By Steven Smith. https://www.morleycollege.ac.uk/event/morley-opera-school-presents-opera-scenes-consequences/
This December, Morley Opera School invites audiences to an evening of passion, wit, and reflection with Opera Scenes: CONSEQUENCES, a vivid exploration of human choices and their inevitable aftermath. Under the expert direction of William Kerley and musical direction by Panaretos Kyriatzidis, this production offers a captivating journey through some of opera’s most powerful and emotionally charged moments. With Nicholas Bosworth at the piano and Conor Costelloe crafting evocative lighting design, the performance promises to be both musically and visually enthralling.
The program brings together a diverse range of works, from the Classical elegance of Gluck and Mozart to the modern intensity of Britten and Poulenc. Each scene has been carefully chosen to highlight the theme of consequences—how human decisions, driven by love, pride, fear, or faith, shape the fates of individuals and societies alike.
The evening opens with Gluck’s Paride ed Elena, a lyrical portrayal of the mythic lovers whose choices ignite the Trojan War. Through Gluck’s graceful yet emotionally charged score, the audience witnesses how desire can lead to destiny’s most devastating turns. The theme of secrecy and consequence continues in Domenico Cimarosa’s Il Matrimonio Segreto(The Secret Marriage), where comic misunderstandings and clandestine vows lead to both hilarity and heartbreak. Cimarosa’s sparkling ensemble writing and elegant wit remind us that even the most humorous situations often conceal real emotional stakes.
From there, the performance moves to Mozart’s Idomeneo, a masterwork of the Classical era that delves into the tension between duty and compassion. When the Cretan king must sacrifice his own son to appease the gods, Mozart’s music swells with moral anguish and divine intervention—a striking depiction of how promises made in desperation can lead to unbearable consequences.
The evening then shifts to the haunting world of Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, a twentieth-century chamber opera that reimagines an ancient Roman tragedy. Britten’s sparse, evocative score and stark moral commentary confront audiences with questions of innocence, violation, and redemption. It is one of the evening’s most profound explorations of consequence—where an individual act of violence reverberates through history.
Finally, the performance concludes with scenes from Francis Poulenc’s Les Dialogues des Carmélites, a deeply moving account of faith, fear, and courage during the French Revolution. In this extraordinary work, a community of nuns faces execution for their beliefs, and each character must decide how to confront mortality with dignity. Poulenc’s luminous harmonies and spiritual depth offer a fitting conclusion to a night that examines the human condition in all its complexity.
Opera Scenes: CONSEQUENCES is more than a showcase of operatic talent—it is a reflection on the moral and emotional choices that define us. Presented by the students of Morley Opera School, it demonstrates the artistry, discipline, and dramatic insight cultivated within this renowned institution. Among its talented performers is Jadwiga, a classically trained singer and music graduate who offers private singing lessons in classical, opera, and musical theatre styles https://www.morleycollege.ac.uk/event/morley-opera-school-presents-opera-scenes-consequences/
Performances take place on Thursday, December 11 at 7:30 PM, Friday, December 12 at 7:30 PM, and Saturday, December 13 at 2:00 PM at the Johnny Harris Theatre Studio, Morley College London, 61 Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7HT. Tickets are priced at £10.00 (plus booking fee £11.55 online).
An evening of beauty, reflection, and emotional truth, Opera Scenes: CONSEQUENCES is an essential event for opera lovers and newcomers alike—a reminder that every choice, whether divine or human, carries its echo.
2Shades Magazine 