Review: TCHAÏKOVSKY: CHILD OF GLASS, Opera Holland Park
The tragic life of this wonderful composer is brought vividly to life
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaïkovsky can surely claim to be one of the world's most talented and memorable composers. Born in Russia in 1840, he composed some of the most well-loved and memorable ballets of all time such as Swan Lake and Nutcracker, as well as operas such as the masterful Eugene Onegin, and classical materpieces such as his piano and violin concertos. He died of cholera in 1893, shortly after premiering his "Sixth Symphony (Pathétique)". But despite gifting the world with some of the most beautiful music ever written, his personal life was turbulent and tragic.
It is this life and music that Tama Matheson of the Not Entirely Serious theatre company has brought to the stage in his musical drama, Tchaïkovsky: Child Of Glass, a play punctuated throughout with excerpts of gorgeous classical music, mainly written by Tchaïkovsky himself. It's an excellent concept and comes after the well-received Beethoven: I Shall Hear in Heaven. Much of the production has a huge amount to enjoy, mainly from pianist Jayson Gillham's superlative playing of a gorgeous black-laquered Steinway. Stripping back the music to a solo piano version is a simple, but hugely effective means of experiencing the music in a more simple, pure form. This works remarkably well in an overwhelmingly beautiful version of Tchaïkovsky's "Piano Concerto" and the raptuous finale from Swan Lake.
Photo Credit: Rachel Medina
Matheson, who is also the writer of the production, plays Tchaïkovsky, narrating his life and enacting various scenes from it. Called a "child of glass' by a nanny due to his fragility and sensitivity, the consistent theme of his life is his struggle to live with his sexuality at a time when you could be both flogged and publically outcast for being gay. Matheson is adept at displaying the struggle and self-disgust of a man who could never quite make peace with himself, with music as his only means of getting through life.
There has clearly been a huge amount of thought put into the pieces of music played to illustrate the various events in Tchaïkovsky's life; a sprinkle of Mozart's overture from Don Giovanni gives illumination to Tchaïkovsky's awakening to the rapture of music and a well-chosen section from his "Piano Trio in A Minor" reflects his need to hide himself away after the collapse of his marriage and mental health and the death of his lover. It is made clear music is his only real joy, as any happiness he can derive from covert relationships is so often punctuated by tragedy. Suicide due to the shame of homosexuality is shockingly frequent in his life, including his own thoughts of self-elimination.
It's a desperately sad story, but loses impact from an over-long running time and the portrayal of Tchaïkovsky's own death, that takes an inordinately long time to occur. It's also a shame that the story tips distinctly towards melodrama in the second half, as Matheson's solid portrayal of Tchaïkovsky's wry humour amid personal tragedy in the first half gains much sympathy.
Matheson is ably assisted by actors Oliver Holland and Suzy Kohane who play a variety of parts including Tchaïkovsky's amiable father and his quickly-rejected wife.
Photo Credit: Rachel Medina
It would have been wonderful to hear some arias from his fantastic operas, but we do see a small amount of dance and ballet. Dancer Téo Dubreuil is a Soloist of The Royal Ballet and it shows; his movements are fluid, imbued with emotion and lithe athleticism. However, the pas de deux that he dances with Matheson look stilted and awkward – inevitable when pairing a professionally trained dancer with someone who cannot possibily match their movements, despite Matheson's enthusiasm.
The concept of Tchaïkovsky: Child Of Glass is well-researched and really brings the tragic life of this incredible composer to life. Some judicious editing would go a long way to bringing out even more of its potential.
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