in ''The Stage'', hailed it as "the major event of ENO’s current season", rated Kinnear's production highly, found the score "accomplished" and praised the individual performances, whilst noting that overall "the play has once again eluded the operatic medium." Cara Chanteau in ''The Independent'' gave the production four stars out of five, found Sophie Bevan "radiant" as Hermione, but conceded that Wigglesworth's score was "just a tad too respectful to blaze as incandescently as it might."Chanteau, Clara
The Winter’s Tale , ENO, London, review
''The Independent'' online, 28 February 2017, retrieved 15 March 2017. William Hartston in the '' Express'' claimed "I cannot remember enjoying a new opera so much" whilst extolling how the music "emphasizes the action in an impressive and remarkable way, particularly considering they fact that this is the young British composer's first opera."

References

;Sources
*ENO (2017). ''The Winter's Tale: Programme.''

;Notes

External links

The Winter's Tale: Official Trailer
ENO Website, accessed 18 March 2017
The Winter's Tale: Production Gallery
ENO Website, accessed 18 March 2017
The Winter's Tale: Introduction, with Rory Kinnear and Ryan Wigglesworth
ENO Website, accessed 18 March 2017

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winter's Tale (opera), The
2017 operas
Operas based on works by William Shakespeare
English-language operas
Operas set in Sicily
Opera world premieres at the English National Opera
Operas set in Bohemia
Operas
Works based on The Winter's Tale