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Editor - Bill Kenny
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Deputy Editor - Bob Briggs
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SEEN AND HEARD
SEASON PREVIEW
Garsington
Opera 2009:
Garsington Opera celebrates its 20th anniversary with the British
Premiere of
Martinů’s Mirandolina. (BK)
The British premiere of Martinů’s comic opera Mirandolina,
directed by Martin Duncan and conducted by Martin André, is one of
the three operas featured during the twentieth anniversary season of
Garsington Opera. This production, in the fiftieth anniversary year
of Martinů’s death, marks the first time that Garsington Opera has
mounted an opera by the twentieth century Czech composer. The
festival (3 June – 5 July) in addition presents two new productions
- Rossini’s La Cenerentola, (directed by Daniel Slater and
conducted by David Parry) and, for the first time at Garsington
Opera, Beethoven’s Fidelio. Directed by John Cox and
conducted by Douglas Boyd, Fidelio opens the festival which,
once again, features an array of distinguished and rising talent.
MIRANDOLINA
The British premiere of Mirandolina,
in a new English translation by Jeremy Sams, is Garsington Opera’s
first ever production of an opera by Bohuslav Martinů. Marking the
fiftieth anniversary of Martinů’s death, this delightful comic piece
is directed by Martin Duncan and designed by Francis O’Connor – the
duo responsible for Garsington Opera’s Ariadne auf Naxos and
Opera North’s acclaimed production of Jonathan Dove’s The
Adventures of Pinocchio, just mounted in Minneapolis. Written in
1954 and first performed in 1959, Mirandolina is based on an
eighteenth century farce, La locandiera, by Carlo Goldoni. A
beautiful inn-keeper, the eponymous Mirandolina, plays three suitors
off against each other under the eye of her manservant Fabrizio, who
is in love with her. The title role is sung by the beautiful
Colombian soprano Juanita Lascarro, a principal soloist in Oper
Frankfurt and has sung at Garsington Opera in Le Comte Ory
and Daphne. Mary Hegarty and Jean Rigby take the roles of two
actresses who are staying in the inn, posing as aristocrats.
Geoffrey Dolton, Andrew Slater and Mark Wilde perform the
gentlemen who vie for Mirandolina’s attentions. Daniel Norman, who
makes his Royal Opera debut this month, plays Fabrizio. The
internationally acclaimed Martin André conducts.
FIDELIO
John Cox has directed many operas for Garsington Opera,
including its recent Mozart successes. Now he directs Beethoven’s
Fidelio (1814) – a first both for him and for Garsington. The
brilliant conductor Douglas Boyd, Music Director of the Manchester
Camerata, made his opera debut last year with Die Zauberflöte
for Glyndebourne on Tour. He comes to Garsington for the first time
to conduct Fidelio, having interpreted the composer’s work to
great acclaim in his recordings of the symphonies. Designer Gary
McCann comes from designing the National Theatre’s highly successful
production of The Pitmen Painters. In the title role is the
British soprano Rebecca von Lipinski, a rising star who made her
continental debut last year at the Bregenz Festival. She is joined
by Peter Wedd as Florestan. The renowned Russian baritone
Sergei Leiferkus plays Don Pizarro, while Rocco is sung by the
acclaimed Norwegian bass Frode Olsen. Claire Ormshaw, a winner of
the coveted Sir John Christie Prize at Glyndebourne, is Marzelline.
Pascal Charbonneau, winner of the 2007 Leonard Ingrams Foundation
award, sings Jaquino.
LA CENERENTOLA
David Parry
returns to conduct La
Cenerentola,
the popular
work based on the Perrault Cinderella fairytale. The
production is directed by
Daniel Slater,
who was responsible for Garsington Opera’s outstanding production of
Don Pasquale. Angela
Davies
designs. Angelina is sung by the talented young Turkish soprano
Ezgi Kutlu,
opposite the Greek tenor
Antonis Koroneos
(Don Ramiro), making his British debut. The two sisters are played
by Australian-born Lisa
Crosato
and by Eliana Pretorian
from
Romania, the youngest finalist in the 2005 Kathleen Ferrier
competition. The Australian singer
Joshua Bloom,
who recently made his Metropolitan Opera debut, is Alidoro. Dandini
is sung by Quirijn de Lang,
who sang in Garsington Opera’s Ariadne auf Naxos and most
recently as the Count in Scottish Opera’s
Secret Marriage.
Mirandolina
is sung in English, in a new translation by Jeremy Sams.
Fidelio and La Cenerentola are sung in their original languages, all
with surtitles, All three operas will, as usual, 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.
Bill Kenny
Performance Calendar:
Fidelio
3, 7, 13, 19, 24, 27 June, 3 July 6.20pm
La Cenerentola
6, 8, 14, 20, 23, 25 June, 1,4 July 6.05pm
Mirandolina
18, 21, 26, 28 June, 2, 5 July 6.30pm
Box Office: General
Public Bookin opens 20th April 2009
Telephone 01865 361636
Garsington Opera, Garsington, Oxford OX44 9DH
The Garsiington Opera web site is
www.garsingtonopera.org