Suor Angelica
Perth Festival 2025
St Ninian’s Cathedral Perth 25/0525
Opera Bohemia, Amicus Orchestra, Alistair Digges (conductor), Jenny Stafford (soprano), Louise Collett (mezzo-soprano), Sioned Gwen Davies (mezzo-soprano), Cheryl Forbes (mezzo-soprano), Monica McGhee (soprano), Rachael Brimley (soprano), Heather Ireson (mezzo-soprano), Stephanie Stanway (soprano), Colleen Nicoll (soprano), Rachel Munro (soprano)
In the second of three performances in Scottish sacred venues, Opera Bohemia, Scotland’s professional touring company, supported by Amicus Orchestra (a larger ensemble than is usual for them), presented Puccini’s one-act opera ‘Suor Angelica’ (the second of the triptych Il Trittico) in St Ninian’s Cathedral, Perth, on the night of 25th May as part of this year’s Perth Festival. Alistair Digges conducted; Douglas Nairne directed. The production was designed by Alisa Kalyanova and lit by Leo Wittwer. It was sung in Italian with English surtitles. The Perth performance was very well attended.
The title role of Sister Angelica was sung by English soprano Jenny Stafford. Banished, seven years previously, to a convent by her aunt and guardian, a princess, for the social stigma of a pregnancy out of wedlock, the orphaned Angelica longs for news of her son. Her fellow young nuns know of her sadness, but not its cause. They see her as gentle and kind and value her skill with herbal remedies (not adequately explained how an aristocratic woman would come by such knowledge, even in the late 17th century when the opera is set). She prepares a plant extract to treat the face of a nun stung by wasps, advising “crying only makes it worse” – perhaps she is not only referring to wasp stings? In a strangely inverted echo of ‘Traviata’, her aunt visits the convent to demand she renounce her inheritance in favour of her sister, to enable the latter to make an advantageous marriage. Contrary to the guidance of the Abbess, she refuses at first, but her resistance crumbles when her aunt reveals that her son died of a fever 2 years previously. Her aria of grief, guilt and despair at the death of her child without knowing a mother’s love, ‘Senza mamma’, was heartrendingly beautiful. She longs for death, to be reunited with her son, and begs for a sign from heaven. In a vision bathed in the light of a sunset, she sees the Virgin Mary beckoning and takes a herbal poison, realising too late that she will be damned for the sin of suicide. But the intense prayer of her sister nuns is answered, the bright heavens open, her son appears and leads her into paradise. Puccini’s music for spiritual passion is no less intense than for romantic passion, and Jenny Stafford delivered a performance that repaid his generosity manifold with emotional depth and intensity.
English mezzo-soprano Louise Collett, graduate of RSAMD (now RCS) and former Scottish Opera Emerging Artist, sang the role of the Princess. In this production, the introductory music not only introduces us to the routine of convent life and its suppression of emotion and desire, but also serves as a backdrop to a prequel, the Princess delivering Angelica to the convent 7 years before the action proper. Dressed in black and exuding gravitas and disdain in equal measure, it is not a sympathetic role. When she returns, her music leaves us in no doubt who is going to win the battle of wills. Unlike Giorgio in Traviata, she does not repent her cruelty. Louise Collett delivered an excellent characterisation and vocal performance.
Welsh mezzo Sioned Gwen Davies was the Abbess, a role that represents the discipline, order and austere routine of the convent, a role, one might say, that represents the antithesis of self-expression. Her music is authoritative and controlled, but Puccini is always expressive. A far cry from The Seal Woman title role in which I saw her at the Perth Festival two years ago, but a great chance to hear that voice again. Super.
Falkirk-born mezzo Cheryl Forbes (reviewed by me as: Second Lady in last years Magic Flute at the Perth Festival, and Verdi Requiem in Glasgow November 2023; remembered as a super Ines in Scottish Opera’s ‘Gondoliers’ in 2021) was The Mistress of the Novices, another authority figure to some extent, but she did get to sing of the phenomenon whereby for three evenings every year, the light from the setting sun falls on the fountain, turning its water golden, music that catches the delight and ushers in a less oppressive segment before the Princess’ visit.
As the young sisters muse and tease each other over the earthly delights that they crave (none of them improper) we get to hear some more solo voices. Scottish soprano Monica McGhee (whom I unfortunately missed last year as Opera Bohemia’s ‘Tosca’) was Sister Genovieffa, while soprano Rachael Brimley (First Lady and Papagena in last year’s ‘Magic Flute) was Sister Dolcina. Colleen Nicoll (a fabulous Queen of the Night last year and the Seal Sister in Bantock’s ‘The Seal Woman’ the year before) was a Novice, a relatively minor role but important in the ensemble texture of the hymns at the beginning and in later climaxes. Scottish mezzo Heather Ireson (the cleaner in The Makropoulos Affair in February, Martha in Paisley Opera’s ‘Faust’ last October, Annina in ‘Traviata’ last May and a super Cherubino in Opera Bohemia’s ‘Marriage of Figaro’ in August 2022) was the Nursing Sister who begs Angelica to treat the wasp stings. Glaswegian soprano and prizewinning RCS graduate Stephanie Stanway was the Alms Sister.
Reading the programme, my heart skipped a beat. Two years ago in St Andrews, I attended an excellent Byre Opera production of Jonathan Dove’s ‘Mansfield Park’, and I made a discovery. This is what I wrote then:
“… But, and no prizes for spotting this, I have left till last to mention another mathematician that was my discovery of the afternoon. Dove puts much of the most challenging singing into the role of Mary Crawford, for which he specifically asks for a coloratura soprano. Rachel Munro graduated in Maths last year and has been working in a graduate position at the Laidlaw Music Centre and for Scottish Chamber Orchestra, as well as leading Craigmillar Voices community choir as part of the SCO’s outreach residency programme. I have no other way of saying this: what a fabulous voice! She joins the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland post-graduate Vocal Performance programme in September, so expect to catch her in their forthcoming productions. Definitely another one to watch.”
Well, I have watched. And I have waited. And I have wondered: “where is Rachel”? Well, finally, and just now in the minor role of Lay Sister, there she was listed on the programme. So now, I’m ready to wait some more. And I predict great things.
In August 2023, Robert Nairne-Clark, young son of baritone and Opera Bohemia director Douglas Nairne and soprano Catriona Clark, appeared as Butterfly’s son Dolore in Opera Bohemia’s production of Madama Butterfly, with his real-life mother as Cio-Cio San. In this production, his younger sister Rosie appeared as Angelica’s son. Operatic family? Oh yes.
In this opera, Puccini’s music uses contrasts ingeniously. At first, the mood is devout but suppresses emotion. Even the levity in the leisure time is restricted and controlled. So when real emotion is unleashed in the confrontation between Angelica and the Princess, the bombshell of the death of her son and the act of suicide, there is a white-heat intensity in the orchestration and the vocal timbres. Alastair Digges, the Amicus Orchestra and the voices delivered this in full measure. The role of the acoustic and ambience of the cathedral, not to mention the tone of its fine organ which was woven into the texture, cannot be overestimated. This now makes three very different performances of Suor Angelica that I have attended over the last decade, including Scottish Opera’s full and fabulous ‘Il trittico’ 2 years ago. This production has nothing to fear from comparison with the others. However, I shall refrain from any such and say only that, though not a believer, I found it immensely cathartic. Full marks from me.