Garsington Opera has moved to the glorious Wormsley Estate in the Chiltern Hills, home of the Getty family, and opens its short summer season with Mozart’s much-loved opera, The Magic Flute on 2 June 2011 in its beautiful, specially designed Opera Pavilion. The highlight of the season will be the British premiere of Vivaldi’s La verità in cimento, a rare treasure, by the composer best known for his violin concertos, The Four Seasons. Rossini’s delightful Il Turco in Italia completes the season that runs from 2 June – 5 July. All the coming season’s conductors and directors will be working with both established and emerging young singers, two of whom are making their British debuts.
Garsington Opera’s new home is around an hour’s drive from London. Its elegant and intimate pavilion seats 600 and audiences look out over the landscape whilst enjoying some of opera’s finest music. Architect Robin Snell has designed with best possible comfort, acoustics and sightlines in mind. The pavilion’s covered verandahs and terraces with bars and places to linger will enable patrons to enjoy the spectacular views. Performances start in the early evening and there is a long dinner interval when patrons can picnic in the deer park, by the lake or overlooking the famous cricket pitch, or dine in the marquees catered by Jamie Olivers’ Fabulous Feasts.
Garsington Opera’s Box Office telephone number is 01865 361636 and the web site address is www.garsingtonopera.org
Bill Kenny
All three operas in the Garsington 2011 season will be reviewed in Seen and Heard.