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Week of 5 February 1999 Vol. II, No. 22 Arts The Opera Institute's Albert Herring An innocent's slide down the Maypole By Judith Sandler For anyone who thinks opera comes in one size -- grand -- Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring is a bracing and giddy breeze. The 1947 collaboration between Britten and producer and first-time librettist Eric Crozier will be presented by the School for the Arts Opera Institute February 11 through 14 at the Boston University Theatre. Their collaboration produced a small work with individual elements fitting snugly into one another like the workings of a clock. Critics have hailed Albert Herring, Britten's third opera, as beautifully written, bitingly satirical, and outrageously funny. Inspired by Guy de Maupassant's short story Le Rosier de Madame Husson, Crozier suggested to Britten that he write an opera for the newly formed English Opera Group. This small touring company, dedicated to presenting contemporary opera in the vernacular, required a work without chorus for a small cast and orchestra. Britten and Crozier worked hand in glove to create a chamber opera for an orchestra of 12 instruments and a cast of 13 singers. Set in April and May of 1900, during the final year of Queen Victoria's reign, in the imaginary town of Loxford in Britten's native East Anglia, Albert Herring is about the coming of age of a sweet, simple, obedient lad of 22, and it pokes fun at self-serving village dignitaries and at all things British. "Albert needs to discover for himself who he is, and to make the mistakes that he needs to make," says Lawrence Bianco (SFA'97,'99), a second-year student at the Opera Institute, who shares the role of Albert with Daniel Brenna (SFA'98,'00). Under the direction of conductor David Hoose, the townspeople of Loxford give Albert Herring (Lawrence Bianco) a dressing-down after his night on the town. The female cast members of Albert Herring are wearing foundation garments outside their clothing to help them establish breath control in the costumes they will wear during performances. Photo by Kalman Zabarsky Unable to find a suitable candidate to be the annual Queen of the May, the local dignitaries elect Albert -- a paragon of all that is good -- to be King of the May. Bemoaning young people's general lack of virtue and modesty, the pompous town officials determine to teach the village girls a lesson. Through the intervention, partly unintentional, of his friends, Albert wanders from the straight and narrow, but returns, having found his own path. "Britten ridicules the pomp and circumstance and the self-importance of the Victorian mores and social manners by mocking their words with musical parodies," says SFA Assistant Professor Alison Voth, principal coach. "But for the local people, the music is far more honest and the vocal line has a more pure, natural lyricism." "Together, Britten and Crozier developed sketches for each character, which Britten used as he composed the music so that each characterization is very specifically and colorfully delineated," explains Sharon Daniels, Opera Institute director and the production's stage director.