Review: DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL, Glyndebourne

It's over a decade since David McVicar’s glorious version of Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio) debuted at Glyndebourne. A fitting finale to a wonderful season, the comedy about a clash of cultures returns with an energetic young cast and some exceptional work from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Spanish noblewoman Konstanze, her English maid Blonde, and Pedrillo (servant to Konstanze's fiancé Belmonte) have been captured by pirates and sold to Turkish Pasha Selim. Belmonte arrives to rescue them, but faces many obstacles, including the Pasha's faithful servant Osmin and the fact that the Pasha has fallen in love with Konstanze.

The opera was Mozart's first major success in the genre and requires an astute balance between light and darkness, farce and serious moral debate. McVicar's production succeeds on every level, providing the audience with thought-provoking touches throughout. His Pacha is a cultured family man, at first swarmed by European traders desperate for a sale, who ultimately refuses both sexual and physical violence. It is made clear that Konstanze wavers several times in her resolve to reject him. The Pasha's servant Osmin is brutish, but who can blame him for his suspicion of foreigners who try and force him into wearing their ornate frock coats and trick him into drinking alcohol? 

Unlike some other versions, this one makes the most of the extensive dialogue, rather than treating it as an interruption to the music. This might annoy some opera purists, but it importantly creates huge humanity in the spoken character of Selim – a passionate and captivatingly fiery Franck Saurel, returning to the role from 2015. Selim has a harem, which is also a happy home, filled with adoring children. He is full of love and lust for Konstanze, but ultimately resists her as an act of finding inner peace. This adds an interesting dimension to the dynamics and enhances Selim's dignified benevolence and generosity of spirit at the end. Does Konstanze actually pick the right man? It's an interesting question.

Visually the production is stunning; designer Vicki Mortimer's sets take us from the glittering blue sea to gorgeous little seraglio gardens, through classical arches and intricate Ottoman ironwork. Lovely touches include  Selim's bedchamber, replete with luxurious fabrics and soft, sensuous textures. Her detailed costumes feature some of the best elements of European and Ottoman design. Paule Constable's considered lighting complements throughout.

It is a young and energetic cast. Anthony León, making his UK debut, is suitably wooden, even for a Spanish nobleman to begin with, but relaxes more into the role as the production progresses, with some lovely tonal modulation and careful phrasing. Liv Redpath is a cooly calm Konstanze, bringing Mozartian freshness and both heartfelt emotion and assertiveness to her aria “Martern aller arten” where she wrestles both physically and emotionally with the advances of the enamoured Pasha. The chemistry between the pair is somewhat lacking, but this enhances the idea of how Konstanze may well be tempted by the spark and warmth of the Pasha, compared to the rather proper stiffness of her European paramour.

Thomas Cilluffo is perhaps too much of a buffoon to completely convince as Blonde's object of desire as Pedrillo, but he excels at both the physical comedy required of the role, and also shows huge range of expression in his vocals; always bright, always clear and very funny.

There is no lack of comedy elsewhere, the highlight of which is Blonde's kitchen spat with Osmin. Julie Roset is a standout, with spitfire-like energy as Blonde, lobbing eggs, crockery and anything else she can get her hands on. Vocally Roset has crystal clarity and freshness, especially on her gorgeous top notes, contrasting so wonderfully with Michael Mofidian's resonant bass notes as Osmin. Mofidian convinces totally as the faithful servant, dedicated to both his master and culture (when it suits).

Evan Rogister conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with flair and sprightly energy. There is much emotional complexity in Mozart's score and Rogister delivers in spades. It's a classical interpretation of the work, but that's part of the magic. A stunning production.

Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio) is at Glyndebourne until 28 August

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