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Garsington  Opera's 2008 Season: A preview by Bill Kenny (BK)

The British premiere of Vivaldi’s L’incoronazione di Dario, directed by David Freeman, will open this summer’s Garsington Opera season on 4 June 2008. The festival (4 June – 6 July) also features a new production of Stravinsky’s masterpiece The Rake’s Progress, directed by Olivia Fuchs, and a revival of John Cox’s celebrated 2004 production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte. This year brings conductors Martin André and Laurence Cummings, together with Steuart Bedford, to Garsington Opera and, in the Garsington tradition, features new talent alongside more established singers.

L’Incoronazione di Dario

The British premiere of L’incoronazione di Dario is a landmark event for Garsington Opera. Not only is it to be Garsington’s first production of a baroque opera but it will also be the world premiere of a new critical edition from the Antonio Vivaldi  Italian Institute, Venice. Written in 1717, the early opera is both comic and dramatic with its richly varied music and strong characterization. It will be conducted by Laurence Cummings, a leading practitioner of baroque music and director of the London Handel Festival, and directed by David Freeman, founder of the Opera Factory in Sydney, Zurich and London, whose production of Tosca at the Royal Albert Hall is shortly to be revived.  Dan Potra designs. The title role will be sung by Paul Nilon, who has recently sung the title role of Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria at Netherlands Opera.  The promising young Croatian mezzo soprano Renata Pokupić takes the role of Statira, the eldest daughter of the late king, with Wendy Dawn Thompson as her rival and second daughter Argene. Among those talented younger artists appearing is one of British opera’s brightest young prospects, Sophie Bevan (Alinda). Nicholas Watts (Oronte), Russell Smythe (Niceno), Katherine Manley (Arpago) and Antonio Sotgiu (Flora) complete the cast.

The Rake's Progress

Olivia Fuchs’ exploration of Russian music at Garsington has so far included productions of works by Tchaikovsky and Rimsky Korsakov. She now takes on Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, one of the great operas of the twentieth century.  Inspired by William Hogarth’s vivid sequence of engravings, the opera will feature Christopher Purves, who recently performed in the premiere of James MacMillan’s The Sacrifice, singing Nick Shadow for the first time, with rising star Robert Murray (a former young artist on the Jette Parker programme at the Royal Opera House) taking the leading role of Tom Rakewell. The young Irish singer Sinéad Campbell  sings the role of his beloved Anne Trulove, with Susan Bickley (Baba the Turk), Stephen Richardson (Father Trulove), Phyllis Cannan (Mother Goose) and Christopher Gillett (Sellem). It will be conducted by Martin André, who recently made his Colorado Central City Opera debut conducting La Traviata.

Così fan Tutte

Così fan tutte, Mozart’s glorious exploration of the nature of young love, will be revived this year, in one of Garsington Opera’s most celebrated productions.  Created in 2004 by director John Cox, the opera will be conducted by Steuart Bedford with Teuta Koço, winner of the first Leonard Ingrams Award, singing the role of Despina.  Anna Stéphany and Erica Eloff sing Fiordiligi and Dorabella respectively.  The men’s roles are taken by D’Arcy Bleiker (Guglielmo), Ashley Catling (Ferrando) and Riccardo Novaro (Don Alfonso). Garsington Opera will give a concert performance of this opera on Friday 11 July at the Barbican, as part of the Mostly Mozart festival.

Sung in their original languages, with surtitles, all three operas will be staged on the terrace of the Jacobean Manor house and performed with the Garsington Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Lighting is by Bruno Poet. Before and during the season, Garsington Opera will run an extensive education programme with schools in Oxfordshire.

Dates:  

L’incoronazione di Dario 4, 8, 14, 20, 25, 28 June, 5 July 6.05pm

Così fan tutte 7, 9, 15, 22, 24, 26 June, 2, 4 July 5.35pm

The Rake’s Progress 19, 21, 27, 29 June, 3, 6 July 6.05pm

Box Office:  General Public Booking Opens  21 April 2008

Tickets £80 – £135

Telephone 01865 361636 Garsington Opera, Garsington, Oxford OX44 9DH www.garsingtonopera.org

Press Enquiries:

Clare Adams  Tel: 01295 690344 email:  ca@clareadamspr.com

Clare Adams Publicity, Clattercote House, Claydon, Oxon OX171ES


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