A Sweet Treat: Reviewing the St Andrews Chamber Opera’s Coffee Cantata
By Ami Melville
Hanna Ward as Lieschen and Sebastian Dooley as Schlendrian. Photo courtesy of Ted Ralph.
On a gloriously sunny Thursday evening, I strolled into Bibi’s Cafe for the first time to watch the St Andrews Chamber Opera’s spring production of Bach’s lively composition Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, (Be still, stop chattering) or Coffee Cantata. Bibi’s is a lovely addition to North Street – it has a colorful window display, the staff are very friendly, and most importantly, it turned out to be the perfect venue for this performance. The handful of opera performances I have seen have been in concert halls, so I was pleasantly surprised by how seamlessly the performance was integrated with its surroundings. As the audience piled in, we became actual customers in the coffee shop of this Cantata through the complimentary coffee and cakes served in the back. The tables were carefully positioned so every “customer” got a great view of the performance and ear for the quartet – I was especially lucky to get a seat right next to the musicians.
Consisting of Zach Brandman (repetiteur and harpsichord), Sam Clifford-Hassan (flute), Andrew Stirling (cello), and Arabella Parmar (violin) (also Producer), these four epitomized the exquisite instrumental talent of St Andrews. In particular, Clifford-Hassan’s delightful melody compliments Brandman and Parmar’s rich executions of Bach’s work, with Stirling laying hearty grounds for the accompanying vocals. They communicated the integrity and energy of Bach’s composition with grace and sophistication. I never felt like they audibly eclipsed the performers, which is easily done in smaller venues; both musicians and performers worked in tandem with the acoustics of Bibi’s. The quartet were additionally dressed as baristas to seamlessly integrate song, performer and audience, which was a nice touch.
Coffee Cantata is comprised of three distinct characters: Lieschen (Hanna Ward), a vivacious teenage girl interested in boys, coffee and social media; Schlendrian (Sebastian Dooley), her rigid father, who struggles to understand his daughter; and a Narrator (Kieron Moore), who acts as a comedic moral compass between the pair. While Bach composed Coffee Cantata in the 1730s, Director Valentine Salinger and Producer Arabella Parmar have cleverly adapted this piece through setting, costumes and blocking to show how timeless this father-daughter coffee shop trip is. Ward is a standout vocalist and performer, with her euphonious soprano voice capturing Lieschen’s passionate personality. Dooley is an equally commanding presence throughout the performance and matches Ward’s energy with his powerful bass vocals. Moore (Tenor) is the perfect glue tying this duo together; agile and lyrical, his harmonization with Ward and Dooley in the closing number – where all three characters sing that “drinking coffee is natural” in their concluding moral to the story – is a flawless rendition. Additionally, as someone who does not speak German, I could still understand what was happening because of this trio’s collectively animated performances and the context provided by the “menus” (pamphlets). The talent of this performance is furthermore matched by its production team; Salinger and Parmar have created the perfect surroundings for Ben Buckner’s stellar musical direction to shine in. Emily Maxwell’s “menus” are another nuance adding to the integrity of the production.
Comedic, refreshing, and enthralling, the St Andrews Chamber Opera’s Coffee Cantata was a delightful break from my dissertation grind. I would highly recommend you attend one of their future performances. There is no doubt that this professional and talented group will be an important presence in St Andrews for years to come.
With special thanks to the St Andrews Chamber Opera for allowing me to review their performance.