The Adventures of Pinocchio

Fairy tales and fables tend to combine magical fantasy with doses of moral-heavy medicine that are at times disturbing. While Walt Disney's 1940 animated film Pinocchio is a sugary adaptation of the familiar tale of a wooden puppet who learns life's lessons the hard way, British composer Jonathan Dove's two-act opera The Adventures of Pinocchio skillfully mixes both the fantastic and the sinister in his adaptation of Italian author Carlo Lorenzini's (better known as Carlo Collodi) beloved 1881 children's story.

Dove and librettist Alasdair Middleton streamlined Collodi's original thirty-six chapters into twenty scenes that flow smoothly into each other, and the opera teems with a colorful assortment of animals, spirits, and people that cross Pinocchio's path. Pinocchio's boyish tendency toward trouble and adventure lead him into predicaments that make for some of the darker moments in the story; over the course of the opera he is burned, beaten, hanged, ridiculed, eaten, and turned into a donkey. These scenes quickly give way, however, to lighter fare.

Middleton's libretto skips along at a brisk but playful pace, and Dove's diverse compositional style draws from a wealth of sources. Echoes of Britten emerge in the sinuous countertenor-tenor vocal lines of Fox and Cat, leitmotifs are accorded to Pinocchio, his devoted father Geppetto, and the helpful but enigmatic Blue Fairy, and at times one can hear hints of Minimalism, musical theater, and jazz. The result is a colorful score whose extended tonality is accessible to a wide range of listeners. Visually, the production by director Martin Duncan is a feast for the eyes. Under the baton of David Parry, the orchestra creates a vivid sound world, complimented on stage by the sets and costumes by Francis O'Connor.

Pinocchio, commissioned by Opera North with Sadler's Wells Theatre and Chemnitz Opera, had its world premiere on 21 December 2007 at the Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds. The resultant DVDs were recorded by Opus Arte at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London on 29 February and 1 March 2008. Overseen by recording director Thomas Grimm, the recording is a pleasure both visually and aurally, with few flaws. While the close camera work throughout was useful in capturing the subtleties of the singers' expressions, certain scenes (such as the marionette scene) would have benefited from a wider camera angle. And, in the finale, the drum set seemed overly loud in comparison to the rest of the orchestra. Still, these are minor issues. The entire cast (with mezzo-soprano Victoria Simmonds in the title role) gives a consistently fine performance, and their voices are well-balanced with the orchestra.

The extra features of this two-disc set include a synopsis, cast gallery, and enlightening interviews with the composer, librettist, stage director, and conductor. A useful booklet is also included. The high production values of this recording are all the more impressive given how quickly it was produced, and this opera, a welcome addition to the repertory, is bound to please viewers of all ages.