Buxton Opera Festival 2025 review: Wonderfully woven smaller performance proves to be a highlight

The Portrait Players at St John’s Church Buxton

The Portrait Players are a trio of women who sing and play period instruments. This programme celebrated women who were composing secular music in seventeenth century Italy.

There were beautiful love songs by Barbara Strozzi, which included the frustrations of unrequited love. Strozzi’s wonderfully woven parts for two voices, theorbo and viola de gamba were performed with accomplished skill.

Songs by Francesca Caccini and Francesca Campana were equally enjoyable. Three sections from Isabella Leonardo’s Violin sonata in D minor were just lovely.

The Players spoke about the composers and their instruments with considerable knowledge which added to our enjoyment of the concert. We found this concert to be a highlight of the Festival and will look out for the Portrait Players at future Festivals.

La Descente D’Orphee Aux Enfers by Marc-Antoine Charpentier

This short opera was originally performed as a chamber piece in a very grand home in France around 1686. The Buxton production manages to retain much of its intimate feel as well as its Baroque charm, alongside modern touches.

Many composers have told the story of Orpheus who descends into the underworld seeking to bring back his bride Euridice. Charpentier’s is a relatively gentle version of this story which leaves the ending unresolved.

There are two Acts, one at the wedding and one in hell. Both involved dancing both in stately groups and athletic solo dances by Kenji Matsunaga, with impressive choreography by Simeon Qsyea. Act two in many ways echoed Act one with the same singers and dancers and the wedding priest becoming Pluto, king of the underworld. The three mythical tormented sufferers in hell are presented as Pierrot clowns. Orpheus charms them all with his music.

The Vache Baroque Band, led by Naomi Burrell, was great with period instruments and a sense of fun. Charpentier’s music carried the whole event.

Bendor Grosvenor on The Invention of British Art

Bendor Grosvenor gave an interesting talk on his latest book on the history of British art. The talk included examples from the Derbyshire area and he gave particular attention to Wright of Derby. We appreciated this local focus.

His manner of speaking was very didactic and, though he asked the audience many questions, there was no time for us to question him. He showed interesting slides but the details on which he built his arguments were not visible to many in the large audience. Nevertheless the talk was appreciated by the audience which clearly included fans of his many television appearances.