Opera review: The Cunning Little Vixen

Thirty years on from its inception at the 1980 Edinburgh Festival in the hands of Scottish Opera, David Pountney's production of Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen remains a charmer. The opera itself is like a children's fairy tale with all the pathos of Bambi translated to the world of foxes.

Elaine Tyler-Hall's re-direction of Pountney's original staging for this joint revival by the RSAMD and Scottish Opera makes no attempt to alter things. It would be foolish to do so within the exquisite set design by the late Maria Bjrnson that was tailor-made for Pountney's sparkling theatrical cocktail.

Not all of that sparkle came over in Friday's opening performance, despite the captivating eloquence of the ballet dancers and a sharp and agile performance by Marie Claire Breen as the Vixen.

She was the one singer who could be heard convincingly above a pit orchestra that was simply too loud, despite snatches of promise from Nicholas Morris as the Forester and James Birchall as the Poacher.

Sure, Janacek's music is richly and evocatively orchestrated, but it serves a practical and integrated purpose which conductor Timothy Dean should have observed, thereby allowing all in the cast to get a fair and confident hearing.

The playing itself, by the Scottish Opera Orchestra with RSAMD student placements, was variable and littered with too many rough edges.

Sort all that out and the true promise of this show is well within reach for this week's performances in Edinburgh.