Review of When a Man Knows in Tempo Magazine

The current issue of Tempo Magazine (published October 14 by Cambridge University Press) includes  Jill Barlow's review of When a Man Knows. Further details of the magazine here.

Her view is nicely positive, even though she seems to have been there the night we had lighting problems. I've put three sample quotes below:-

'sung with due dramatic impact by young baritone Dario Dugandzic, the ‘Man’. In fact his remarkably buoyant, fulsome tones throughout were most memorable, and the main highlight of this unusually stark drama. ‘I’m only just developing my voice, trying to explore’, he said when I congratulated this young singer from Yugoslavia after the show. With the distinguished baritone Ian Caddy directing this opera, I’m not surprised Dugandzic got to give of his best.'


'The opera is well delivered and directed, with an interesting score that has expressive arias, recitatives, duets, with much of the dialogue between man and woman over a ground bass. The idiom is tonal, but one of the Woman’s final arias uses a 12-tone row, as she bloodthirstily lists the torments he will endure during his slow death:'

I liked it too. Hugill is clearly a composer of discernment, imagination, and drive, and his score encompassed many a gem, including an arioso, fearsome duet with the Man, as the Woman spells out her plan of revenge, with torrid passages for violin, cello and piano, and a cliff-hanger at the end. At the sound of a banging door the woman departs. All we hear is the dripping tap. Silence. Then chorus: ‘Will she be back ?’



All quotations from Jill Barlow's review in  

FIRST PERFORMANCES

(2011).
Tempo, Volume 65, Issue 258, October 2011 pp 45-58
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?aid=8406640

If you want to read the full article then you can visit the web-site and rent it at a very reasonable fee.