Opera North’s staging is the first full professional production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden in the UK for 60 years, writes Ron Simpson.

It proves a rarity well worth reviving, especially in a performance of such all-round quality, but its neglect is understandable. The idiom of Russian folk tale, with the supernatural rubbing shoulders with the all too human, is difficult to translate to an English audience.

The Snow Maiden, the daughter of Father Frost and Spring Beauty, is a beautiful 16-year-old girl who cannot fall in love because there is ice in her heart. She will die if the warmth of love touches her heart, but she yearns to mix with the young people of the village who get such delight from song, dance and love. Of course, she gets her wish – with the inevitable consequence.

That’s the story on a human level, but it is also a legend of the seasons. From the depth of winter her mother grants Snow Maiden’s wish as spring arrives and she finally succumbs to the sun in midsummer. Her death removes a curse which the sun god has placed on the earth at the birth of Snow Maiden. The passage of the seasons is delightfully conveyed by a monster hand turning the pages of a calendar projected on the front cloth, but in general the supernatural element is downplayed.

Elin Pritchard as Kupava with the Chorus of Opera North in its production of Snow Maiden

For instance, among the many characters cut in this shortened version, most merely ceremonial, is a wood sprite who intervenes in the mortal romances. Some characters lose their semi-mythical identity, such as Tsar Berendey, charmingly human in Bonaventura Bottone’s witty performance.

Instead, director John Fulljames provides a human context, that of a dressmaking factory, which gives rise to all sorts of neat effects, but is ultimately limiting. In a work where communal song and dance is crucial, too many opportunities for dance founder on a stage full of sewing machines. Even the famous Dance of the Tumblers, given an exhilarating performance by the orchestra, gets no-one on his or her feet.

Within these limits it’s a fine production. Fulljames has a splendid eye for detail and slides shrewdly over the changes of tone from romantic to realistic, comic to tragic. Giles Cadle’s all-purpose set for all three operas in this season is perfectly supplemented by imaginative video projections on front-stage gauze and back cloth. Christina Cunningham’s modern-to-traditional costumes have more hits than misses.

Aoife Miskelly as Snow Maiden in Opera North's production of Snow Maiden

Leo McFall gets the usual superb performances from orchestra and chorus and the ten principals all excel. Yvonne Howard is particularly moving as spring declines into summer and James Creswell is luxury casting as Father Frost, but the outstanding performances come from the four young characters: Aoife Miskelly radiating the otherness and innocence of Snow Maiden, Heather Lowe terrific as the uber-cool Lel, Elin Pritchard and Phillip Rhodes passionate and committed as Kupava and Mizgir.

Performances will be at Leeds Grand on January 28, February 3 and February 17 and at The Lowry in Salford Quays on March 10.