Charles Villiers Stanford - Much Ado About Nothing
Wexford Festival Opera, 2026
Christopher Knopp, Aoife Spillane-Hinks, Charlotte Baker, Ross Cumming, Victoria Harley, Joshua Baxter, Alexander Semple, Meilir Jones, Maximilian Catalano, Wonsick Oh, Euan McDonald, Rhys Meilyr
Jerome Hynes Theatre, National Opera House, Wexford - 23rd October 2026
I can't really say I've heard enough Charles Villiers Stanford to make up my mind. It's only at Wexford where I've had the opportunity to see any of his operas performed - it's probably the only place making an effort to make his works known nowadays. I liked the period flavoured exoticism of The Veiled Prophet and was less enamoured than the rest of the audience and critics at the Wexford 2024 production of The Critic despite its impressive staging. I'm still not sure where in stand on Stanford after seeing their Pocket Opera version of Much Ado About Nothing, but there is no question that, even in reduced form, Wexford's continued efforts to keep the composer's works in the public eye get the best possible presentation.
What is clear from those operas is that Stanford knew how to choose solid dramatic works from notable literary sources. Some, like Stanford himself, might seem a little dated by today's standards - Richard Brinsley Sheridan ('The Critic') and Thomas Moore ('Lalla Rookh' for The Veiled Prophet), but there is no question they provide a solid construction and a rich vein of themes to set to music. And, well, as far as Much Ado About Nothing is concerned, obviously sources for opera don't come much more notable and timeless than Shakespeare. Adapting Shakespeare to opera has its own challenges though, but Much Ado About Nothing fares better than most, with its broad comedy jostling alongside some heavy themes on love, trust and justice.
The challenge is not inconsiderable, because the dark cruelty in the heartless scheming, lying, cheating and imprecations to murder sit side-by-side with bumbling detectives and a confected romance between Beatrice and Benedick that almost sets the template - and high standard - for every romantic comedy since. While both are given equal weight, there is always the risk of one element dominating over the other, but that's a decision and a challenge for a director to take. There is definitely a balance to be maintained, not letting the Beatrice and Benedick comedy sparring impact on the intense emotional turmoil that the other characters involved in the Hero and Claudio part of the plot. If the balance is well maintained and combined, it reveals a deeper side to the characters and human nature than it might otherwise as a straight drama or a straight comedy.
Shakespeare provides the source material that allows that to work remarkably well in the hands of a good director, but there is still a challenge is translating that over into operatic terms and another in the judicious choice of further cuts to make in a 'Pocket Opera' version of the opera. While it is difficult to judge how effectively Stanford's score measures up to the challenge from a reduction of it to solo piano, it moves along along well in dramatic and musical terms here under the musical direction of Christopher Knopp. Compressed into 80 minutes it fairly motors along thanks to those wonderful characters and their well-defined natures (with a bit of cartoon villainy thrown in for good measure), neither wasting nor omitting any important development.
Good direction plays a part in that and Aoife Spillane-Hinks sets the tone well and makes good choices in how to play it. The set (Lisa Krügel again) is well-designed to provide a suitable setting for each of the scenes from the aborted wedding to the mock funeral with everything in between; hidden places for eavesdropping and interrogation are included and it all takes place in the large well-managed garden. With the characters in suits and formal gowns - the more modern dress of nobility - it does resemble Joss Whedon’s fine 2012 movie version of Shakespeare's play filmed at his own home, but this one is handsomely decorated and designed in its own right for the purposes of Stanford’s operatic playing.
I didn't think anyone could more outrageously fall under the spell of love after proclaiming loudly his unwavering commitment to bachelorhood and his dislike of Beatrice than Alexis Denisof in that movie version, but Ross Cumming gives him a run for his money and has the benefit of having charged arias to deliver and the voice to carry them. Inevitably, despite their antics being somewhat curtailed by the necessity of concision, his blustering Benedick and Charlotte Baker's radiant Beatrice - suitably slightly more coy and flirtatious to bring that balance to their tempestuous relationship - come out on top, both keeping the show on the road and never letting it get too heavy.
That said, there was suitable gravity from Joshua Baxter’s Claudio: you almost felt sorry for him being deceived by everyone, despite the harshness/cruelty of his behaviour towards Hero. There are clearly challenging arias for the soprano in this Stanford version, but a purity of voice is what carries the role and Victoria Harley had that. Alexander Semple had great presence and a fine baritone voice as Don Pedro, and Wonsick Oh displayed a wide range between the Friar and the comic turn as Dogberry, but the whole cast played their part in the rich colour of the drama and musical treatment, played here with a smooth lightness of touch on the piano by Christopher Knopp.
This was a very entertaining and enjoyable production. There really wasn't a misstep anywhere and not a moment when your attention wandered. I can't say it makes me want to listen to more Charles Villiers Stanford, although I am intrigued by any composer who has taken on Wagnerian influence and who demonstrated a fine choice of subjects and authors for his operas, but as long as Wexford keep producing his works and keep treating them with this much care and attention, I'll follow them with interest.
External links: Wexford Festival Opera
