Renowned Australian Soprano Miriam Allan is a familiar face here at St John's Smith Square, most recently performing in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with the Early Opera Company. You may also recognise her as one of the soloists who performed during the funeral service of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 2021.
We are thrilled that Miriam will be returning here this April to perform the role of Cupid in an upcoming production of Blow's timeless Venus and Adonis- featuring Anna Dennis as Venus and Jonathan McGovern as Adonis.
We took the opportunity to ask her a few quick questions about the opera and her role:
Last time you were here performing at St John’s you were part of the ensemble for Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas- how does the experience of performing in Venus and Adonis compare, considering the links between the two works?
There are many similarities - the through composed nature, the variation of scenes and the role of the chorus intermingled with the characters. Once you are living in the English baroque sound world, you hear distinct differences in Blow’s idioms from Purcell’s. His language is subtly but significantly different.
Are there any elements of the opera that you feel make it relatable to audiences of today and that may help someone less familiar with early opera identify with the material?
Bathe in the beauty of the sounds and try not to take it too seriously. Don’t assume you need to know anything and bring an open mind. Goes for all opera, really!! And bring additional admiration for the continuo players (the harpsichord, organ, lute, harp) - they create their own parts as they play from a series of small numbers under the notes, called figures. The figures let them know what harmony is required. It is an astonishing thing and indicative of intelligence and imagination far beyond my own.
What do you enjoy about performing in St John’s?
It’s one of the first venues I went to when I first arrived in London from Australia, nearly twenty years ago now.
You will be performing the role of Cupid- is there anything about the part that you find especially enjoyable or indeed, challenging?
The spelling!!! I’m worried about misspelling, every time!
Is there anything else you would recommend listening to by Blow to our readers?
I recently performed a number of his larger scale Odes. HEAVENLY!
Do you have a favourite moment of the opera- either to perform or listen to?
I adore Venus’s laugh!
Do you remember the first time you heard Venus and Adonis? Was it memorable at all?
It was with Christian Curnyn, and it was in the Concertgebouw. Highly memorable. Great concert.
What have you been listening to recently?
My three children are obsessed with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s soundtrack to Disney’s Encanto! Barely a car trip goes by without them all taking different lines in “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. Wonderful songs!
Huge thanks to Miriam for chatting with us and we hope that has whet your appetite as much as ours for the upcoming performance!
Early Opera Company will be performing Venus and Adonis at St John's Smith Square on 2nd April at 7:30pm
To grab your tickets and find out more CLICK HERE
Photo credit: Sim Canetty-Clarke