Alison………………………….Ingrid
Attrot (soprano)
Pierre………………………… Neill
Archer (tenor)
Louis………………………… Alan Opie
(baritone)
Father Philippe……………….. Donald Maxwell (bass)
This brief but delightful programme opens with an early work, Suite
de Ballet., Op. 10 (1899) which Holst wrote while he was touring
with Carl Rosa. It is light music. The opening 'Danse rustique' is just that,
a charming little piece with plenty of rhythmic drive, recalling Edward German
and Sullivan. 'Valse' has the grace of classical ballet although one or two
phrases might disconcert some choreographers into thinking them rather
heavy-foooted. The 'Carnival' movement is high-spirited and evokes the hustle
and bustle of the crowds and the enticements of the side-shows and fair-ground
rides. There is quite a strong Gallic feeling about it yet the slower middle
section uncannily pre-echoes Eric Coates's more romantic moments. But the
most charming movement, is the sweetly romantic and atmospheric nocturne
that is the 'Scène de nuit.'
Another lovely nocturne - Song of the Night (1905) demonstrates
how far Holst's talent had progressed. This work has altogether more depth
and range and shows much more confident and imaginative writing for the solo
violin. Although Holst left no clue as to the specific meaning or influence
of the song, we may deduce that it encompasses his enthusiasm for Indian
mythology since, at the time, he was deeply immersed in learning Sanskrit
and writing music with definite Indian leanings.
The main work in the programme is the brief (25 minute) one-act chamber opera,
The Wandering Scholar (1929-30) that was influenced
by the writings of Helen Waddell. The comedy is slight with no chorus
and just four characters. Holst uses spare orchestral forces, there are no
big numbers, no set-pieces, and no overture. It is a simple rural tale, told
simply with original music that suggests (but is not) folk music.
The story opens with farmer Louis (a lusty yet reliable Alan Opie) wanting
to take his oats with his wife Alison (a scheming, flirtatious Ingrid Attrot)
but she has other ideas. As soon as she sees Louis off to market, she entertains
randy Father Phillipe hinting - "…the heart should have its fling and
put forth new love every Spring..." The orchestra amusingly admits the idea
but, at the same time, censors it. For his part, Philippe (a really lecherous
ill-tempered Donald Maxwell), is keen to get her upstairs (up the ladder
anyway) to "…exorcise the naughty devil of springtime in your eye…"
He is just about to have his wicked way, when Pierre enters (a knowing Neill
Archer as the not-so-innocent wandering scholar). Pierre is down on his luck
and begs food. To Father Philippe's disgust, Alison fancies him and wants
to feed him. In a jealous rage, Philippe chases the hapless boy away. Once
again, the would-be lovers go towards the ladder, fat Philipe worrying if
the rungs will hold him when they hear Louis returning - with Pierre! Hurriedly,
Alison hides the food and wine and pushes the fat Father beneath a clump
of hay. Louis demands that Alison feeds Pierre. She is adamant that there
is no food in the house and tells him to take Pierre into town for a meal.
Pierre suggests he tell a tale first. Louis is enthusiastic but Alison,
understandably, is not. During his fable, Pierre manages to weave into the
story the whereabouts of the food and wine, and, finally. Philippe together
with an allusion to his wicked intentions. Louis beats the fat man and chases
him from the house then invites Pierre to sit and eat while he takes Alison
upstairs…
A slight but amusing tale that Holst considerably heightens with his music.
An interesting collection for Holst admirers.
Reviewer
Ian Lace
and another view from Hubert Culot
Both Suite de Ballet Op. 10 ( 1899) and A Song of the Night
Op. 19 No . 1 ( 1903) are early works in Holst's output. Though both of them
are really well done and already display Holst's orchestral flair and mastery
they are highly uncharacteristic and do contain pretty little of Holst's
mature music. The Suite de Ballet is light music of quality, expertly
written and colourfully scored. The music may recall German and Sullivan,
as Lewis Foreman rightly states in his notes, but it also looks in the direction
of Chabrier (in Danse Rustique) or Saint-Saens (in Scene de nuit with
its atmospheric solo violin). Indeed had Scene de nuit been written
by Saint-Saens, it might have become a popular violin encore. This is probably
this state of things which prompted Vaughan Williams to write to Holst that
he would have become popular overnight had Suite de Ballet been first
performed in France!
The Wandering Scholar Op.50 (1930) is one of Holst's last works and
it clearly belongs to Holst's full maturity. This short chamber opera (it
is scored for small forces) is a curious work that obviously aims at comedy
but does not always achieve it in spite of many imaginative touches, such
as the cellos' and basses' anticipation of Father Philippe on-coming or the
pseudo-Gregorian tune accompanying the arrival of the scholar or Father
Philippe's Latin grumblings trying to cover the scholar's telling of his
miserable fate when he had to part with some beloved books to survive. Holst's
music in this short opera also avoids any tendency towards any sort of
sentimentality and manages to do so by being rather dry and even angular
at times with little legato or any attempt at song. Apart from Louis' opening
song, most of the vocal line is set in arioso style, fastly moving with little
repose. The music never lingers and this might to some extent be a cause
for regret. Much as I like this piece for its many felicities, I have not
yet been able to make-up my mind whether it is successful or not in dramatic
terms. I think that the dramatic impact much depends upon the characterisation
which the singers may impart in their roles. Though I found it musically
secure, I think that the present performance is a bit wanting in characterisation
and a bit too detached to be fully successful. The earlier recording on EMI
(now available in CD format coupled with At the Boar's Head) was certainly
more theatrically conceived and was thus marginally more convincing than
the one under review which has still much to commend itself.
The problem with this release is that it is a very mixed affair coupling
works situated at both ends of Holst's career that have very little in common,
except that they are by the same composer! It may not be easy to find a suitable
coupling to The Wandering Scholar. EMI's recent re-release already
mentioned may be one solution. Another would have been, I think, to couple
it with other works on texts translated by Helen Waddell such as the Six
Medieval Lyrics and the Six Canons written in 1932.
Hubert Culot
cast below *Lesley Hatfield (violin) Northern Sinfonia conducted by Richard
Hickox 
