No-one is better or wiser at the end of The Threepenny Opera than at its beginning, which is more or less as it should be.
The guiding spirit of the work is cynicism; the astringent collaboration between Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht was based on a social philosophy (or the lack of one) as much as on musical or theatrical inspiration, and only the compelling cabaret/burlesque style of this story of low-life rivalry relieves the dour nihilism of its creators.
Why, then, on this presentation directed by Mary Curtin for Opera 2005, should it all be so much fun? The style itself perhaps, established by the band conducted by artistic director Kevin Mallon and led by pianist Nicole Panizza, has a lot to do with it. The singing is terrifically animated, at its dramatic best in the duet to the death between Ciara Walton's Polly Peachum and Lisa McCaffrey's Lucy Brown.
Walton has a smooth warm sound and, perhaps more important to a production of this kind, a finely-tuned sense of comic timing. The entire cast shares her relish for exaggeration and as the moon rises over Soho and the plots are laid in Peachum's shop and Macheath's den the music-hall intimacy embraces the audience as if in a conspiracy of enjoyment.
Mallon keeps the score tight and tidy, and of course it is gratifying that so many of these leading young voices seem to have graduated from the Cork School of Music. Among the exceptions are Canadian Rory McGlynn, whose Macheath has a suitably robust tone, the Peachum of Greek Panos Tsikos, making a lively partnership with Eimear Collins as Mrs Peachum, and the Brown of Taurius Urbanavicius.
Although rivalled by the painted glass and inverted double dome of the Spiegeltent itself, designer Patrick Murray's brass-and-velvet set has an atmosphere of aspidistra and antimacassar and the restricted stage is expanded by use of the walkways around the tent.
As this is a small arena, the question has to be why the singers have to be scarred by amplification leads pressed against cheeks, coiling from ear to shoulder and bulging under otherwise elegant costuming. Yes, the soloists sing clearly and cleanly, but shouldn't this have been expected anyway? Somewhere along the line there has been a failure in confidence, but it doesn't daunt the performers and it doesn't detract, much, from the entertainment of this controlled romp. - Mary Leland
Ends tonight
Trio Avalon - NCH, Dublin
Haydn - Trio in G Hob XV/25 (Gypsy Rondo). Beethoven - Trio in D Op 70 No 1 (Ghost). Shostakovich - Trio No 2 in E minor Op 67.
Dubliners who couldn't travel to the West Cork Festival this week didn't have to go without chamber music. There was an opportunity to hear the new collaboration of violinist Ioana Petcu-Colan, cellist Gerald Peregrine, and pianist Michael McHale. The young trio already seemed to be well past the teething stage, and developing a character of its own that happily combines each individual's strengths.
Petcu-Colan topped the ensemble with a keen-edged sound that got the concert off to a notably sure-footed start. Her tone production retained a classical moderation, while her bowing ranged in expression from the stilly and subdued to the almost recklessly emphatic.
If at times she seemed to be placing Haydn's background details in relief, that may have been partly due to some slightly reticent playing from Peregrine. He nonetheless lovingly projected the more melodious cello writing of Beethoven and Shostakovich.
Both string players developed the evening's frostier moments - Beethoven's spectral largo and Shostakovich's curiously inverted prologue - with not inappropriately self-starved tone qualities. Elsewhere, they showed a nascent capacity for fine-tuning passages in octaves.
Backing everything with a smooth, supportive, and always rhythmical piano part, McHale wove even textures from his accompanimental figurations. In passage work, his fluent touch was clear but never brittle.
The group's sense of balance seemed to extend beyond mere volume levels to deeper issues of performing style. Collectively, they kept their cool whilst maintaining interest and expression - a level- headed approach that served this music well. - Andrew Johnstone
