CityLife

Belshazzar

Belshazzar
RNCM
January 23, 2010

THE sudden downfall of political strongmen (or women) has a strange fascination, which is one reason for the enduring allure of Handel’s oratorio, Belshazzar.

It’s the tale of the ancient potentate of Babylon, whose fate was decreed by the hand of God in the famous ‘writing on the wall’ at the height of his debauchery. Handel and his librettist, Jennens, made a drama of it (despite some appallingly bad verse) by bringing on Cyrus, the Persian who overthrew Belshazzar, and inventing a powerful figure in Belshazzar’s god-fearing mother, Nitocris.

It’s all based on the Bible, though Daniel, originally the focus of the story, becomes almost a secondary character. 

Originally designed to be presented without scenery (though in a theatre, in Lent), the work is genuinely operatic, with a chorus set to represent at least four different groups in the story as well as comment on it – and Handel’s star soprano in 1745 was as much actress as vocalist, too. 

So the RNCM’s presentation on stage, with costume, a few props and a video background, was a thoroughly sound idea in principle. It also gave some of the present generation of young singers there a chance to show a contrasting aspect of their talents to those they displayed in the December La Belle Hélène. 

Sipho Fubesi took the title role and, being a natural comedian, played it for its comic possibilities (not the only way to approach it, but a valid one). He’s a strong tenor and has a natural ease on stage.

Power

Fleur Bray proved the versatile performer she is by taking on the dowager queen with complete conviction, and the best part of the whole drama was her scolding aria ‘Regard, O son, my flowing tears’, in which he reacted like a surly teenager. 

Helen Sherman had the rather unenviable task of impersonating Cyrus, in this piece a righteous warrior, and showed a little nervousness to begin with, but her big range came into its own in the third act arias.

Baritone Louis Hurst, one of the younger singers in the cast, revealed a voice of great resource and power as Gobrias, and Peter Kelly (Arioch) is a man to watch for the future, too.

Professional counter-tenor Robin Blaze (Daniel) sang with purity of style and tone, though I guess he must have wondered why he was consulting the oracles of prophecy on a laptop. Dan the IT man, I suppose.

Bethan Rhys Wiliam’s staging was full of ideas, and so were Gemma Briers’ visuals, but in a mix of ancient masonry, Rembrandt’s colours, gumshoe detectives and sleazy Mafiosi, it was a bit tricky to connect all the references together. The inter-personal relationships are where Handel’s dramas really work, and the performers who could sustain those came out best – as in the final, reconciling, Nitocris-Cyrus duet, Great Victor, At Your Feet I Bow.

I wondered whether the chorus could have been divided into smaller groups at least some of the time, as they play so many roles.

Nicholas Kraemer, with Manchester Camerata led by Adi Brett as his band, made the music bounce and sing with immense energy and excellent style – a model of Handelian performance.

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