The semi-opera 'King Arthur' was probably always a bit of an oddity, and the Brisbane Baroque production was very comfortable in extending that strangeness.
The singers were costumed in medieval garb fitting the Arthurian bent of the story (apart from white costumes when Cupid charms Cold Genius from his white wheelie bin of course.) The spoken parts were not acted but condensed into a narration shared between the rich characterisation of Miriam Margolyes (high in the organ console) and the commentary of Aljin Abella. Margolyes appeared in drab costume until she descended in the form of Britannia at the end (actually strangely logical). However Abella wore a disconcertingly glittery version of Arabic colonial military dress throughout. Maybe he forgot to change when rehearsing for Aladdin? Or just plain bizarre.
The history and purpose of 'King Arthur' is obscure. Dryden probably wrote the drama for the 25th anniversary of King Charles II's restoration to the throne. However, following the political turmoil of James II and the Glorious Revolution, Dryden (and Purcell) lost their Royal patronage. The text was then most likely altered to suit the new political landscape and make money from new theatrical tastes. Purcell wrote the music to develop it into a new semi-opera (a spoken play with sung sections and dancing like a masque) but it was also to be a restoration spectacular, with all the latest effects in scenery and machinery.
So with a nod to Italian rules of opera demanding supernatural beings, the more serious royal flattery was probably diluted to a patchwork of patriotic themes, deities and magic suiting the new deus ex machina entertainments. It was a great success! Moreover its artistic merit was recognised – largely owing to the music.
The music is really what this production is all about. The Orchestra of the Antipodes performed onstage giving a good view of their period instruments, and performed very well. Brett Weymark did a grand job of holding two half-orchestras and a chorus of solo vocalists together, and his enthusiasm for the music shone through as he encouraged the audience to join in the encore.
Unfortunately the acoustics of City Hall cry out for surtitles and it was a little tricky to follow the words and storyline. The singing was of a high-standard but the beatific faces and portrayal of constant ecstasy became a little tedious. Some recognition of Dryden's satirical bent was probably needed.
A greater recognition of Dryden's satirical tendencies was probably needed by the chorus. However they fervently embraced the rollicking harvest song and the general zeal kept the audience smiling – but it would have been fun to have some of those baroque theatrical machines to watch.
