Prodigy: A person with exceptional qualities or abilities esp. a precociously talented child. Jacquline du Pré certainly fits this description; starting to play the cello at just 5 years old, she had accomplished more by 18 than most of us will in a lifetime. Tapestry Opera’s biographical Jacqueline is totally unlike anything I’ve seen on an opera stage before. Directed by Michael Hidetoshi Mori, with a libretto by Royce Vavrek and compositions by Luna Pearl Woolf, Jacqueline is a heartbreaking story about music, fame, passion, and illness.

Jacqueline du Pré loved the cello more than anything else in her life. Soaring to stardom as a teen, du Pré’s technicality and passion made her an instant favourite. However, in her 20’s she began to see signs of something wrong; her speech would slur at times, she couldn’t come up with the words she wanted, and she was getting tired quite easily. Unfortunately, these were the first sings of Multiple Sclerosis taking effect on the young cellist. Bold as ever, she marries a pianist and conductor, Daniel Barenboim, in Jerusalem just after the Six-Day War. Unfortunately, her condition only worsens, finally leading to her MS diagnosis and her abdication from the stage.

When the curtain rises, there are only two people on stage: Jacqueline, and her cello. While I’ve experienced several solo shows in the past, to see a solo opera is certainly a new experience, yet for this story it works perfectly. Jacqueline du Pré was unparalleled in her industry, and what she went through ultimately became isolating and lonely, it makes sense that she alone should tell her story. We witness pivotal moments in du Pré’s short life, punctuated by memories of childhood; showing her mother how she can just barely fit her arms around her cello or running through the countryside with her sister. Her constant companion is her cello, which she sweetly calls mon ami.

Surrounding Jacqueline and the cello is an orchestra’s worth of chairs and music stands. They’ve brilliantly used these as hiding spots for various costumes and props, as well as having some props, like her first record and a portable record player, drop down from the fly space above. However, as her illness progresses, the uniformity of that staging begins to disrupt itself, and suddenly it’s no longer the comforting space she knows so well. Many objects which appear in the first two movements appear again in the living room which is established just in front of the stage for the second portion of the production. Her blanket, cello case, and record player surround her, reminders of the life that once was. Camellia Koo does a brilliant job at repurposing these elements, but also indicating the time period through Jacqueline’s costumes. Shifting from her conservative 50’s clothing to more groovy 70’s and 80’s apparel, there’s a clear timeline established and experienced through Jacqueline.

Marnie Breckenridge, a stunning soprano, performs the role of Jacqueline du Pré. Her voice reverberates through the Betty Oliphant Theatre with the seeming effortlessness which only comes from an opera singer. Watching her clearly shift from childhood to adulthood with the addition of a cardigan or taking off of a jacket is incredible, as she’s doing it all whilst passionately performing. Matt Haimovitz is the cello; a wildly talented cellist himself, he also has pointed and emotional interactions with Breckenridge throughout the piece. One should truly see this production twice: once to solely focus on Breckenridge and the story, and another to purely watch Haimovitz and his moving cello.

I’m listening to a recording of Jacqueline du Pré play the Elgar concerto (the piece for which she is most renowned), accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra, as I write this review. Her passion is evident though I can’t see her and this was recorded long before I was born; yet like the opera with her name, emotion oozes from every note and the orchestra must do its best to match her swelling and beautiful sounds. Thankfully, there are many records of du Pré’s work, and with the help of Jacqueline, her legacy lives on.

Jacqueline runs at the Betty Oliphant Theatre until February 23. For more information and tickets, visit: https://tapestryopera.com/performances/jacqueline/

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Cover Photo: Marnie Breckenridge and Matt Haimovitz. Photo by Dahlia Katz (2020)

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