Opera North: A Preview of the 2007-2008 Season (RJF)

 

The 2006-2007 Opera North Season opened in Leeds on October 7^th, a little later than originally planned. This was because of the major refurbishment of their home at the Grand Theatre Leeds and which included the raising of the fly tower, the provision of superb rehearsal space and improvements in the auditorium the details of which are outlined in my review of the re-opening occasion. The benefits of the new rehearsal facilities were evident throughout the subsequent season with some particularly well produced and presented works the highlight of which was Phyllida Lloyd’s production of Peter Grimes which won the prestigious Royal Philharmonic opera award, and justifiably so.

The new Opera North year will open on September 15^th in Leeds with a new production by Tim Albery of Madama Butterfly sung in Italian. I greatly admired Albery’s production of Katya Kabanova seen at the Lowry during the company’s summer tour (Review). Albery seems to have the happy knack of moving date and sometimes circumstance in his productions without destroying the essence of the composer’s intentions whilst getting to the kernel of the plot and bringing out the dramatic emphases. I do not anticipate a pretty-pretty Japanese setting that can disguise the rather unwholesome story of a yank who buys sex from a virginal Japanese with promises and a mock marriage to which he does not feel bound while leaving her with family dishonour along with their child. Butterfly will be sung by Anne Sophie Duprels who was Violetta in Opera North’s 2005 Traviata with Rafael Rojas as Pinkerton. Wyn Davies conducts. With Tim Albery scheduled to on take three of Opera North’s new productions in the 2007-2008 season so I will be keeping my fingers crossed that his touch holds.

The most exciting aspect of the coming Opera North year is the prospect of a Shakespearean theme among the operas being presented. This theme will extend into the autumn of 2008 and incorporates operas by Bellini, Verdi, Gounod and Britten. First up in the autumn season is a reprise of the admired 1996 production of Falstaff with Robert Haywood in the eponymous role, he having sung Ford previously. Regular company artist Susannah Glanville sings Alice, with Susan Bickley Mistress Quickly and Ashley Catling Fenton. The production is sung in English with the first night being in Leeds on September 29th. Tecwyn Evans conducts. The autumn season will conclude with a new production of German baroque composer Richard Keiser’s The Fortunes of Croesus. Produced by Albery it features Paul Nillon in the title role. I hope Albery will not abuse his tenor as Alden did in the ill considered and widely criticised Orfeo of last year. This work is a co-production with Minnesota Opera which will obviously help with the costs, an important consideration, as the next revue of funding from the Department of Culture Media and Sport is not yet determined but with background worries of the 2012 Olympic adventure coming at the cost of artistic endeavours. The first night of The Fortunes of Croesus will be in Leeds on 17^th October. The opera will be sung in English in a translation by the producer with specialist Harry Bicket conducting.

After the season in Leeds, including all the premieres, the Company goes on tour with a five-night season to the Theatre Royal Nottingham on 23^rd October with two performances each of Butterfly and Falstaff and one of Croesus. They then have a break before returning to Leeds on November 6^th with a similar pattern and concluding at The Lowry, Salford Quays from November 13^th.

Opera North’s Winter Season 2007-2008 starts in Leeds on 21st  December with the exciting prospect of a World Premiere, that of Jonathan Dove’s The Adventures of Pinocchio. Directed by Martin Duncan who is also in charge of the spring seasons A Midsummer’s Nights Dream. The cast includes the young mezzo Victoria Simmonds, the soprano Mary Plazas and the renowned baritone Jonathan Summers with David Parry on the rostrum. This is followed by further performances of the award winning production of Peter Grimes with Jeffrey Lloyd Roberts reprising his searing portrayal of the title role. If you didn’t see this first time round you really must not miss it this time. Opera productions and performances like this do not come round very often. There are four performances in Leeds from January 17^th and one each in the touring venues except for Sadler’s Wells where it will be given twice. The new production of Madama Butterfly will also be reprised from 5^th January in Leeds and included in the extended tour.

The Winter tour of the three operas will take in five night seasons at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham from February 5^th, The Lowry, Salford from 12th February, The Grand Opera House, Belfast from 19^th February and the Theatre Royal, Newcastle from 4th march. A week at Sadler’s Wells from 26^th February will include three performances of Pinocchio and two of Peter Grimes.

Spring

The works for the Spring Season will be wholly focussed on the Shakespearean theme. The first production will be of Verdi’s first setting of the great playwrights work, Macbeth. Tim Albery directs his first Verdi opera for the Company with music director Richard Farnes conducting. Macbeth will be sung by Robert Haywood with Antonia Cifrone as his Lady it will be premiered in Leeds on 23^rd April. Music Director Richard Farnes is on the rostrum whilst Johan Engels, the designer for Opera North’s Eight Little greats, returns. He will also be responsible for Britten’s A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream to be premiered on 3^rd of May and Gounod’s Romeo and Juliette on 17^th May. This operatic Shakespearian extravaganza should excite all operagoers. With costumes for Macbeth designed by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, responsible for those in the ill starred Rigoletto of last year, and Glyndebourne’s efforts with Macbeth more recently, I hope there are no caravans around. Britten’s opera is to be conducted by Stuart Stratford. James Laing will sing Oberon. Romeo and Juliette will be sung in French with Leonardo Capalbo cast as Romeo and the Slovenian lyric soprano Bernardo Bobra as Juliette; Martin André conducts.

These three Shakespeare based operas tour for weeklong seasons of five nights at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham from 28^th May, the Theatre Royal, Newcastle from 3^rd June, The Lowry, Salford from 10^th June and The Alhambra, Bradford from 17^th June. Newcastle and Bradford have an extra performance in the touring five nights with Britten’s opera getting a second performance of the week at a matinee on the Saturday afternoon with Macbeth following in the evening.

I suggest that Opera North’s coming year is a mouth-watering prospect for opera lovers. However, they know from bitter experience, caravans and decorator’s tape spring to mind, there is many a slip between cup and lip. In the case of opera built, as it is, round beautiful and dramatic music, directors and designers having concepts usually cause such slips. I hope the desirability of balancing budgets and building a base of repeatable sets and productions will keep avante guarde idiocy at arms length. If it does so the prospect of Bellini’s bel canto take on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette in the form of I Capuleti ed i Montecchi which is promised for the autumn of 2008 is even more exciting. Whilst 20^th century and early works regularly find a regular place in the repertoire of Britain’s regional and London Companies, including Opera North, the primo ottocento is a period sadly neglected by them, the odd foray into Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Lucia and L’Elisir d’Amore being the most common occasional exceptions. Bellini’s opera is a musical gem worth looking forward to, as are the offerings of the 2007-2008 Season.

 

Robert J Farr

The Opera North Web Site is HERE

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