Founder of Narropera (a shortened term for ’narrated opera’) Haydn Rawstron describes the concept as being based on an 18th century definition of music: beauty, clarity and modulation.

Undoubtedly, one cannot argue the beauty of music created by the genius of Mozart and the lyrics of Bertati.

There, too, was much beauty in the performance of the music with wonderful lyrical playing from violinist Floriane Peycelon which, coupled with sensitive accompaniment from Rawstron, provided the perfect foil for the undisputed talent, interpretation and comfortable authority of Dorothee Jansen’s voice.

Glimpses of innovation punctuated the performance throughout; Jansen’s refreshing dramatic interpretation of characters, and when Peycelon abandoned her violin bow and played pizzicato in the style of playing a guitar, which created not only amusement from the audience, but also a timbre of playfulness, which so embodies Mozart’s music.

Clarity was offered to us through Rawstron’s learn-ed discourse of the plot.

Although it felt like perhaps a battered old arm chair and a glass of brandy-in-hand should have accompanied his ’tale for grown ups’ -more along the lines of an adult ’Jackanory’- Rawstron delivered his story confidently and with a gentle humour we have come to appreciate.

Modulation, I found less convincing: to present Don Giovanni in Narropera form is indeed a big challenge. Entertaining as it was, I felt that the terrifying scene when the Commendatore appears to Don Giovanni in his chambers -arguably the defining scene of the opera - in only a narrated form failed to create the shudder in one’s soul and fear of one’s own mortality, which Mozart’s music so convincingly gives us.

However, ’Grand House Entertainment’ it certainly was, echoing days of soirées and formal musical evenings.

Narropera’s presentation at the Peel Centenary Centre certainly gave the audience a clearer understanding of the plot, the musical style of Mozart and of the social age of the opera, moreover, it left a happy audience humming Mozart’s wistful themes deep into the night.