Porgy & Bess
Grange Park Opera, Surrey Until July 7
The country house opera season has a way to go, but already real achievements attest to the quality of the work now being undertaken. Garsington’s The Bartered Bride has won golden opinions everywhere, despite the curious decision to retain the Czech language in a production set in England.
And the Grange’s Falstaff has been equally widely hailed.
Now comes Grange Park’s Porgy & Bess which, for me, matches the Metropolitan Opera-led co-production with ENO and others at the Coliseum last year.
They have made a real discovery in South African bass Musa Ngqungwana, who plays Porgy. His dignity of bearing is the linchpin of the whole show
There, Catfish Row looked like a posh Miami condo. Francis O’Connor’s sets and David Plater’s lighting here create way more atmosphere.
It’s a huge undertaking for an unsubsidised theatre to scour the world for black performers of stature to honour the admirable policy of the Gershwin estate that all on stage should be people of colour, apart from, of course, the bullying policemen.
And they have made a real discovery in South African bass Musa Ngqungwana, who plays Porgy. His dignity of bearing is the linchpin of the whole show.
It’s a Brit, Sarah-Jane Lewis (pictured above with Aime Foon), who almost steals the show as a charismatic Serena
Compared to him, Laquita Mitchell’s Bess is a bit pallid, even though she has performed the role all over the US.
Another South African, Rheinaldt Tshepo Moagi, is a capable Sportin’ Life, but without that final ounce of comic talent needed to bring the character fully alive.
Donovan Singletary’s Crown is a real success; physically dominant, as Crown should be, and musically assured.
Francesca Chiejina, a Nigerian American, as Clara, sings Summertime with real radiance. But it’s a Brit, Sarah-Jane Lewis, who almost steals the show as a charismatic Serena.
In the pit, the BBC Concert Orchestra surpass themselves under the eloquent direction of Stephen Barlow.
The direction of Jean-Pierre van der Spuy is not quite up to what we saw at the Coliseum. Porgy & Bess is a problematic work, with great moments like Summertime, but some pretty iffy quarter-hours in between.
Gershwin did not live long enough to sort out all these problems, as he would surely have wanted to.
Put simply, van der Spuy needs to show a bit more flair in covering up these longueurs in the way Trevor Nunn did in that totally memorable Glyndebourne version with Sir Simon Rattle in 1986, which can still be found on DVD.
Das Rheingold
Longborough Festival Opera, Glos
Rating: 
What Martin and Lizzie Graham have achieved in 29 years of the Longborough Festival is a musical miracle. Not only have they converted a chicken shed into a commodious opera house, complete with a cod-Bayreuth frontage, but also, on meagre resources, they have put on Wagner operas of real quality.
In 2013, Wagner’s bicentenary, Longborough was the only opera company in Britain to put on a complete staged Ring. Very good it was too. And now they have come back with a new version of the first bit, Das Rheingold.
As always, it was splendidly conducted by the veteran Anthony Negus, who has devoted his working life to Wagner. This time the direction was even clearer and the sets more colourful, with excellent videos, thanks to a new signing, Covent Garden’s Amy Lane and her team.
Some of the singing was absolutely first class, especially from Mark Stone, a revelation as Alberich (more Wagner from him, please), as well as from Darren Jeffery (an imposing Wotan) and Mark Le Brocq (a subtle, sophisticated Loge).
Inevitably, not all the cast were on that level. Certainly the giants, for instance, lacked real vocal heft. But with a team of charismatic, roof-raising Rhinemaidens, this was a hugely enjoyable evening.
So hats off to Lizzie and Martin. And here’s to Die Walküre next summer.