1 2017 SEASON 2 Eugene Onegin, 2016 Absolutely everything was perfection.You have a winning formula Audience member, 2016 1 2 SEMELE George Frideric Handel LE NOZZE DI FIGARO Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE Claude Debussy IL TURCO IN ITALIA Gioachino Rossini SILVER BIRCH Roxanna Panufnik Idomeneo, 2016 G arsington O pera at W ormsle y 2017 promises to be a groundbreaking season in the 28 year history of Garsington Opera. We will be expanding to four opera productions for the very first time and we will now have two resident orchestras as the Philharmonia Orchestra joins us for Pelléas et Mélisande. Our own highly praised Garsington Opera Orchestra will not only perform Le nozze di Figaro, Il turco in Italia and Semele, but will also perform the world premiere of Roxanna Panufnik’s Silver Birch at the conclusion of the season. Pelléas et Mélisande, Debussy’s only opera and one of the seminal works of the 20th century, will be conducted by Jac van Steen, who brought such illumination and musicianship to our Intermezzo production of 2015. It will be directed by Michael Boyd and designed by Tom Piper, who return following last season’s inspiring production of Eugene Onegin. I will conduct a re-creation of John Cox’s Le nozze di Figaro, last performed during the final year at Garsington Manor. I am thrilled to be joining forces once again with both John and designer Robert Perdziola to bring their much admired production to the Wormsley stage. Handel has never been performed at Garsington Opera so we are putting that right in 2017! Semele will be conducted by early music visionary Jonathan Cohen, making his Garsington debut, and directed by Annilese Miskimmon, Artistic Director of Norwegian National Opera, who we welcome back nine years after her Il re pastore at Garsington Manor. Our fourth production will be a revival from 2011 of Rossini’s popular comedy, Il turco in Italia. We are delighted to welcome back David Parry, who brings his conducting expertise to his 13th production for us, and director Martin Duncan who returns for his 6th season. To cap the season off we are very proud to present a brand new work commissioned by Garsington from composer Roxanna Panufnik, to be directed by our Creative Director of Learning & Participation, Karen Gillingham, and I will conduct. Silver Birch will involve a core of professional singers, a youth and adult community chorus, young soloists and instrumentalists who will have the fantastic experience of playing alongside our professional orchestra players. The libretto, by Jessica Duchen, is an emotional and uplifting story of a family whose lives are changed by war. Do join us in 2017, when I hope you will continue to be moved and exhilarated as we strive for the highest artistic standards, energy and commitment in our English idyll. Douglas Boyd, Artistic Director 3 Semele George Frideric Handel 5 A love story with a twist; the god Jupiter is captivated by the beauty of the all-too-human Semele. Inspired by the dramatic and colourful mythological characters, Handel’s music is powerfully seductive. Jupiter entrances Semele by promising that ‘Where e’er you walk’ he will arrange for trees to provide welcome shade, and that at her every step, flowers will blossom into life. She exults, with unabashed sensual delight, in everything that Jupiter has to offer, singing triumphantly of ‘Endless pleasure, endless love’. In this parable of over-ambition and overindulgence Semele flirts with danger by demanding immortality and suffers the consequences, leaving behind her one life-enhancing legacy – her son, Bacchus, god of wine. Composed in 1744, Semele features some of Handel’s most exquisitely beautiful music, with soaring choruses and splendid orchestral writing enhancing this most touching and humorous opera. Annilese Miskimmon, Artistic Director of Norwegian National Opera, will direct, with Jonathan Cohen making his Garsington Opera conducting debut. Heidi Stober and Robert Murray make their role debuts as Semele and Jupiter with the renowned Christine Rice returning to Garsington to sing Juno. Performances 1, 3, 9, 15, 24, 30 June & 4 July Start time 5.55pm Pre-performance Talk Saturday 3 June, 4.30pm Semele Jupiter Juno Cadmus & Somnus Athamas Iris Heidi Stober Robert Murray Christine Rice David Soar Christopher Ainslie Llio Evans Conductor Director Designer Lighting Designer Jonathan Cohen Annilese Miskimmon Nicky Shaw Mark Jonathan Garsington Opera Orchestra & Chorus Sung in English with supertitles LE NOZZE DI FIGARO Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 7 I t is the wedding day of Figaro and Susanna, but will their marriage ceremony ever take place? During the course of a crazy day a series of confusing events unfolds. Count Almaviva has lost interest in his wife and is intent on seducing Susanna. She and Figaro conspire with the Countess to outwit him and to teach him a lesson in fidelity but his young page, Cherubino, inadvertently upsets the carefully laid plans, and relationships are severely tested. All of this is brought to life by Mozart’s music of consummate grace, wit and joyous invention, with Da Ponte’s sparklingly adroit libretto. This recreation of John Cox’s much admired 2005 production will be conducted by Garsington Opera’s Artistic Director, Douglas Boyd, and designer Robert Perdziola will adapt his elegant 18th century designs for the Wormsley stage. The cast includes Joshua Bloom (Leporello, Don Giovanni, 2012) as Figaro and Jennifer France (Marzelline in Fidelio, 2014) as Susanna, with the award-winning baritone Duncan Rock making his Garsington debut as the Count. Performances 2, 4, 8, 10, 17 June & 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 16 July Start time 5.25pm Pre-performance Talk Sunday 4 June, 4pm Figaro Joshua Bloom Susanna Jennifer France Count Duncan Rock Countess Kirsten MacKinnon Cherubino Marta FontanalsSimmons Bartolo Stephen Richardson Marcellina Janis Kelly Basilio Timothy Robinson Curzio Alun Rhys-Jenkins Conductor Director Associate Director Designer Lighting Designer Douglas Boyd John Cox Bruno Ravella Robert Perdziola Mark Jonathan Garsington Opera Orchestra & Chorus Sung in Italian with English supertitles Left: Le nozze di Figaro, 2010 Pelléas et Mélisande Claude Debussy 9 P rince Golaud finds a mysterious young woman in the forest and makes her his wife. Returning with her to his kingdom of shadows and secrets, a dangerous love triangle emerges as she grows perilously close to his brother, Pelléas. The only opera completed by Debussy, Pelléas et Mélisande evokes a claustrophobic environment in which a world beyond hardly exists. It is shot through with shimmering beauty and iridescent colours, creating an opera of intense hypnotic allure. Michael Boyd and Tom Piper (director and designer of Eugene Onegin, 2016) return with Jac van Steen (Intermezzo, 2015), who conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in its Garsington debut. Jonathan McGovern and Andrea Carroll make their Garsington debuts in the title roles. Performances 16, 18, 22, 25, 27 June & 1, 7 July Start time 5.55pm Pre-performance Talk Sunday 18 June, 4.30pm Pelléas Jonathan McGovern Mélisande Andrea Carroll Golaud Paul Gay Arkel Brian BannatyneScott Geneviève Susan Bickley Conductor Director Designer Lighting Designer Jac van Steen Michael Boyd Tom Piper Malcolm Rippeth Philharmonia Orchestra & Garsington Opera Chorus Sung in French with English supertitles IL TURCO IN ITALIA Gioachino Rossini 11 P rosdocimo, a toiling poet searching for inspiration, finds his muse in the flirtatious Fiorilla, an advocate of free and unfettered love, and her devoted husband Geronio, who is more interested in fidelity and a quiet life. When a dashing Turkish stranger is added to the mix, the stage is set for a comedy with a deliciously layered plot full of games that go wrong and lessons to be learned. With a glittering musical score and wittily observed characters, this complex and subtle farce tells a tale of unrequited love and confused identities. Martin Duncan’s joyous 2011 production returns to Garsington, conducted by Rossini expert David Parry. Returning artists include Sarah Tynan (The Creation, 2016), Luciano Botelho, Quirijn de Lang and Katie Bray (L’italiana in Algeri, 2016) and Mark Stone (Robert Storch, Intermezzo, 2015). Performances 26, 29 June & 2, 5, 8, 10, 13, 15 July Start time 5.55pm Pre-performance Talk Thursday 29 June, 4.30pm Fiorilla Narciso Zaida Selim Don Geronio Prosdocimo Sarah Tynan Luciano Botelho Katie Bray Quirijn de Lang Geoffrey Dolton Mark Stone Conductor Director Designer Lighting Designer Movement Director David Parry Martin Duncan Francis O’Connor Mark Jonathan Nick Winston Garsington Opera Orchestra & Chorus Sung in Italian with English supertitles Left: Il turco in Italia, 2011 SILVER B I RC H Roxanna Panufnik 13 T his exciting new commission from leading UK composer, Roxanna Panufnik, with a libretto from writer Jessica Duchen, is a celebration of music, drama, poetry and dance and brings together professional singers with 180 members of the local community. Designed to appeal to everyone from age 8 upwards, Karen Gillingham, Creative Director of Garsington Opera’s Learning & Participation programme, will direct and Douglas Boyd will conduct. Inspired by the timeless themes of war and relationships affected by it, the opera draws upon Siegfried Sassoon’s poems and the testimony of a British soldier, who served recently in Iraq, to illustrate the human tragedies of conflicts past and present. Jack joins the army to silence his father’s taunts for his love of poetry. Joined by his brother Davey, their devastating experiences turn the whole family’s world upside down. Supported by the power of their mother’s love as she tries to hold the family together they, like Sassoon himself, seek to help those whose suffering they share. Tickets £60 adults (£30 children under 18). This includes a suggested voluntary donation of £50 (£25 children) towards our Learning & Participation programme. Performances 28, 29, 30 July Start time 7.30pm There will be no interval. Pre-performance picnics available. Jack Anna Simon Siegfried Sassoon Mrs Morrell Davey Sam Furness Victoria Simmonds Darren Jeffery Bradley Travis Sarah Redgwick James Way Conductor Director Designer Composer Librettist Movement Director Douglas Boyd Karen Gillingham Rhiannon Newman Brown Roxanna Panufnik Jessica Duchen Natasha Khamjani Garsington Opera Orchestra Sung in English with supertitles Tickets on sale from Tuesday 14 March 2017, available online at garsingtonopera.org or call 01865 361636. 14 P re - season E V E N T S Led by specialist scholars, with members of the cast, creative teams and with excerpts performed by singers from the Alvarez Young Artists’ Programme, our Insight Talks are designed to offer historical context and musical insight to enhance your enjoyment of the operas in the summer. Tuesday 4 April 2017 Le nozze di Figaro Insight Talk Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford OX2 6UD Tuesday 25 April 2017 Semele Study Event & Insight Talk 49 Queen’s Gate Terrace, London, SW7 5PN 4pm-6pm Study Event What is Semele? An opera? An oratorio? Including Handel’s theatre, his music and the opera business in 18th century London. An in-depth guide by experts Sarah Lenton and John Snelson. 6pm Light refreshments following the lectures 7pm-8pm Insight Talk Wednesday 3 May 2017 Pelléas et Mélisande Insight Talk Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford OX2 6UD Wednesday 10 May 2017 Il turco in Italia Insight Talk Killik & Co., 46 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 3HN All Insight Talks will start at 7pm with guests invited to join us for a glass of wine from 6.30pm. PRE-PERFORMANCE EVENTS 15 Pre-performance Talks Garsington Opera Pavilion £12 Designed to enrich your experience of the opera to follow, Pre-performance Talks involve key members of the Garsington Opera artistic and production teams in an informal discussion centred on the creative processes of the productions, followed by questions from the floor. Talks are held in the Opera Pavilion and last approximately 45 minutes. Saturday 3 June Sunday 4 June Sunday 18 June Thursday 28 June 4.30pm 4pm 4.30pm 4.30pm Semele Le nozze di Figaro Pelléas et Mélisande Il turco in Italia Walled Garden Recitals For the first time we are delighted to present short recitals by members of the Garsington Opera Alvarez Young Artists’ Programme each Saturday (weather permitting) in the Walled Garden’s Green Theatre. These free, informal performances offer opportunities for our young singers to explore new repertoire and bring music to the gardens for your enjoyment. 16 Highlight of the operatic year The Evening Standard A N E V E N I N G AT G A R S I N G T O N O P E R A Arrival Guests are encouraged to arrive from 3.30pm to enjoy the gardens and grounds of the Wormsley Estate before performances begin in the early evening. Make the most of your visit Enjoy traditional afternoon tea overlooking the famous Wormsley Cricket Ground in the Long Room Restaurant; take a short journey in a complimentary vintage bus to the beautiful 18th century Walled Garden, a favourite spot for a glass of champagne; admire the spectacular views across the Deer Park and lake from the Champagne Bar or explore the exquisite flower borders of the Opera Garden. Interval The dinner interval lasts approximately eighty-five minutes. During this time the Long Room Restaurant offers a range of sumptuous dining options using locally sourced ingredients. If guests prefer to picnic they are welcome to order a hamper or bring their own. Complimentary scout porters and chauffeured golf buggies are available to assist with carrying picnics. Performances start in the early evening. As the light begins to fade at the end of the interval, performances resume ending by 10.15pm when candlelit pathways and the glow of the Opera Pavilion light the way across the spectacular Chiltern landscape. Getting to Wormsley Under an hour from London (30 minutes from Oxford) by car and 25 minutes by train with transfer buses and taxis available. 17 18 dining A T G A R S I N G T O N O P E R A The long dinner interval is a feature of an evening at Garsington Opera. Dine in the restaurant Enjoy a delicious three-course dinner with menus designed by Michelin Star chef, Michael North. Our spectacular Long Room Restaurant, designed by Robin Snell, architect of the Opera Pavilion, has panoramic windows providing stunning views across the splendid Wormsley Cricket Ground. Bring a picnic Take in the view across the Chiltern Hills from the upper terrace of the Opera Pavilion, enjoy a private party in the Granary looking out over the Opera Garden, reserve a picnic tent in the Deer Park or find a table in one of our shared tents. Order a picnic Prepared picnics are served in a wicker hamper and include a delicious selection of gourmet picnic favourites. A table overlooking the Cricket Ground is reserved free-of-charge for those ordering a picnic, or guests can choose to book a tent in the Deer Park for a small additional charge. Pre-performance Take traditional afternoon tea in the Long Room Restaurant or enjoy champagne and canapés at the Champagne Bar. 19 20 B O O K I N G I N F O R M AT I O N Please return your booking form by the relevant membership deadline in order to receive confirmation of dates and tickets. Ingrams Circle, Constellation and Patron priority booking deadline Members of the Ingrams Circle, Constellation of Garsington and Patrons are invited to return booking forms online or by post by Wednesday 30 November 2016 to be included in their priority booking allocation. Special Friend and Friend priority booking deadline Special Friends and Friends are invited to return booking forms online or by post by Monday 9 January 2017 to be included in their priority booking allocation. Affiliate Member priority booking Affiliate Members are invited to book online, by telephone or by post from 10.00am on Tuesday 28 February 2017. GO< _ 35 Member priority booking GO< _ 35 Members are invited to book online from 10.00am on Tuesday 7 March 2017. Public booking Public booking opens online and by telephone from 10.00am on Tuesday 28 March 2017. B O O K I N G I N F O R M AT I O N 21 Members are able to submit their priority booking request electronically via the Garsington Opera website at priority.garsingtonopera.org. Upon submission, members will receive a confirmation email. In due course, once allocation is completed, the Box Office will email confirmation of dates and tickets, with an invitation to provide payment details. Members wishing to continue to use the traditional paper booking form are very welcome to do so. They will receive confirmation of their tickets in due course, once allocation is completed. Guidance • Please return your booking form online or by post as soon as possible, but please be aware that booking forms will not be processed until the relevant booking deadline has been reached. • Some evenings are more popular than others, particularly Saturdays, so we would ask that you specify as many alternative dates and prices as possible in order that we can process your booking more quickly. • Ticket allocations are prioritised by membership group and, within that, the date of submission of booking forms. • If you would like seats allocated next to friends, please ensure both paper booking forms are submitted together, in the same envelope. If you are submitting your booking form electronically, please specify your seating requirements in the Notes section of the form. • Please keep a copy of your booking form for your records. If you are submitting a booking form electronically, you will receive a confirmation email for your records. Eugene Onegin, 2016 22 B ooking I nformation Accessibility Please inform us at the time of booking if you or your guests have restricted mobility or special requirements. We have a number of Wheelchair spaces and seats in the Orchestra Stalls and Front Stalls that are accessible with very few stairs; a lift is available to the first level of the auditorium. There are a limited number of parking spaces solely for the use of those with accessibility requirements. These must be booked in advance through the Box Office who will issue a parking permit. Our Long Room Restaurant has step-free access. Conditions of sale Tickets are not refundable. However, subject to availability, tickets may be either exchanged up to a week before or accepted for resale. All requests must be received in writing or by email. Garsington Opera’s exchange and resale facility is subject to a £10 per-ticket administration fee. If your tickets have been accepted for resale by the Box Office, the original tickets must be returned before we can begin offering your tickets for resale. Please note that a resale is never guaranteed and that Garsington Opera reserves the right to sell any unsold tickets for that performance before returned tickets can be sold. Reimbursement for resold tickets is made only to the original purchaser. Tickets may only be sold for the original value. Customers reselling tickets are responsible for contacting the Box Office if they would like to know the status of their resale. Unsold returned tickets may be withdrawn from resale at any time at the original purchaser’s request and/or at the Management’s discretion. All tickets are sold subject to the right of the Management to make any alterations to the published operas, dates or casts which may be necessary owing to illness or other unavoidable circumstances. Photography, filming and sound recording of any kind are strictly prohibited. By entering the Wormsley Estate you agree to being filmed or photographed which may be used for marketing or promotional purposes. Privacy notice By giving Garsington Opera your information you agree to us using the information you provide in accordance with our privacy policy (garsingtonopera. org/privacy-policy/). In addition to our supporter newsletter, we would like to send you information about our events and services. You can opt out of receiving marketing information at any time, please let us know by writing to us at Garsington Opera, The Old Garage, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7NP or by email to office@garsingtonopera.org. All details correct at time of going to print. Photos: Clive Barda, Mark Douet, Alice Pennefather, Johan Persson, Mike Hoban. Design: Franks and Franks seating plan & T icket P rices 23 Operas Price band Ⓐ Mon, Tues, Weds Price band Ⓑ Thurs, Fri, Sun BOXES £160 £180 £200 REAR STALLS £105 £115 £135 MIDDLE STALLS £140 £150 £170 FRONT STALLS £160 £180 £200 ORCHESTRA stalls £135 £145 £165 inc. wheelchair platform Ⓓ Silver Birch ticket prices can be found on page 13 All tickets include a suggested, but non-obligatory, donation of £70. Price band Sat Ⓒ P erformance diary 2 0 1 7 24 Thursday 1 June Semele Ⓑ Sunday 2 July Il turco in Italia Ⓑ Friday 2 June Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Monday 3 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓐ Saturday 3 June Semele ♣ Ⓒ Tuesday 4 July Semele Ⓐ Sunday 4 June Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Wednesday 5 July Il turco in Italia Ⓐ Thursday 8 June Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Thursday 6 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Friday 9 June Semele Ⓑ Friday 7 July Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓑ Saturday 10 June Le nozze di Figaro ♣ Ⓒ Saturday 8 July Il turco in Italia ♣ Ⓒ Thursday 15 June Semele Ⓑ Sunday 9 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Friday 16 June Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓑ Monday 10 July Il turco in Italia Ⓐ Saturday 17 June Le nozze di Figaro ♣ Ⓒ Tuesday 11 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓐ Sunday 18 June Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓑ Thursday 13 July Il turco in Italia Ⓑ Thursday 22 June Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓑ Friday 14 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Saturday 24 June Semele ♣ Ⓒ Saturday 15 July Il turco in Italia ♣ Ⓒ Sunday 25 June Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓑ Sunday 16 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Monday 26 June Il turco in Italia Ⓐ Friday 28 July Silver Birch Ⓓ Tuesday 27 June Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓐ Saturday 29 July Silver Birch Ⓓ Thursday 29 June Il turco in Italia Ⓑ Sunday 30 July Silver Birch Ⓓ Friday 30 June Semele Ⓑ Saturday 1 July Pelléas et Mélisande ♣ Ⓒ Pre-Performance Talk ♣ Walled Garden Recital A Price Band The setting was beautiful, the organisation was faultless, and the gardens looked spectacular Audience member, 2016 27 Idomeneo, 2016 28 L’italiana in Algeri, 2016 G arsington O pera at Wormsle y The Old Garage, The Green, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7NP Telephone 01865 361636 Email office@garsingtonopera.org www.garsingtonopera.org
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