Longborough Festival Opera proclaims 2023 programme
Wagner, Götterdämmerung: 29 May – 6 June 2023
Götterdämmerung marks the epic conclusion to Longborough’s new Ring cycle, following acclaimed productions of Das Rheingold in 2019 (‘both epic and intimate’ – Opera journal), Die Walküre in 2021 (‘as fine Wagner as could be wished’ – ★★★★ The Guardian) and Siegfried in 2022 (‘the Bayreuth of the Cotswolds’ – ★★★★ The Times). All productions within the cycle are created particularly for Longborough by Amy Lane, Artistic Director of Copenhagen Opera Festival, and Longborough Music Director and eminent Wagnerian Anthony Negus.
The Götterdammerung forged contains the abilities of Lee Bisset (Brünnhilde), Bradley Daley (Siegfried), Rebecca Afonwy-Jones (Wellgunde), Benedict Nelson (Gunther), Julian Close (Hagen) and Catherine Carby (Waltraute). The refrain combines skilled performers with a brand new group refrain of native beginner singers.
The full cycle of Der Ring des Nibelungen will likely be offered in 2024.
‘Götterdämmerung is Wagner’s richest, maturest and most stylistically unified a part of the Ring. Its profound command of concord and wealthy thematic texture is really awe-inspiring‘ – Anthony Negus, Music Director, Longborough Festival Opera
Donizetti, L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love): 20 June – 1 July 2023
Award-winning British-Swiss director Max Hoehn, conductor Alice Farnham (writer of In Good Hands: The Making of a Modern Conductor, launched in January 2023) and designer Jemima Robinson (Linbury Prize winner) current probably the most standard operas of all time, Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore.
The a part of Nemorino will likely be carried out by South African tenor Thando Mjandana, who just lately received the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Award on the Voice of Black Opera Competition. Returning to the Longborough stage are Jennifer Witton (Adina) and Haegee Lee (Giannetta), each of whom starred within the competition’s manufacturing of Carmen in 2022.
‘I’m thrilled to current this exuberant, joyful present at Longborough, with a forged and inventive crew who’re positive to create a humorous, feel-good night time on the opera!‘ – Polly Graham, Artistic Director, Longborough Festival Opera
Monteverdi, L’Orfeo: 11 – 18 July 2023
Tenor Peter Gijsbertsen, winner of Glyndebourne Festival Opera’s John Christie Award, and the 2018 Nederlandse Muziekprijs, stars within the title function for Longborough’s manufacturing of L’Orfeo. Monteverdi’s much-loved rating will likely be carried out on interval devices by Venetian Baroque specialists La Serenissima, performed by Robert Howarth and directed by Olivia Fuchs.
Many of the L’Orfeo forged got here to Longborough’s consideration early of their careers after they took half within the competition’s Emerging Artist scheme, together with Frances Gregory, Rosie Lomas, Caroline Taylor, Rozanna Madylus and Neil Balfour. Longborough is delighted to welcome these singers again this season.
‘It’s thrilling to current one of many earliest operas ever written to Longborough audiences. Monteverdi’s music speaks on to the human situation, travelling at lightning-speed throughout the centuries! Music Director Robert Howarth has a lot expertise on this repertoire, and director Olivia Fuchs gives a wealthy tackle this fathomless portrait of affection and grief. We’re thrilled to be welcoming again La Serenissima, Venetian Baroque specialists who will play Monteverdi’s meditative, psychologically forensic and delightful rating.’ – Polly Graham, Artistic Director, Longborough Festival Opera
Purcell, The Fairy Queen: 29 July – 3 August 2023
This new manufacturing of The Fairy Queen is Longborough’s 2023 Emerging Artist manufacturing, additionally that includes The Longborough Youth Chorus. Longborough’s Artistic Director Polly Graham, makes use of the dramatic framework from Shakespeare’s textual content: combining phrases and music to current Purcell’s stunning, life-affirming rating. A newly commissioned genre-bending association will mix Baroque with people music, co-music directed by baroque violinist and composer Naomi Burrell, and composer and conductor Harry Sever, Longborough’s Ring Cycle Conducting Fellow.
‘Purcell’s considerable semi-opera collides with Shakespeare’s much-loved comedy on this new manufacturing, which is being offered in a brand new people inflected association by baroque fiddle participant Naomi Burrell and Longborough’s Ring Cycle Conducting Fellow Harry Sever. The band will likely be made up of harpsichord, strings, accordion, harmonium, percussion, lute, trumpet and extra! An energetic and extremely gifted group of Longborough Emerging Artists make up an ensemble forged of 12, working alongside the excellent Longborough Youth Chorus. This is a multi-layered paean to nature, dreamworlds and love.’ – Polly Graham, Artistic Director, Longborough Festival Opera
Playground Opera: The Downfall of Don José: 6 – 16 June 2023
Longborough’s Playground Opera manufacturing is again by standard demand this season. The challenge is a part of the competition’s ongoing dedication to creating nice opera accessible to a youthful viewers, immersing them into the plots and music with participation and preparation. In 2023, Longborough will likely be touring a specifically tailored efficiency of Bizet’s Carmen in native colleges in the course of the summer time time period.
‘Playground Opera 2023 takes The Downfall of Don José back on tour in June, visiting local state primary schools with workshops for 450 children aged 10-11, and reaching an audience of 1,450 children aged 4-11. Bizet’s Carmen has been tailored to encourage youngsters to delve deeper into the plot, perceive the characters, and query the dodgy choice making of Don José. The youngsters will rewrite the story, study among the choruses, and participate performing with the Playground Opera forged and musicians.’ – Jessica May, Head of Learning and Participation, Longborough Festival Opera
About Longborough Festival Opera
Martin and Lizzie Graham began selling opera within the grounds of their house in 1991 as Banks Fee Opera. Longborough Festival Opera has since grown into a longtime opera firm, located within the coronary heart of the Cotswolds, with an annual season going down in a purpose-built opera home seating 500. Martin and Lizzie’s daughter, the acclaimed opera director Polly Graham, was appointed as Artistic Director in 2018, working alongside Jennifer Smith, Executive Director.
Longborough’s intimate auditorium permits the viewers to expertise the drama and emotion on the stage on an nearly private degree, firmly securing the summer time season into the diaries of a loyal and ever-increasing viewers.
Longborough Festival Opera is a charity, counting on ticket gross sales and the generosity of its members and viewers.
Tickets – Public tickets are on sale from Monday twenty seventh February 2023.
For extra data CLICK HERE.