In March 1880 Emmanuel Chabrier, then a pen-pushing civil servant, was reduced to tears by Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, committing himself forthwith to a professional career in music. His comic opera L’Etoile, composed three years before that life-changing event, comes from another planet.
Mark Elder, celebrating 40 years of conducting at Covent Garden, may be a formidable Wagnerian but he shows in this first staging of L’Etoile at the theatre that he is able to realise all the requisite Gallic charm and sparkle of Chabrier’s score as well. Christophe Mortagne, wildly inaccurate in pitch, is vocally unimpressive in the central role of King Ouf, but there is a fine quartet of French-speaking singers (Hélène Guilmette, Julie Boulianne, Francois Piolino and Aimery Lefèvre) in leading roles. It’s the accomplished American mezzo Kate Lindsey, however, who’s truly the star of this L’Etoile.
Julia Hansen’s inventive sets reference everything from Belle Epoque advertising design to contemporary orientalist tableaux and provide Mariame Clément with a toybox of possibilities for her production.
Acting roles have been incorporated for the British comedian Chris Addison and the French actor Jean-Luc Vincent, whose dialogue, with a number of good jokes, was created by themselves and Clément. Theatrically it’s a bit feeble, though, and I’m not sure the Boris Johnson gag would have projected into the amphitheatre.
Chabrier had a keen parodist’s ear, but Clément doesn’t know what to do with the can-can and too little of her production makes a strong case for reviving this slight work today.
Until February 24, Royal Opera Hall (020 7304 4000, roh.org.uk)
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