Purcell, for me, has always been something of a closed book -perhaps because I have not really tried to open the book nd start reading, but this was a superb revelation. His music is remarkably powerful and evocative - and technically very difficult I think a challenge which was more than met by the performers last night.
Until I read the summary just now, I had a strong sense that the performance I saw was not ‘telling the (a?) story’ clearly and effectively - which, in terms of there being a linear structure I think is still at least partially true. But as my companion said at the end - it was all about love, in various aspects and I think now that perhaos there was not necessarily meant to be such a structure but rather, a series of connected episodes on that theme. Looked at in this way, it did work very imaginatively.
The costumes were superb - vividly striking in close homage to the Film Noir ‘look’ of the 40’s but with intriguing twists - a chorus member with a grey jacket that had a print of trees in the lower part for example - and the women’s dresses with the emphatic black and white stripes were very redolent of Cecil Beaton’s Ascot..
The flexible set with many locations relied, at times too heavily, on the revolve, was nevertheless effective and often dramatically lit with colour washes - I recall one in part two suffused with a spring green.
Musically, the most unusual aspect was having a jazz quintet on the stage who played during many of the scenes in the bar that was the equivalent of Titania’s bower - although trying to connect with MND was, I think, somewhat pointless although there were moments and situations which did recall that work but I did not feel that this was wholly tightly and consistently maintained throughout.
I did want though, a more staccato and crisp playing from the orchestra - at times it did sound a little flabby and this had an adverse effect on dramatic tension and involvement. But all in all, a characteristically imaginative and creative response to a work that seems to be a hallmark of productions here at the Eiffel;.