One of the many consequences of the cuts imposed by Arts Council England on England’s opera companies was the cancellation of Glyndebourne’s autumn tour. Substantial parts of the country now have no opportunity either to experience opera at all, or to participate in the educational and community projects that surround it. The autumn season at Glyndebourne itself remains in place, however, albeit somewhat reduced, and opens with a revival of Annabel Arden’s 2007 production of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore.
The first night was not without incident, as tenor Filipe Manu (playing Nemorino) began to feel unwell during the performance, and at the interval it was announced that his understudy, Rhys Batt (who was in the audience), would sing the remainder of the role from the side of the stage while Manu acted. Apart from a couple of tentative and underpowered high notes, Manu had actually given little indication of indisposition, and indeed sang the first act with his customary elegance and grace. Batt, with his darker, weightier voice, understandably took time to settle in to his duet with Theodore Platt’s Belcore, but his finely introspective Una Furtiva Lagrima brought the house down. On stage, Manu, very much the theatrical animal, was gauchely naive and touchingly sincere throughout.
