Saul, Glyndebourne *****

On a damp and dark day, the dress rehearsal of Saul didn't give us a chance for the full Glyndebourne experience, instead letting the art take precedence. The dark day was totally overshadowed by the majesty and brightness of Handel's music and Barrie Kosky's production. From the first half,  you can tell that this piece is an oratorio with the vast amount of God praising. Despite this, the production ranks as one of the most remarkable things I have seen in some time. It juggles minimalism with wealth and magnificence. It uses both poignancy and surrealist humour to create an overwhelming theatrical experience. Christopher Purves has acting talents that rival many of the great stage stars and his jealousy and rage created as a result of his hubris is felt stronger than any singer I have seen. Iestyn Davies is always a pleasure to listen to, with a voice that fills the large opera house with joy just as well as it does the intimate Sam Wannamaker Playhouse. Benjamin Hullet is creepy as a court jester type who embodies multiple roles in the same eerie costume whilst the women of the piece are wonderfully portrayed by Lucy Crowe and Sophie Bevan whilst Appleby portrays their brother Jonathan well, with only one misstep when a slightly homoerotic subtext is contrived between him and David  in the only wrong step of a triumphant piece. A magnificent surprise opens the second half that triggered a spontaneous applause from the audience in a set design from Katrin Lea Tag that is awe inspiring and evokes the religious routes of Handel's music. It is the chorus, however, that really make this production something else.The Glyndebourne chorus create a sound that feels miraculous and the moments that they are alone on stage with the six dancers ( who do their job very well and add another dimension to an already impressive display) are the best moments of the show, and convey Handel's music in the best possible way. There are very few operatic productions that are perfect and whilst this isn't one of them, it comes very, very close.