LONGBOROUGH FESTIVAL OPERA 2018
Shortly after announcing that Polly Graham will take over as Artistic Director, booking has opened for the 2018 season of Longborough Festival Opera.
This year Longborough presents four new productions: Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer, Verdi’s La traviata, Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos and Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea.
Der fliegende Holländer (RICHARD WAGNER)
Sung in German with English surtitles
Conductor Anthony Negus | Director Thomas Guthrie
Designer Ruth Paton | Lighting Designer Ben Ormerod
Longborough has long been celebrated for its performances of Wagner’s work. ‘British Wagnerian supremo’ (Observer) Anthony Negus conducts Der fliegende Holländer, a work never before performed at Longborough that was Wagner’s first step from opera to music drama. Director Thomas Guthrie and designer Ruth Paton return, following great success with their 2017 Magic Flute; and Simon Thorpe is the Dutchman, ‘full of rage and Wagnerian power’ (The Times)
Cast:
The Dutchman – Simon Thorpe
Senta – Kirstin Sharpin
Erik – Jonathan Stoughton
Daland – Richard Wiegold
Mary – Carolyn Dobbin
Performances: Weds 6, Sat 9, Mon 11, and Weds 13 June 2018.
5-9pm, including 90-minute dining interval
Tickets: £105-£200 at lfo.org.uk | 01451 830 292
La traviata (GIUSEPPE VERDI)
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Conductor Thomas Blunt | Director Daisy Evans
Designer Loren Elstein | Lighting Designer Jake Wiltshire
Considered by Verdi to be his greatest work, this extraordinary, heart-wrenching love story features some of the best-known music in operatic repertoire. Directed by Daisy Evans in her Longborough debut and conducted by Thomas Blunt, this new production features Dutch tenor (and recipient of Glyndebourne Festival Opera’s John Christie Award) Peter Gijsbertsen.
Cast including:
Violetta Valery – Paula Sides
Alfredo Germont – Peter Gijsbertsen
Giorgio Germont – Mark Stone
Flora Bervoix – Samantha Price
Annina – Jenny Stafford
Gastone de Letorières – Aled Hall
Barone Douphol – Eddie Wade
Marchese d’Obigny – Sion Goronwy
Dottore Grenvil – Timothy Dickinson
Giuseppe – Roger Paterson
Performances: Sat 23, Tues 26, Thurs 28, Sat 30 June and Sun 1, Tues 3 July 2018.
5-8.45pm, including 90-minute dining interval Tickets
Tickets: £65-£130 at lfo.org.uk | 01451 830 292
Ariadne auf Naxos (RICHARD STRAUSS)
Sung in German with English surtitles
Conductor Anthony Negus | Director Alan Privett
Designer Faye Bradley | Lighting Designer Ben Ormerod
Ancient Greek myth is ingeniously interwoven with Commedia dell’arte in Ariadne auf Naxos. Music Director Anthony Negus conducts as the music of Richard Strauss comes to Longborough for the first time: ‘Ariadne is ideally suited to the intimacy of Longborough. Having loved it since I was 16, I relish the opportunity to conduct it’. He joins forces with Alan Privett, director of Tannhäuser in 2016 and the monumental 2013 Ring cycle.
Cast including:
Ariadne – Helena Dix
Bacchus – Jonathan Stoughton
Zerbinetta – Robyn Allegra Parton
Harlekin – Henry Neill
Komponist – Clare Presland
Music Master – Darren Jeffery
Scaramuccio – Richard Roberts
Truffaldino – Timothy Dawkins
Brighella – Aidan Coburn
Tanzmeister – Harry Nicoll
Naiad – Suzanne Fischer
Dryad – Flora McIntosh
Echo – Alice Privett
Performances: Fri 13, Sun 15, Tues 17, Thurs 19, and Sat 21 July 2018.
5-8.50pm, including 90-minute dining interval
Tickets: Tickets £50-£110 at lfo.org.uk | 01451 830 292
L’incoronazione di Poppea (CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI)
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Conductor Jeremy Silver | Director Jenny Miller
Designer Nate Gibson | Lighting Designer Matt Cater
Longborough’s Young Artist programme has long been supporting emerging singers and players in an important early step towards stardom. To close the 2018 Festival, the Young Artists perform L’incoronazione di Poppea – Monteverdi’s final opera, often considered his finest achievement.
Cast including:
Poppea – Sofia Troncoso
Ottone – Matthew Paine
Nerone – Anna Harvey
Seneca – Matthew Buswell
Drusilla – Lucy Knight
Ottavia – Maria Ostroukhova
Arnalta – Beth Taylor
Amor – Chiara Vinci
La Fortuna/Damigella/Venere – Lucilla Graham
La Virtu/Pallade – Isabella Cheevers
Performances: Sat 28, Mon 30 July, Tues 31 July and Thurs 2 August 2018.
5-9pm, including 90-minute dining interval
Tickets: £35-85 at lfo.org.uk | 01451 830 292