CONTEMPORARY composer Harrison Birtwistle has a notoriously uncompromising approach to his music, which some find impenetrable. So it was all the more encouraging to see the Gala Theatre filled to capacity for a performance of his Io Passion by the Aldeburgh Almeida Opera.

Though characteristically multi-layered, the opera, dealing with the end of an affair, is surprisingly accessible. Packed with symmetries, the libretto by Stephen Plaice takes the audience through a series of circles, with two protagonists portrayed in triplicate by four singers and two actors. The set itself is cleverly divided into quarters, representing the interior and exterior of a house. To add to the surreal effect, singer Claire Booth had a sore throat and had to mime her words, with her part sung brilliantly from the floor by Sarah Leonard.

We know something dark happened on a holiday in Greece and the characters only communicate by letter. The story switches backwards and forwards to ancient Greece, with the narrative interwoven with the rape of Io by Zeus. There is some fearsome copulating on a table; a display drawing inevitable snickers from the younger audience members. The action was supported with superb playing by the Quatuor Diotima, directed by Alan Hacker on bassett clarinet.

There are many open patches left in the fabric, leaving it to individuals to fill in the fractured picture in their own way. A disturbing and yet pleasing spectacle - certainly a musical experience with a difference.

Published: 02/12/2004