Pleasures Of Versailles

Composing something pithy, beautiful and appropriate for the Sun King couldn’t have been easy.  Marc-Antoine Charpentier hit gold with these two short operas created for the private soirees which Louis XIV held in his apartments at Versailles from 1682. 

In some magical programming, Pinchgut Opera artfully stages them with five singers backed by Erin Helyard on harpsichord and the Orchestra of the Antipodes.

An overture gives a formally shifting focus to each of the instruments – the violins of Karina Schmitz and Simone Slattery, the cello of Anthea Cottee and viola da gamba of Laura Vaughan, the theorbo and baroque guitar of Simon Martyn-Ellis, and the flute, piccolo and recorder of Melissa Farrow and Mikaela Oberg.  Also credited is the maker of each instrument, some back to the time of Louis himself.

The first allegorical opera, The Pleasures of Versailles, has Music (an accomplished Lauren Lodge-Campbell) wanting to sing endless acclaim to the Sun King while Conversation (an ebullient Cathy-Di Zhang) interrupts with her chatter and flattery. 

Trying to bring harmony to their conflict, Hannah Fraser sings of Pleasure, Michael Petruccelli offers Games while David Greco has more success as the God of Feasts.  Finally all are united singing yet another charming paean to Louis.

The singers are costumed in 1940s colourful dresses and casual suits, and wear the odd accessory to suggest character, with director Shannon Burns moving them effectively through a set of simple rostra, props and topiary.  The spring garden continues behind with a backdrop above the orchestra also adorned with a changing period image, occasionally animated to comic effect.  

English surtitles translate the French and then Italian in the second opera.  Love Conquers All may be an even tinier opera, but it’s action-packed, as two shepherds chase the love of two shepherdesses, one seeming ravaged by a bear and the other losing her sheep to a wolf.  But for the humans, love of course conquers all.  

The program, exquisitely played and sung, delightfully presented with wit and colour, is just what an exhausted Sun King would have ordered.

Martin Portus

Photographer: Cassandra Hannagan