Actéon
Pitlochry Festival Theatre 30/8/25
Esther Swift (harp / Musical Director), Claire Telford (violin), David Douglas (tenor/director), Colleen Nicoll (soprano), Colin Murray (baritone), Sioned Gwen Davies (mezzo), Ulrike Wutscher (contralto), Community Chorus
The Explorers Garden at Pitlochry Festival Theatre is the outdoor venue for a Scots Opera Project production of Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s miniature one-act pastoral opera in 6 scenes ‘Actéon‘, running from 30th August to 13th September, with shows at 1 pm and 5 pm. The libretto is rendered in a Scots translation by Christopher Waddell, while the instrumental music is arranged for harp and violin by Esther Swift, who played the harp, while the violin part was played by Claire Telford This review refers to the 5 pm performance of 30th August, when the inclement fairly unrelenting downpour meant that the promenade element of the experience was slightly curtailed, affecting just two scenes, one of which was left unaccompanied, whilst the other would otherwise have been at a vantage point overlooking the beautiful Tummel Valley. A Community Chorus of 12 singers delivered the choral element.
The basic story of a hunter who invades the privacy of the goddess Diana, incurs her wrath and that of the queen of the Greek pantheon Juno, is transformed into a stag and torn to pieces by his own hounds, is preserved. But, in this version, Juno is a master Sculptor, sung by baritone Colin Murray, who has created statues of Diana (soprano Colleen Nicoll) and her attendant nymphs Daphne (mezzo Sioned Gwen Davies) and Hyale (contralto Ulrike Wutscher). His Daedalan skills include being able to animate the sculptures. Actéon, a ‘hunter’ of beautiful things, played by tenor David Douglas, who also directs the production, is on a quest to see the celebrated sculptures. The chorus, dressed variously as ‘Big Hoose Staff’ and ‘Voluntary Country Rangers’ serve to exhort the audience towards the action and between scenes with song, and have a proper tutti number bemoaning the fate of those at the mercy of the gods near the end, when it is revealed that the whole tragedy has been engineered by the divine Sculptor – we are all in his power and at his mercy. Actéon is permanently transformed to become a fourth sculpture.
Charpentier’s music is a delight, and I would consider him a melodist equal to Purcell. Apart from the first scene in a clearing on the path through the sylvan garden, where we first meet Actéon and he tells us unaccompanied but glowingly of his quest for the beauty of nature and art, the action took place in a summerhouse with the singers and players on a veranda. The harp and violin arrangement works very well. Apart from Colin Murray (whom I remember as a solid Dancaïre in the bizarre Scottish Opera ‘Carmen’ two years ago), the other principals were known to me from their excellent ‘The Seal Woman’ at the Perth Festival the same year. All were in good voice and delivered an idiomatic performance remarkably unscathed by the weather. Musical highlights for me were the nymphs’ duet and trio with Diana when we first see them in the second scene, and part of Actéon’s weary aria in the third scene before he has seen them, which seemed to anticipate Purcell’s ‘Dido’s Lament’ and Chacony..
Even in the rain, Perthshire played a starring role – the Tummel Valley and the Explorer’s Garden are very beautiful. But there is barely half an hour of actual music. Also, in the absence of surtitles, some of the sung text is hard to catch. I for one do not begrudge the 120-mile round trip it entailed, but it is not for everyone. With that caveat, I heartily recommend it.