Help, Help, the Globolinks!

When I was about seven I was very upset by what I discovered years later had been the climax of Menotti's film version of 'The Medium' that I chanced upon on TV. Although written for children, 'Help, Help, the Globolinks!' would probably give them nightmares just as 'Dr Who' and 'Out of the Unknown' gave me at the time.

The plot itself recalls 'The Day of the Triffids', the Globolinks themselves resembling enormous floppy chess pieces repelled by music the way that Slim Whitman disagreed with the Martians in 'Mars Attacks!'. While the big exterior set bears an uncanny resemblance to the desolate Scottish landscape in 'Devil Girl from Mars'; only in bright sixties colours (and this time it's SUPPOSED to look like a set).

I at first took Edith Mathis to be one of the teachers, since wearing a school uniform certainly didn't make her look like a child; while American soprano Arlene Saunders (who sadly recently died of Covid-19) as Madame Euterpova wears a false nose that makes her look like the Child Catcher's sister.

Help, Help, the Globolinks! thanks to this Hamburg performance is a new work to me, and while perhaps not one of my favourites from GianCarlo Menotti it does have a fun story and enough of Menotti's musical craftsmanship. And this is a most excellent performance, not just because it is visually appealing and has all the performers inhabiting their roles but it also has Menotti directing, which he does with much fun and skill, making it accessible for anybody while also not making us forget that it is an operatic experience. Visually, it is very creative, the photography is cleverly done and never garish, the costumes and sets are handsome and the globolinks themselves are a delight, colourful and while wonderfully weird not too scary either.

Musically, it is just as outstanding, with lively orchestral playing and the conducting has much flair and energy. I cannot fault the performances either, it is so nice to see Franz Grundheber in more focused voice than he has been in recent years. Standing out especially is Raymond Wolansky, whose role is somewhat unsympathetic but still sung and acted perfectly. Edith Mathis sings with her usual sweetness and purity, and Arlene Saunders's Madame Euterpova is just as beautifully sung and dramatically committed as her Agathe in Hamburg's Der Freischutz. Kurt Marschner and Ursula Boese are their usual characterful selves also. Overall, a treat, perhaps not the best or my favourite of the Hamburg Opera DVD collection but of a collection with so many gems that include Die Zauberflote, Der Freischutz, Fidelio, Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg and Wozzeck it is very hard to decide on either really. 9/10 Bethany Cox