The Royal Opera presents the Autumn 2015/16 Season

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OPERA & MUSIC | AUTUMN 2015

THE ROYAL OPERA REPERTORY

PAGE

ORPHÉE ET EURYDICE

2

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO

4

ORPHEUS

(Little Bulb Theatre and Battersea Arts Centre)

9

THE LAST HOTEL

9

ARIADNE AUF NAXOS

11

CARMEN

13

THE LIGHTHOUSE

18

ORPHEUS

21

ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

26

MORGEN UND ABEND

27

LULU: A MURDER BALLAD

30

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA/PAGLIACCI

32

THE FIREWORK-MAKER’S DAUGHTER

36

OTHER EVENTS AND INFORMATION

38

 

ORPHÉE ET EURYDICE

Christoph Willibald Gluck

14, 17, 23, 28, 30 September at 7.30pm

20 September at 3pm; 26 September at 12.30pm 3 October at 7.30 pm

  • Generous philanthropic support from Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet

    The Royal Opera continues a strand of programming on the Orpheus theme that began in January 2015 with Monteverdi’s Orfeo at the Roundhouse. The Royal Opera’s 2015/16 Season will open on the main stage with Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice, presented in the revised French version for the first time at Covent Garden. Hofesh Shechter will co- direct his first opera, with Associate Director of The Royal Opera John Fulljames. Hofesh Shechter will also choreograph the production, which will include his company of dancers, Hofesh Shechter Company. Eminent British conductor John Eliot Gardiner conducts the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir, with soloists Juan Diego Flórez, Lucy Crowe and Amanda Forsythe. This production will form part of

    #Hofest, by Hofesh Shechter Company.

    Hofesh Shechter directs his first opera for The Royal Opera together with John Fulljames. He recently created Untouchable for The Royal Ballet, which had its premiere in April 2015. He formed the internationally renowned Hofesh Shechter Company in 2008; their recent work includes barbarians, Sun and Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut. He has worked as a choreographer for Nico Muhly’s opera Two Boys at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, and is currently an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells.

    British director John Fulljames is Associate Director of Opera for The Royal Opera. He has directed La donna del lago, Quartett and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny for The Royal Opera. Other recent work includes La clemenza di Tito (Opera North) and American Lulu (Bregenz Festival). In summer 2015 he directed Così fan tutte for Garsington Opera, and for Christmas 2015 he directs The Firework-Maker’s Daughter (The Opera Group) in the Linbury Studio Theatre

    ‘I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Hofesh Shechter, whose shows I’ve loved for many years. It has been a real joy to develop the ideas for the production with Hofesh, who has

    developed such a strong language with his company of dancers and who brings such freshness to the world of opera. Orphée et Eurydice is essentially a communal ritual which integrates singers, dancers and musicians – so it feels like just the right opera for a collaboration like this.’ (John Fulljames)

    John Eliot Gardiner returns to Covent Garden to conduct Gluck’s Orphee et Eurydice. Gardiner has long been a champion of Gluck, and made his Royal Opera debut conducting the composer’s Iphigénie en Tauride in 1973. He received enormous critical acclaim for his musical direction of Orphee et Eurydice at the Théâtre du Châtelet, together with the English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir, and has recorded the opera with these ensembles. He seeks to release the huge emotional charge that lies behind the beauty of Gluck’s music.

    John Eliot Gardiner brings to Covent Garden for the first time the Monteverdi Choir. He also brings the English Baroque Soloists, who last performed for us in 2006, with La finta giardiniera. John Eliot Gardiner’s other past engagements with The Royal Opera have included Chérubin, The Cunning Little Vixen, La finta giardiniera, Simon Boccanegra, Rigoletto and most recently Le nozze di Figaro (in 2013) for The Royal Opera.

    Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez returns to The Royal Opera to sing the role of Orphée. He has previously performed and recorded the role in Madrid. This is his stage debut in the role. He made his debut with The Royal Opera in 1997 as Potoski in Rossini’s Elisabetta and his recent roles for The Royal Opera have included Tonio (La Fille du régiment), King of Scotland (Le donna del lago) and Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia). Plans include Rodrigo in Rossini’s Otello at La Scala, Milan, and Ernesto (Don Pasquale) in Vienna.

    He shares the role of Orphée with Italian-American tenor Michele Angelini who made his Royal Opera debut in 2014 as Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia) and who sings Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) later in the 2014/15 Season. Other recent appearances include Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia) in Stockholm and New Orleans.

    British soprano Lucy Crowe sings Eurydice. She made her Royal Opera debut as Belinda (Dido and Aeneas) in 2009 and has since sung Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Gilda (Rigoletto), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), and in the 2014/15 Season (in her role debut) Adina (L’elisir d’amore) with The Royal Opera. Her other operatic roles have included Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Poppea in Agrippina and Drusilla in L’incoronazione di Poppea (ENO), Iole in Hercules (Lyric Opera of Chicago, Canadian Opera Company), the

    title role of The Cunning Little Vixen (Glyndebourne Festival), Gilda (Deutsche Oper Berlin) and Servilia in La clemenza di Tito (Metropolitan Opera, New York).

    American soprano Amanda Forsythe sings Amour. She made her Royal Opera debut as Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro) in 2010 and returned to sing Manto (Niobe, regina di Tebe) and, in the 2011/12 Season, Nannetta (Falstaff). Her other operatic appearances have included Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) for Opera Vlaanderen, Nannetta for Angers-Nantes Opéra and Jemmy (Guillaume Tell) in Pesaro.

    Enabling students to have access to low-cost tickets for opera and ballet is an important part of programming at the Royal Opera House and key to nurturing future audiences. For this opening production of the 2015/16 Season, Orphée et Eurydice, special student standing places in the pit will be made available at £10.

    CREDITS

    Conductor John Eliot Gardiner

    Directors Hofesh Shechter and John Fulljames

    Designs Conor Murphy

    Lighting design Lee Curran

    Choreography Hofesh Shechter CASTING

    Orphée Juan Diego Flórez (except 28 September) Michele Angelini (28 September)

    Eurydice Lucy Crowe

    Amour Amanda Forsythe

    Monteverdi Choir English Baroque Soloists

    LE NOZZE DI FIGARO

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    15, 18, 21, 25, 29 September, 2, 5, 7, 14 October at 7pm and 9 October at 12pm

  • Generous support from Paul Cartledge and Judith Portrait

    The Royal Opera presents the fifth revival of David McVicar’s acclaimed production of Mozart’s brilliant comic opera, which McVicar has set in a French château on the eve of the July 1830 revolution.

    Figaro and Susanna are looking forward to their wedding day – but Figaro’s master Count Almaviva has designs on Susanna. With the help of Almaviva’s wife the Countess and the page Cherubino, Susanna and Figaro conspire to teach the Count a lesson – and make sure he gives permission for Susanna and Figaro’s marriage to go ahead.

    Scottish director David McVicar made his Royal Opera House debut in 2001 directing the Kirov Opera’s production of Macbeth, and made his Royal Opera debut that same year directing Rigoletto. He has since returned to direct Die Zauberflöte, Faust, Le nozze di Figaro, Salome, Aida, Adriana Lecouvreur, Les Troyens and Andrea Chénier for The Royal Opera. Designs are by English designer Tanya McCallin who also made her Royal Opera House debut with the Kirov Opera’s Macbeth, and her Royal Opera debut creating costume designs for Rigoletto. For The Royal Opera, McCallin has also created set and costume designs for Francesca Zambello’s production of Carmen, which returns in the 2015/16 Season. American choreographer Leah Hausman made her Royal Opera debut in 2001 with McVicar’s Rigoletto and has since returned to work on Die Zauberflöte,

    Aida and Les Troyens, also directed by McVicar, Elektra, directed by Charles Edwards, and Il turco in Italia, directed by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier.

    British conductor Ivor Bolton made his Royal Opera debut in 1995 conducting the world premiere of Alexander Goehr’s Arianna. He has since conducted Giulio Cesare (concert performance at the Barbican), Don Giovanni, Iphigénie en Tauride, La Calisto and Tamerlano for The Royal Opera. He is currently Chief Conductor of the Mozarteum Orchestra, Salzburg, and will become Music Director of Teatro Real, Madrid, in September 2015, and Music Director of Basel Symphony Orchestra in September 2016. He works regularly for Bavarian State Opera, where he has recently conducted Le nozze di Figaro and Die Entführung aus dem Serail.

    Uruguayan bass Erwin Schrott sings the title role in all performances. He made his Royal Opera debut in 2003 as Leporello (Don Giovanni) and has since returned to The Royal Opera to sing Banquo (Macbeth), Don Giovanni and Jean Procida (Les Vêpres siciliennes). He also sang Figaro in the 2006 premiere of this production, reprising the role in the 2010 revival. Recent performances elsewhere include Procida for Royal Danish Opera and Mozart’s Figaro for the Metropolitan Opera, New York.

    The role of Susanna is sung for all dates except 7 and 14 October by Romanian soprano Anita Hartig. She has previously sung Susanna in Tokyo, for Vienna State Opera and for Bavarian State Opera. She made her Royal Opera debut in 2013 as Mimì (La bohème).

    Recent appearances include Micaëla (Carmen) and Mimì for the Metropolitan Opera, New York, and Mimì for Bavarian State Opera.

    British soprano Sophie Bevan sings Susanna on 7 and 14 October. She has previously sung Susanna for Garsington Opera. She made her Royal Opera debut in September 2013 as Woodbird (Siegfried), returning as Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) and, in the 2014/15 Season, as Ilia (Idomeneo). Her recent appearances elsewhere include Pamina and the title role of The Cunning Little Vixen for Welsh National Opera and Michal (Saul) for Glyndebourne Festival. She returns to The Royal Opera later in the 2015/16 Season as Antigone (Oedipe).

    French baritone Stéphane Degout sings the role of Count Almaviva in this revival. He has previously sung the role for Theater an der Wien and Bavarian State Opera. He made his Royal Opera debut in 2007 as Dandini (La Cenerentola) and has since sung Guglielmo (Così fan tutte) and Mercutio (Roméo et Juliette) for The Royal Opera. Recent engagements include Pelléas (Pelléas et Mélisande) for Paris Opéra, and Raimbaud (Le Comte Ory) for La Scala, Milan.

    American soprano Ellie Dehn sings Countess Almaviva, in her Royal Opera debut. She has previously sung the role for San Francisco Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. Her other appearances include Musetta (La bohème) for the Metropolitan Opera, New York, and San Francisco Opera, Antonia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann) for La Scala, Milan, Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) for San Francisco Opera and in Cagliari, and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) for Teatro Massimo, Palermo.

    The role of Cherubino is sung by American mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey who made her Royal Opera debut in 2012 as Zerlina (Don Giovanni). She returns later in the Season to sing Lazuli (L’Etoile). Recent appearances include Nicklausse/the Muse of Poetry (Les Contes d’Hoffmann) and Zerlina for the Metropolitan Opera, New York, and Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia) for Bavarian State Opera.

    Italian bass Carlo Lepore sings the role of Bartolo, a role he also sang for the Company in 2012, and recently sang for Rome Opera. He made his Royal Opera debut in 2008 as Ginardo (Matilde di Shabran) and has also sung Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte) for The Royal

    Opera. His recent appearances include Doctor Bartolo (Il barbiere di Siviglia) for Paris Opéra and the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, Dulcamara (L’elisir d’amore) for La Fenice, Venice, and Leporello (Don Giovanni) in Turin.

    The role of Don Basilio is sung by Polish tenor Krystian Adam who made his Royal Opera debut in 2014 as High Priest (Idomeneo). Recent work elsewhere includes Agenore (Il re pastore) for Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, Don Basilio in Cagliari and Eusebio (L’occasione fa il ladro) for the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.

    Marcellina is sung in September by Irish mezzo-soprano Ann Murray. She made her Royal Opera debut in 1976 as Siébel (Faust) and has since performed regularly for The Royal Opera, most recently as Marcellina and as the Marquise de Berkenfield (La Fille du régiment). She has recently sung Marcellina for Salzburg Festival and Glyndebourne Festival.

    Marcellina is sung in October by English mezzo-soprano Louise Winter. She made her Royal Opera debut in 1988 as Flowermaiden (Parsifal), returning in 1993 as Olga (Eugene Onegin). In 2015 she sang in the Royal Opera House’s ‘Life Re-Imagined’ gala, in the world premiere of a work by Charlotte Bray. Her recent appearances elsewhere include Wife (Greek) for Music Theatre Wales, including performances at the Royal Opera House.

    Scottish tenor Alasdair Elliott sings the role of Don Curzio. He made his Royal Ballet debut in 1991 in Les Noces and his Royal Opera debut the following year as Ruodi (Guillaume Tell). In the 2014/15 Season for The Royal Opera he sang Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte) and Bardolph (Falstaff). Recent appearances elsewhere include Red Whiskers (Billy Budd) for Glyndebourne Festival.

    The role of Antonio is sung by English bass Jeremy White. He made his Royal Opera debut in 1991 as Thoré (Les Huguenots) and has appeared with the Company every Season since. This Season he sings Truffaldino (Ariadne auf Naxos), Marquis d’Obigny (La traviata), Talpa (Il tabarro), Betto di Signa (Gianni Schicchi) and Reinmar von Zweter (Tannhäuser) for The Royal Opera.

    American soprano Heather Engebretson makes her Royal Opera debut as Barbarina, singing for all September performances. She returns later in the Season as Sophie (Werther). She is a member of the Wiesbaden State Theatre, were recent roles include

    Musetta (La bohème), Euridice (Orfeo ed Euridice) and Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail).

    English soprano Robyn Allegra Parton sings Barbarina for the October performances. She made her Royal Opera debut in the 2014/15 Season in the Linbury Studio Theatre, as Peg in the world premiere of Matt Rogers’s The Virtues of Things. She has also sung Mercédès (Carmen) for Opéra-Comique, Paris.

    CREDITS

    Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Libretto Lorenzo da Ponte

    Director David McVicar

    Designer Tanya McCallin

    Movement Director Leah Hausman

    Conductor Ivor Bolton

    CASTING

    Figaro Erwin Schrott

    Susanna Anita Hartig (except 7 and 14 October)

    Sophie Bevan (7, 14 October)

    Count Almaviva Stéphane Degout

    Countess Almaviva Ellie Dehn

    Cherubino Kate Lindsey

    Bartolo Carlo Lepore

    Don Basilio Krystian Adam

    Marcellina Ann Murray (September) Louise Winter (October)

    Don Curzio Alasdair Elliot

    Antonio Jeremy White

    Barbarina Heather Engebretson (September) Robyn Allegra Parton (October)

    Royal Opera Chorus

    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

    ORPHEUS

    Linbury Studio Theatre

    Little Bulb Theatre and Battersea Arts Centre

    15, 16, 17 and 18 September at 7.45pm and 19 September at 1.30pm and 6pm

    Award-winning theatre company Little Bulb Theatre perform their acclaimed take on the Orpheus myth, bringing together opera, Hot Club jazz and French chanson in a highly original production.

    CREDITS

    Music Director Dominic Conway

    Director Alexander Scott

    Designer Mary Drummond

    Puppets Max Humphries

    Sound Design Ed Clarke

    Conductor Dominic Conway

    THE LAST HOTEL

    LONDON PREMIERE

    Linbury Studio Theatre

    Donnacha Dennehy with libretto by Enda Walsh

    9, 10, 13, 14, 16 October at 7.45pm; 17 October at 6pm

  • A co-production between Landmark Productions and Wide Open Opera

    The worlds of theatre and opera collide in the chamber opera The Last Hotel, which reunites two of Ireland’s leading creative artists: the writer and director Enda Walsh, and the composer Donnacha Dennehy. Dennehy and Walsh first worked together on Walsh’s Misterman, which was performed in Galway, London and New York.

    Conducted by German-born conductor André de Ridder, the cast features British baritone Robin Adams, Northern Irish soprano Aoife Miskelly, British soprano Katherine Manley and Irish actor Mikel Murfi. The orchestra is the Crash Ensemble, founded by Dennehy in 1997, which the New York Times has described as ‘the Irish new- music band that plays with the energy and spirit of a rock group’.

    Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy’s work has featured in festivals such as the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in the UK (which opened its 2012 Festival with a portrait concert devoted to Dennehy’s music), ISCM World Music Days and Carnegie Hall’s Contemporary Music Subscription Series.

    Enda Walsh is a multi-award-winning playwright and screenwriter, and was a Tony Award winner in 2012 for the book of the musical Once. His play Ballyturk was given its premiere at the 2014 Galway Arts Festival, and was subsequently performed at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Cork Opera House and at the National Theatre in London. He also adapted Roald Dahl’s children’s novel The Twits for production at the Royal Court Theatre.

    Designer Jamie Vartan has worked extensively as a designer in theatre, opera and dance in the UK and Europe. Previous opera productions include The Queen of Spades (La Scala, Milan), The Pirates of Penzance (Scottish Opera) and La bohème (Grange Park Opera). He designed L’isola disabitata as part of Meet the Young Artists Week at the Linbury Studio Theatre in 2010.

    American lighting designer Adam Silverman made his Royal Opera debut in 2010 lighting Adriana Lecouvreur, directed by David McVicar. He has since returned to create the lighting design for Andrea Chénier, directed by McVicar, for The Royal Opera in 2015.

    British baritone Robin Adams sings the role of Husband, having first sung the role at The Last Hotel’s world premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2015. Other recent roles include Vicomte de Valmont (Quartett) at Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires and Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) and Captain Balstrode (Peter Grimes) at Stadttheater Bern, Switzerland.

    Northern Irish soprano Aoife Miskelly sings the role of Woman. Her recent roles include Eliza Doolittle (My Fair Lady) for the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman, Despina (Così

    fan tutte), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte) and Frasquita (Carmen) for Cologne Opera and Cecily (The Importance of Being Earnest) for Northern Ireland Opera.

    British soprano Katherine Manley sings the role of Wife, having also sung the role in The Last Hotel’s world premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2015. Her previous roles include Creuse (Medée) with English National Opera, Zenna Briggs (Sunken Garden) for ENO at the Barbican Theatre and at the Holland Festival, and Lucia (The Rape of Lucretia) for Angers-Nantes Opéra.

    Actor and director Mikel Murfi plays Caretaker. He has previously directed Enda Walsh’s plays Penelope and The Walworth Farce, and appeared as an actor in Walsh’s Ballyturk. He appears prolifically in theatre, and also in film, with recent credits including Ken Loach’s Jimmy’s Hall. His one-man show The Man in the Women’s Shoes has toured widely.

    CREDITS

    Music Donnacha Dennehy

    Libretto Enda Walsh

    Director Enda Walsh

    Designer Jamie Vartan

    Lighting designer Adam Silverman

    Sound designer Helen Atkinson

    Associate director Sophie Motley CASTING

    Conductor André de Ridder

    Woman Aoife Miskelly

    Husband Robin Adams

    Wife Katherine Manley

    Caretaker Mikel Murfi

    Orchestra The Crash Ensemble

    ARIADNE AUF NAXOS

    Richard Strauss

    10, 13, 16 October at 7.30pm

  • Generous philanthropic support from Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet

    Myth and mischief, high art and low collide in Richard Strauss’s fascinating romantic comedy, which contains some of the composer’s most beautiful music, performed here in Christof Loy’s inventive 2002 production. Conductor Lothar Koenigs, Music Director of Welsh National Opera, makes his Royal Opera debut with this revival.

    The cast is led by Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, who returns to the role she sang for the first time with The Royal Opera in June 2014. Her previous Strauss roles have included Chrysothemis (Elektra) and the title role in Arabella for The Royal Opera; she has also received worldwide praise for her interpretation of Strauss’s Salome. Also returning to the production is Canadian soprano Jane Archibald singing the virtuoso coloratura role of Zerbinetta, a role for which she has been acclaimed worldwide and in which she made her Royal Opera debut in 2014. Romanian mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose sings the Composer, a role she has also sung for Deutsche Oper Berlin and for The Royal Opera during the 2013/14 Season. American/Swiss tenor Robert Dean Smith, takes on the dramatic role of Tenor/Bacchus, which he last sang for The Royal Opera in 2008, and recently sang for Bavarian State Opera. British baritone Thomas Allen returns to the role of Music Master, which he performed in the premiere of this production in 2002 and reprised in 2008 and 2014. Other members of the cast include baritone Nikolay Borchev, a former member of Vienna State Opera, as Harlequin, and Sofia Fomina, recently seen with the Company as Jemmy in Guillaume Tell, as Naiad.

    CREDITS

    Music Richard Strauss

    Libretto Hugo von Hofmannsthal

    Conductor Lothar Koenigs

    Director Christof Loy

    Designer Herbert Murauer

    Lighting Jennifer Tipton

    Choreography Beate Vollack CASTING

    The Prima Donna/Ariadne Karita Mattila

    The Tenor/Bacchus Robert Dean Smith

    Zerbinetta Jane Archibald

    The Composer Ruxandra Donose

    Harlequin Nikolay Borchev

    Music Master Thomas Allen

    Dancing Master Norbert Ernst

    Scaramuccio Wynne Evans

    Brighella Paul Schweinester

    Truffaldino Jeremy White

    Naiad Sofia Fomina

    Dryad Karen Cargill

    Echo Kiandra Howarth

    Wig Maker Samuel Dale Johnson†

    Lackey James Platt†

    Officer Nicholas Ransley

    Major Domo Christoph Quest

    Concert Master Sergey Levitin

    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

    † Jette Parker Young Artist

    CARMEN

    Georges Bizet

    19, 21, 24, 27 and 30 October at 7pm

    4, 7, 10, 14, 16, 26 and 30 November at 7pm, 21 November at 12 noon

  • Co-production with the Norwegian National Opera and Opera Australia
  • Generous philanthropic support from the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund

First seen in 2006, Francesca Zambello’s production of Georges Bizet’s opéra comique Carmen returns to the Royal Opera House for its fifth revival. With a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, Carmen remains one of the most popular works in the opera repertory. It defied conventions at the time of its 1875 premiere in Paris by presenting an operatic heroine who was feisty, independent and amoral.

Tanya McCallin’s richly-coloured designs re-create the world of 19th-century Spain, with atmospheric lighting by Paule Constable and lively choreography by Arthur Pita, revived by Sirena Tocco. Fight directing is by Mike Loades, restaged by Natalie Dakin. Duncan Macfarland is the Revival Director.

French conductor Bertrand de Billy (who in recent Seasons has conducted Carmen, Cendrillon and Maria Stuarda for The Royal Opera) and English conductor Alexander Joel (who in the 2014/15 Season conducted La traviata and La bohème for The Royal Opera) return to The Royal Opera to conduct alternate casts.

The role of Carmen is shared between Russian mezzo-soprano Elena Maximova and Georgian mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili. Elena Maximova (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4 Nov) sings Carmen with The Royal Opera for the first time, having previously sung the role with Vienna State Opera and at La Scala Milan. She made her Royal Opera debut in 2013 as Olga (Eugene Onegin). She has sung many roles for Vienna State Opera, including Paulina (Queen of Spades), Marfa (Khovanshchina) and Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia). Anita Rachvelishvili (4, 7, 10, 14, 16, 21 mat, 26, 30 Nov) returns to The Royal Opera as Carmen, the role in which she made her Royal Opera debut in December 2013. She has also recently sung the role of Carmen for the Metropolitan Opera, New York, La Scala, Milan, Arena di Verona and Deutsche Oper Berlin. Other recent engagements include Amneris (Aida) for La Scala, Milan, and Cassandre (Les Troyens) in Geneva.

The role of Don José is shared between American tenor Bryan Hymel, German tenor Jonas Kaufmann and South Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee. Bryan Hymel (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov) made his Royal Opera debut in 2010 as Don José and has since sung Prince (Rusalka), Aeneas (Les Troyens), the title role of Robert le diable and Henri (Les Vêpres siciliennes) for The Royal Opera. He has sung the role of Don José with New Orleans Opera and Washington National Opera. Other recent performances include Arnold (Guillaume Tell) with Bavarian State Opera and Rodolfo (La bohème) and B. F. Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) for the Metropolitan Opera, New York. Jonas Kaufmann (14, 16 Nov) returns to sing the role of Don José, having made his role debut in the premiere performances of this production with The Royal Opera in 2006. He has since sung Don José for Bavarian State Opera, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, Zürich Opera, La Scala, Milan, and the Metropolitan Opera, New York. He made his Royal Opera debut in 2004 as Ruggero (La rondine) and has also sung Alfredo Germont (La traviata), Mario Cavaradossi (Tosca), the title role of Don Carlo, Maurizio (Adriana Lecouvreur), Chevalier des Grieux (Manon Lescaut) and Andrea Chénier for the Company, and given a main-stage recital

of Winterreise. Yonghoon Lee (21 mat Nov, 26, 30 Nov) performed the role of Don José for The Royal Opera in the 2013/14 Season. He has previously sung Don José for the Metropolitan Opera, New York, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Bavarian State Opera. He made his debut with The Royal Opera during the 2012/13 Season as Mario Cavaradossi (Tosca), and he will return to Covent Garden to sing the role of Turiddu (Cavalleria rusticana) later in the Season.

The role of Escamillo is shared between Russian bass Alexander Vinogradov and Hungarian bass Gábor Bretz. Alexander Vinogradov (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov) sings Escamillo for the first time with The Royal Opera, having previously sung the role for La Fenice, Venice, for Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa, and for Zürich Opera. He recently sang

the role of Walter Furst (Guillaume Tell) with The Royal Opera. Other recent appearances include Zaccaria (Nabucco) and the title role of Aleko for Opéra national de Lorraine.

Gábor Bretz (14, 16, 21mat, 26, 30 Nov) also sings Escamillo for the first time with The Royal Opera. He has previously sung the role with Bavarian State Opera, Hungarian State Opera and the Metropolitan Opera, New York. He made his Royal Opera debut in the 2013/14 Season as Colline (La bohème). Other recent appearances include Duke Bluebeard in Duke Bluebeard’s Castle for Vienna Festwochen.

The role of Micaëla is shared between Australian soprano Nicole Car, Bulgarian soprano

Sonya Yoncheva and Irish soprano Celine Byrne. Nicole Car (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4 Nov) makes her Royal Opera debut in the 2015/16 Season as Micaëla, a role she has previously sung with Opera Australia. She has also sung roles including Mimì (La

bohème), Marguerite (Faust) and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) with Opera Australia and Tatyana (Eugene Onegin) with Opera Australia and for Deutsche Oper Berlin. She will return to The Royal Opera to sing Tatyana in December 2015. Sonya Yoncheva (7, 10, 14, 16 Nov) makes her role debut singing Micaëla for The Royal Opera. She made her debut with the Company in Plácido Domingo’s Operalia Winners concert in July 2012, and has since sung Musetta (La bohème), Marguerite (Faust) and Violetta (La traviata) for The Royal Opera. Her other recent appearances include Mimì (La bohème) and Violetta for the Metropolitan Opera, New York, and Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) for Bavarian State Opera.

Celine Byrne (21mat, 26, 30 Nov) sings Micaëla for the first time. She made her Royal Opera debut in 2012 singing the title role in the last act of Rusalka for one performance. She has since returned to sing First Flowermaiden (Parsifal) for The Royal Opera. Recent appearances elsewhere include the title role of Tosca for Opera Østfold, Norway, and the Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier) in Kassel.

The role of Frasquita is sung by Russian soprano Vlada Borovko, who joins the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the start of the 2015/16 Season. Later in the season she will sing Xenia (Boris Godunov) and Anna (Nabucco) with the Company.

The role of Mercédès is shared between Canadian mezzo-soprano Michèle Losier and Irish mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly. Michèle Losier (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov) makes her role debut singing Mercédès. She made her Royal Opera debut in the 2011 as Siébel (Faust) and has since sung Dorabella (Così fan tutte) for the Company. Other recent appearances include Sesto (La clemenza di Tito) for Vienna State Opera. Rachel Kelly (14, 16, 21 mat, 26, 30 Nov) returns to sing Mercédès, a role she first sang for The Royal Opera in the 2013/14 Season. She is a former Jette Parker Young Artist, and her recent roles for The Royal Opera include Proserpina (Orfeo at the Roundhouse), Pisana (I due Foscari), Zaida (Il turco in Italia), Flora Bervoix (La traviata) and Mirinda (L’Ormindo, at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe). In January 2016 she creates the role of Catherine in the world premiere of Stuart MacRae’s The Devil Inside (Scottish Opera).

The role of Le Dancaïre is shared between Australian baritone Grant Doyle and English baritone Adrian Clarke. Grant Doyle (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov) is a former member of The Royal Opera’s Young Artists Programme. Since leaving the Programme his roles for The Royal Opera have included Marullo (Rigoletto), Harlequin (Ariadne auf Naxos), Schaunard (La bohème) and Billy (Anna Nicole, world premiere). Other appearances at the Royal Opera House include Hector (King Priam) for English Touring Opera in the Linbury Studio Theatre. Adrian Clarke (14, 16, 21 mat, 26, 30 Nov) made his Royal Opera debut in 1994 singing Sid (La fanciulla del West) and has since sung with the Company many times, with recent appearances including Mathieu (Andrea Chénier), Le Dancaïre (Carmen) and One-Eyed Brother (Die Frau ohne Schatten).

Le Remendado is shared by British tenor Timothy Robinson and Scottish tenor Harry Nicoll. Timothy Robinson (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov) made his Royal Opera debut in 1995 as Federico di Frengel (Stiffelio) and has since sung regularly with the company, most recently the roles of Don Curzio (Le nozze di Figaro), Walther von der Vogelweide (Tannhäuser) and Third Jew (Salome). Harry Nicoll (14, 16, 21 mat, 26, 30 Nov) made his Royal Opera debut in 2001 as Major-Domo (The Queen of Spades) and has since returned regularly to sing roles including Goro (Madama Butterfly), Don Curzio (Le nozze di Figaro), Le Remendado (Carmen), First Priest (Die Zauberflöte) and Eryka/Wind

(L’Ormindo at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe). He returns later in the 2015/16 Season to sing Missail (Boris Godunov).

French bass Nicolas Courjal returns to The Royal Opera to sing the role of Zuniga, the role in which he made his Royal Opera debut in 2010. He has also sung First Soldier (Salome), Alberti (Robert le diable) and Gesler (Guillaume Tell) for The Royal Opera. He will sing the role of High Priest (Oedipe) for the Company in May 2016.

Australian baritone Samuel Dale Johnson sings Moralès. He joined the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme in September 2014, and has since sung roles including Silvano (Un ballo in maschera), Baron Douphol (La traviata) and Leuthold (Guillaume Tell) for the Company. This Season he also sings roles including Wig-Maker (Ariadne auf Naxos), Zalzal (LÉtoile) and Thésée (Oedipe) for the Company.

CREDITS

Director Francesca Zambello

Conductor Bertrand De Billy

(19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov)

Alexander Joel (14, 16, 21mat, 26, 30 Nov)

Designer Tanya McCallin

Lighting designer Paule Constable Choreography Arthur Pita

Fight director Mike Loades CASTING

Moralès Samuel Dale Johnson†

Micaëla Nicole Car (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4 Nov)

Sonya Yoncheva (7, 10, 14,16 Nov)

Celine Byrne (21mat, 26, 30 Nov)

Zuniga Nicolas Courjal

Don José Bryan Hymel (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov) Jonas Kaufmann (14,16 Nov)

Yonghoon Lee (21mat, 26, 30 Nov)

Carmen Elena Maximova (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4 Nov)

Anita Rachvelishvili (14, 16, 21mat, 26, 30 Nov)

Frasquita Vlada Borovko†

Mercédès Michèle Losier (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov)

Rachel Kelly (14, 16, 21mat, 26, 30 Nov)

Escamillo Alexander Vinogradov

(19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov)

Gábor Bretz (14, 16, 21mat, 26, 30 Nov)

Le Dancaïre Grant Doyle (19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov)

Adrian Clarke (14, 16, 21mat, 26, 30 Nov))

Le Remendado Timothy Robinson

(19, 21, 24, 27, 30 Oct, 4, 7, 10 Nov)

Harry Nicoll (14, 16, 21mat, 26, 30 Nov)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Royal Opera Chorus

†Jette Parker Young Artist

THE LIGHTHOUSE

NEW PRODUCTION

Linbury Studio Theatre By Greg Eldridge

22 and 23 October at 7pm and 24 October at 1pm

The Royal Opera presents Peter Maxwell Davies’s chamber opera The Lighthouse directed by Jette Parker Young Artist Greg Eldridge in the Linbury Studio Theatre as part of our annual Meet the Young Artists Week. Based on a true story of an abandoned

lighthouse in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, this contemporary opera tells the story of the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers. Eldridge’s new production will explore the opera’s themes of imprisonment, isolation and psychological breakdown.

Australian director Greg Eldridge joined The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme in the 2013/14 Season and becomes Jette Parker Associate Director from the start of the 2015/16 Season. In the 2013/14 Season he directed Così fan tutte Act I and La Favorite Act I for the JPYAP summer performance on the main stage and assisted the director of El gato con botas (Meet the Young Artists Week, 2013) in the Linbury Studio Theatre. He was also an assistant director for Carmen, Don Giovanni, Faust and Tosca on the main stage and Carmen in Guangzhou. In the 2014/15 Season he directed La scala di seta (Meet the Young Artists Week) in the Linbury Studio Theatre and assisted the directors of Rigoletto, Tristan und Isolde, Andrea Chénier, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, La traviata and Don Giovanni on the main stage. In the 2015/16 Season he assists the directors of Le nozze di Figaro, Carmen, Tosca and Il trovatore.

Irish designer Alyson Cummings makes her Royal Opera debut with this production. She has previously worked as design associate for The Royal Opera’s production of Les Troyens in its restaging at La Scala, Milan. Lighting designer Warren Letton has lit numerous productions in the Linbury Studio Theatre, including Exposure: Opera, Exposure: Dance, Summer Collections, The Gentle Giant, Heart of Darkness and The Wind in the Willows (Linbury Studio Theatre and West End) for the Royal Opera House and In Good Company for Birmingham Royal Ballet. He works regularly with the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, for which his past lighting designs include La scala di seta, El gato con botas, Les Nuits d’été, Le Portrait de Manon, Bastien und Bastienne and Mozart and Salieri.

Italian conductor and répétiteur Jonathan Santagada joined The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the start of the 2014/15 Season as conductor/répétiteur. In his first Season he conducted La scala di seta for Meet the Young Artists Week and joined

The Royal Opera’s music staff for Rigoletto, L’elisir d’amore, Andrea Chénier, Der fliegende Holländer, Madama Butterfly and Guillaume Tell.

Australian tenor Samuel Sakker sings the roles of Sandy/First Officer. He joined The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the start of the 2014/15 Season. In his first Season his roles have included Barbarigo (I due Foscari), Minister of Justice (Un ballo in maschera), First Man in Armour (Die Zauberflöte) and Gastone de Letorières (La traviata) for The Royal Opera and Song of the Earth for The Royal Ballet. In the 2014/15

Season he also sings Malcolm (Macbeth, Royal Opera tour to Japan), Patacha (L’Etoile), Gastone de Letorières (La traviata) and Abdallo (Nabucco).

Ukrainian baritone Yuriy Yurchuk sings the roles of Blazes/Second Officer. He joined the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme in September 2014 and in the 2014/15 Season sang Germano (La scala di seta, Meet the Young Artists Week), Steersman (Tristan und Isolde), Dumas (Andrea Chénier), Prince Yamadori (Madama Butterfly) and Baron Douphol (La traviata). In the 2015/16 Season he reprises the role of Baron Douphol and also sings Cesare Angelotti (Tosca) and Johann (Werther) for The Royal Opera.

British bass David Shipley sings the roles of Arthur/Third Officer. He joins the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme from the start of the 2015/16 Season. Engagements elsewhere

have included Billy Budd at Glyndebourne Festival, at the BBC Proms and in New York, Drum-maker (Pinocchio) at GSMD, where he studied on the opera course and Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte) at RAM, from where he graduated with First Class Honours. In the 2015/16 Season he sings Captain (Eugene Onegin) and Sciarrone (Tosca) for The Royal Opera.

Scottish pianist Colin J. Scott joined the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the start of the 2014/15 Season as ballet pianist. In his first Season he joined The Royal Ballet’s music staff for Age of Anxiety, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Swan Lake, The Four Temperaments, La Fille mal gardée and Woolf Works, while also acting as a répétiteur and playing continuo for La scala di seta (Meet the Young Artists Week, 2014) and performing in the Young Artists’ recitals. In the 2015/16 Season he will join Royal Ballet music staff for Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Rhapsody and Giselle.

Southbank Sinfonia (SbS) is an orchestra of young professionals that is internationally recognized as a leading orchestral academy. Each year it brings together 32 exceptional music graduates from all over the world to provide a much-needed springboard into the profession. The members of Southbank Sinfonia are regular collaborators with the Royal Opera House, and are involved in multiple projects with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, and in education ventures, lunchtime recitals, Jette Parker Young Artists’ performances, dance productions, chamber operas in the Linbury Studio Theatre and other initiatives.

CREDITS

Music Peter Maxwell Davies

Libretto Peter Maxwell Davies

Conductor Jonathan Santagada

Director Greg Eldridge

CASTING

Sandy, First Officer Samuel Sakker

Blazes, Second Officer Yuriy Yurchuk Arthur, Third Officer David Shipley Keyboard Colin J. Scott

Southbank Sinfonia

ORPHEUS

NEW PRODUCTION

Luigi Rossi

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

23, 24 and 27 October, 4, 6, 9 and 12 November at 7.30pm

28 and 30 October at 2.30pm

1 and 15 November at 7pm 8 November at 2pm

  • Co-production with Shakespeare’s Globe

    The Royal Opera and Shakespeare’s Globe present a new production of Luigi Rossi’s three- act opera Orpheus, directed by Keith Warner at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Orpheus continues the collaboration with Shakespeare’s Globe that began with Kasper Holten’s highly acclaimed new production of L’Ormindo, first performed in the 2013/14 Season at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and revived there in the 2014/15 Season. Orpheus will be performed in English in a new translation by Christopher Cowell, who also translated the libretto for L’Ormindo, and whose many credits for English National Opera include Medea.

    This new production is the final part of The Royal Opera’s exploration of the Orpheus myth that began in the 2014/15 Season with a new production of Monteverdi’s Orfeo at the Roundhouse, Camden, and performances of Birtwistle’s chamber opera The Corridor in the Linbury Studio Theatre. The exploration of the Orpheus myth continues in the 2015/16 Season with a new production of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice on the main stage, and with

    Orpheus (a co-production between Little Bulb Theatre and Battersea Arts Centre) in the Linbury Studio Theatre.

    Rome-based composer Luigi Rossi (c1597–1653) wrote this three-act opera Orpheus (1647) for the French royal court during his sojourn in France in the late 1640s. Eurydice is betrothed to the great musician Orpheus, but ill omens threaten their marriage. The shepherd Aristaeus also loves Eurydice, and is anguished by her rejection of him. Venus offers to help win Eurydice for Aristaeus, but her plans go awry and Eurydice dies. Eurydice’s spirit torments Aristaeus and he descends into madness. Orpheus journeys into Hell to bring Eurydice back, but can’t obey Pluto’s condition for her release, and thus loses his wife once again. However, Jupiter intervenes to save Orpheus from despair and grant him immortality with Eurydice.

    English director Keith Warner made his Royal Opera debut in 2002 with Wozzeck (winner of an Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production) and has since directed Der Ring des Nibelungen for The Royal Opera. In the 2014/15 Season he directs Welsh National Opera’s production of Peter Pan at the Royal Opera House and on tour. He has directed more than a hundred operas in a dozen countries, and also directed plays and musicals.

    Recent

    opera engagements include Albert Herring and Penderecki’s The Devils of Loudon (Copenhagen), Mathis der Maler (Theater an der Wien) and Andrea Chénier and the world premiere of André Tchaikovsky’s The Merchant of Venice (Bregenz Festival). His Wagner productions include a second Ring cycle (Tokyo), Tannhäuser (Strasbourg), Parsifal (Copenhagen) and Lohengrin (Bayreuth Festival). Warner has also written two librettos for composer David Blake.

    Designs are by English designer Nicky Shaw who has previously worked with Warner as costume designer for Welsh National Opera’s production of Peter Pan in the 2014/15 Season. She made her Royal Opera House debut in 2007 in the ‘World’s Stage’ gala. Austrian choreographer Karl Alfred Schreiner makes his Royal Opera debut with this production. He regularly collaborates with Warner, providing the choreography for productions including Die Frau ohne Schatten for Hamburg State Opera, Orlando paladino and

    Don Giovanni for Theater an der Wien and Parsifal for Royal Danish Opera.

    English translator and director Christopher Cowell made his Royal Opera debut in 2001 directing La Cenerentola in the Linbury Studio Theatre. He has since returned to direct

    the 2008 revival of Les Contes d’Hoffmann on the main stage. He created the translation for L’Ormindo at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and returns this Season to create a new English translation of the libretto (by Francesco Buti) of Orpheus.

    Scottish conductor Christian Curnyn made his Royal Opera debut in 2009 conducting The Beggar’s Opera in the Linbury Studio Theatre. He is the founder of Early Opera Company, whose Orchestra play for this production and who (with Curnyn) appeared in The Royal Opera’s production of L’Ormindo at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe in the 2013/14 and 2014/15 Seasons (for which they were nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera). Orchestra of Early Opera Company also worked with The Royal Opera for Orfeo at the Roundhouse in the 2014/15 Season, conducted by Christopher Moulds. Christian Curnyn’s operatic engagements elsewhere include Partenope, After Dido, Castor and Pollux, Julius Caesar and Medea for English National Opera, Semele and Tamerlano for Scottish Opera, Saul for Opera North, Le nozze di Figaro and Eliogabalo for Grange Park Opera, Così fan tutte for New York City Opera, Tolomeo for Glimmerglass Opera, Platée for Stuttgart Opera and La Calisto and Gluck’s Ezio for Frankfurt Opera.

    English soprano Mary Bevan sings the title role of Orpheus. She made her Royal Opera House debut singing Lila (The Firework-Maker’s Daughter, world premiere, 2013) in the Linbury Studio Theatre with Mahogany Opera Group and her Royal Opera debut as Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro) on the main stage in the 2013/14 Season. She has since sung Euridice (Orfeo) at the Roundhouse for The Royal Opera. Recent appearances elsewhere include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) and Despina (Così fan tutte) for English National Opera.

    English soprano Louise Alder makes her Royal Opera debut singing the role of Eurydice in this new production. She is a member of Frankfurt Opera, where her roles include Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Lisa (La sonnambula), Silandra (L’Orontea) and Musetta (La bohème). Engagements elsewhere include Lucia (The Rape of Lucretia) for Glyndebourne Festival, Clomiri (Imeneo) for London Handel Festival, Atalanta (Xerxes) for English Touring Opera and Rapunzel (Into the Woods) for Théatre du Châtelet, Paris.

    Australian mezzo-soprano Caitlin Hulcup sings the role of Aristeus. Caitlin made her Royal Opera debut in 2009 as Arbaces (Artaxerxes). She made her operatic debut with West Australian Opera in 2000 as Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and has since sung roles including Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) and Rosina

    (Il barbiere di Siviglia) for the company. Engagements elsewhere include roles for Vienna State Opera (including Dorabella in Così fan tutte), La Monnaie, Brussels and Garsington Opera, and appearances with Les Arts Florissants and William Christie.

    English baritone Philip Smith makes his Royal Opera debut singing the roles of Endimion/Charon. He is a Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme alumnus, a Samling Artist and a Crear Scholar. Operatic engagements include Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) for Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari, Gratiano (The Merchant of Venice) for Polish National Opera, Junius (The Rape of Lucretia) for Maggio Musicale, Florence, and in Reggio Emilia and Ravenna and Sid (Albert Herring) for Royal Danish Opera.

    Keri Fuge makes her Royal Opera debut in the role of Cupid. Keri was a Britten-Pears Young Artist scholar in 2011 and her opera roles since then have included covering Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel) for Glyndebourne on Tour and singing Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro) and Chocholka the hen (The Cunning Little Vixen) for Glyndebourne on Tour and Glyndebourne Festival respectively.

    The role of Venus is sung by Australian soprano Sky Ingram who made her Royal Opera debut in 2014 as Lea (Glare, world premiere). Her other operatic engagements include Musetta (La bohème) for Opera North and English Touring Opera, Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) for Opera North and Second Niece (Peter Grimes) for English National Opera.

    British tenor Mark Milhofer sings the roles of Momus/Old Woman/Jupiter. He made his Royal Opera debut in the 2014/15 Season as Suweyleh (Cities of Salt) in the Linbury Studio Theatre. He has sung with English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Stuttgart Opera and the opera houses of Naples, Turin, Bologna, Venice and Rome. Recent appearances include Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia) for Nationale Reisopera and Camille de Rosillon (Die lustige Witwe) in Graz.

    Austrian mezzo-soprano Verena Gunz makes her Royal Opera debut in this production singing the role of Aegea. Her operatic engagements have included Second Lady (Die Zauberflöte) and Nerissa (The Merchant of Venice) for Bregenz Festival, Ninon (Die Teufel von Loudun) and Flowermaiden and Page (Parsifal) for Royal Danish Opera, and Suzuki (Madama Butterfly) at the Royal Albert Hall.

    Singing the roles of First Grace/First Fate/Himeneo is Australian soprano Lauren Fagan who joined The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the start of the 2014/15 Season. Her roles for The Royal Opera have included Oscar (Un ballo in maschera), Giulia (La scala di seta, Meet the Young Artists Week), Giannetta (L’elisir d’amore), Girl (Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny) and Papagena (Die Zauberflöte). In the 2015/16 Season she sings Lila (The Firework-Maker’s Daughter, Linbury Studio Theatre), Lover (Il tabarro), Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica) and Ines (Il trovatore) for The Royal Opera.

    Irish soprano Jennifer Davis sings the roles of Second Grace/Second Fate. She joins the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the start of the 2015/16 Season and her roles in the coming Season for The Royal Opera include Nursing Sister (Suor Angelica) and Ines (Il trovatore). Also joining the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme in the 2015/16 Season is Australian mezzo-soprano Emily Edmonds who sings the roles of Third Grace/Third Fate in this new production. Later in the Season she will sing roles in Suor Angelica and Werther for the Company.

    CREDITS

    Director Keith Warner

    Designer Nicky Shaw

    Choreography Karl Alfred Schreiner

    Translation Christopher Cowell

    Conductor Christian Curnyn

    CASTING

    Orpheus Mary Bevan

    Eurydice Louise Alder

    Aristeus Caitlin Hulcup

    Charon/Endymion Philip Smith

    Cupid Keri Fuge

    Venus Sky Ingram

    Momus/Old Woman/Jupiter Mark Milhofer

    Aegea Verena Gunz

    First Grace/First Fate/Himeneo Lauren Fagan Second Grace/ Second Fate Jennifer Davis

    Third Grace/ Third Fate Emily Edmonds

    Orchestra of Early Opera Company

    ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

    Linbury Studio Theatre Investec Opera Holland Park By Will Todd

    Libretto by Maggie Gottlieb

    5, 6, 7 November at 6pm; 7 November at 2pm

  • Generously supported by Fiona and Andrew Brannon
  • Suitable for ages five and upwards

    Investec Opera Holland Park brings its version of Lewis Carroll’s witty fantasy Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to the Linbury Studio Theatre for the first time. Composer Will Todd and librettist Maggie Gottlieb created this family opera for Opera Holland Park in 2013, where it met with great critical acclaim. The opera now moves inside for the first time in a national tour that celebrates the 150th anniversary of the publication of Carroll’s beloved book.

    Other notable works by Will Todd include the jazz mass Mass in Blue, which has been performed many times around the world since its 2003 premiere, on most occasions with the Will Todd Trio and Will Todd at the piano. The larger Will Todd Ensemble has also recorded Mass in Blue with the Vasari Singers for Signum Records. Todd’s other vocal music include The Call of Wisdom, which was commissioned by St Paul’s Cathedral for the Diamond Jubilee Thanksgiving Service where it was performed by the Diamond Choir. Todd’s opera The Blackened Man was developed in workshops at the Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, and won Second Prize in the International Verdi Opera Competition (2002).

    Will Todd’s highly entertaining music, scored for a band of 11 musicians, fuses opera, swing and blues. Combined with Maggie Gottlieb’s witty libretto and Martin Duncan’s playful production, this is an imaginative re-telling of this much-loved story.

    Conductor Matthew Waldren

    Director Martin Duncan

    MORGEN UND ABEND

    WORLD PREMIERE

    Georg Friedrich Haas

    13, 17, 21, 25 November at 7.30pm, 28 November at 7pm

  • Co-commission and co-production with Deutsche Oper Berlin
  • Generously supported by Stefan Sten Olsson, Cockayne – Grants for the Arts via The London Community Foundation, Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation and The John S Cohen Foundation

    The Royal Opera presents the world premiere of Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas’s new opera Morgen und Abend. The production is directed by Graham Vick, and is a co-commission and co-production between The Royal Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin. Haas’s opera is based on a novel with the same name (2000) by Norwegian writer Jon Fosse who has written the libretto (which is in both German and English) for this new work.

    A day that begins like any other for hard-working fisherman Johannes evolves into a momentous experience as he slowly discovers that the world has changed. His daughter seems not to notice him, yet he meets his wife and his best friend, both long dead. This world premiere reflects on the journey from life into death as themes of sadness and hope combine with intense and sensual musical expression.

    Georg Friedrich Haas made his Royal Opera debut in 2015 with a staged performance of his Second String Quartet and song cycle ATTHIS directed by Netia Jones in the Linbury Studio Theatre. His previous operatic works include Die schöne Wunde and the chamber opera Nacht for Bregenz Festival, Melancholia for Paris Opéra and Bluthaus and Thomas for Schwetzinger SWR Festival. He has been a member of the Austrian Kunstsenat since May 2011 and is currently Professor of Music at Columbia University, New York.

    Norwegian playwright, novelist, poet and librettist Jon Fosse makes his Royal Opera debut in the 2015/16 Season, as librettist for Morgen und Abend. He previously collaborated

    with Haas on the opera Melancholia (Paris Opéra, 2008), adapting the libretto from the first part of his novel Melancholie.

    German conductor Michael Boder made his Royal Opera debut in 1988 conducting Rigoletto. He was appointed General Music Director of Oper Basel at the age of 29, was Music Director of the Liceu, Barcelona 2008–12, and is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor for the Royal Danish Theatre and Orchestra. Boder has conducted many world premieres including Reimann’s Das Schloss (Deutsche Oper Berlin), Henze’s Phaedra and Dusapin’s Faustus, the Last Night (Berlin State Opera), Cerha’s Der Riese vom Steinfeld (Vienna State Opera) and Penderecki’s Ubu Rex and Trojahn’s Was ihr wollt (Nationaltheater Munich).

    British director Graham Vick made his Royal Opera debut in 1989 with the London premiere of Berio’s Un re in ascolto and has since returned to direct Mitridate, re di Ponto, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, King Arthur, The Midsummer Marriage, The Merry Widow, Falstaff and Tamerlano. He is the founder and Artistic Director of Birmingham Opera Company, where his recent productions include Khovanskygate: a National Enquiry, The Ice Break and Mittwoch aus Licht. Current projects include Der Ring des Nibelungen in Palermo.

    Zimbabwean stage designer Richard Hudson made his Royal Opera debut in 1993 on Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, directed by Graham Vick. His many collaborations with Vick include The Merry Widow and Tamerlano for The Royal Opera, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre (Palermo), The Makropulos Affair (St Petersburg), Eugene Onegin (Glyndebourne Festival) and Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Rome). Italian lighting designer Giuseppe Di Iorio made his Royal Ballet debut in 1996 on Ashley Page’s …now languorous, now wild… and Michael Hart’s Dances With Death and now makes his debut with The Royal Opera. He has worked regularly with Graham Vick, including lighting several productions for Birmingham Opera Company. Projections are by 59 Productions whose previous work for The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet includes projection designs for La Bayadère, Eugene Onegin, Salome and The Minotaur.

    Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer makes his Royal Opera debut as Olai in this world premiere. His filmography includes Mephisto, Never Say Never Again, Oberst Redl, Out of Africa, Quo Vadis?, Hanussen, Burning Secret, La Révolution française, The Russia House, White Fang, Mario and the Magician, Between Strangers, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, Everyman’s Feast, Druids and The Strange Case of Wilhelm Reich. He

    also performs widely in theatre. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for Out of Africa, is fluent in five languages and has acted in each.

    German baritone Christoph Pohl sings the role of Johannes, in his Royal Opera debut. Pohl was a member of the Opera Studio of Hamburg State Opera 2003–5. In 2005 he joined the ensemble of Semperoper Dresden, where his roles have included Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Belcore (L’elisir d’amore), Dandini (La Cenerentola), Ottokar (Der Freischütz), Wolfram von Eschinbach (Tannhäuser), Herald (Lohengrin), Posa (Don Carlo), Valentin (Faust), Lescaut (Manon Lescaut), Marcello (La bohème), Spielmann (Königskinder), Harlequin (Ariadne auf Naxos), Dr Falke (Die Fledermaus), Count Danilo (Die lustige Witwe) and Olivier and the Count (Capriccio). His engagements elsewhere include Wolfram for Deutsche Oper Berlin, Agamemnon/Thoas (Iphigénie en Aulide/Iphigénie en Tauride) for Theater an der Wien, Ottokar in Stuttgart, Harlequin for Opéra-Bastille and Der Strugatzi in a new production of Eötvös’s Die tragödie des Teufels for Bavarian State Opera.

    British-German soprano Sarah Wegener also makes her Royal Opera debut in this production as Signe/Midwife. Her previous work with Haas includes the song cycle ATTHIS, the world premieres of the song cycles …wie stille brannte das Licht and Dido and the operatic roles of Nadja (Bluthaus) and Frau Fink (Thomas) for Schwetzingen SWR Festival. Further opera engagements include Agathe (Der Freischütz) in Giessen, Queen Eleonore (Schweitzer’s Rosamunde) for Schwetzingen SWR Festival and Nadja for the Vienna Festival, Kampnagel in Hamburg and the Saarbrücken State Theatre.

    Singing the role of Peter is German tenor Will Hartmann, who made his Royal Opera debut in 1998 in the baritone role of Da-ud (Die ägyptische Helena in concert), returning in 2000 in the title role of Gawain. Since moving to tenor repertory he has sung Macduff (Macbeth), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Froh (Das Rheingold), Mark (The Midsummer Marriage), Don José (Carmen), Painter (Lulu) and, most recently, Narraboth (Salome) for The Royal Opera. His recordings for The Royal Opera include Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and Painter in Lulu on DVD. He also sings for opera companies including La Scala, Milan, Paris Opéra, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Liceu, Barcelona, Teatro Real, Madrid, Semperoper Dresden, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Komische Oper Berlin, Opéra national du Rhin and Dutch National Opera, with recent roles including Laca (Jenůfa), Siegmund (Die Walküre) and Matteo (Arabella).

    Dutch contralto Helena Rasker makes her Royal Opera debut in this production as Erna. Her operatic engagements include First Maid (Elektra), Grimgerde (Die Walküre), Hedwige (Guillaume Tell) and Mother (Lulu) for Dutch National Opera and Bryna (Van der Aa’s After Life) for the Melbourne Festival. She has also created contemporary operatic roles including Ursula (Wageman’s Legende), Paula (De Raaf’s Waiting for Miss Monroe) and Mother (Padding’s Laika) and in 2013 gave the world premiere of Zuidam’s chamber opera Troparion.

    CREDITS

    Music Georg Friedrich Haas

    Libretto Jon Fosse

    Conductor Michael Boder

    Director Graham Vick

    Designer Richard Hudson

    Lighting designer Giuseppe Di Iorio

    Projections 59 Productions

    CASTING

    Olai Klaus Maria Brandauer

    Johannes Christoph Pohl

    Signe / Midwife Sarah Wegener

    Peter Will Hartmann

    Erna Helena Rasker

    Royal Opera Chorus

    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

    LULU: A MURDER BALLAD

    LONDON PREMIERE

    Linbury Studio Theatre

    Music and libretto by Martyn Jacques

    23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 November at 7.45pm; 28 November at 6pm

  • Co-production between Opera North, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Warwick Arts Centre
  • Opera North gratefully acknowledges financial support from PRS for Music Foundation.
  • Suitable for ages 16 and upwards

    Acclaimed and award-winning group The Tiger Lillies bring their distinctive fusion of cabaret and punk to Frank Wedekind’s tale of the rise and fall of Lulu, a social-climbing prostitute. The story (used by Alban Berg for his opera Lulu) charts Lulu’s progression from a vagrant childhood in the back streets of Berlin to a society marriage, a spell in prison, a brief period of luxurious living in Paris and finally a return to prostitution in London’s shady East End. These performances mark this production’s London premiere, following its world premiere given by Opera North in 2014.

    Playwright Frank Wedekind worked obsessively on his Lulu plays, Earth Spirit (1895) and Pandora’s Box (1904), which later inspired G.W. Pabst’s film Pandora’s Box (1929, starring Louise Brooks) and Berg’s opera Lulu (1935). Lulu’s unbridled sex appeal, her youthful freshness and her destructiveness combine to make her dangerous, unpredictable and tragic. In Lulu: A Murder Ballad, the Tiger Lillies’ flamboyant live performance is enhanced by

    large-scale virtual sets that create a richly atmospheric environment. Across 20 songs and interludes, the ballad of Lulu unfolds as an uncompromising musical and visual melodrama. A unique theatrical experience, Lulu: A Murder Ballad follows the Tiger Lillies’ award-winning Shockheaded Peter and adaptation of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

    CASTING

    Laura Caldow The Tiger Lillies:

    Voice/Piano/Accordion Martyn Jacques

    Double Bass Adrian Stout

    Drums Mike Pickering

    CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA/PAGLIACCI

    NEW PRODUCTION

    By Damiano Michieletto

    3, 7, 10, 15, 18 and 29 December at 7.30pm, 13 December at 2pm, 21 December at 12.30pm and 1 January at 1pm

  • Co-production with Opera Australia, La Monnaie, Brussels and The Göteborg Opera
  • Generous philanthropic support from The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund

    The Royal Opera presents new productions of Mascagni and Leoncavallo’s operatic masterpieces Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci directed by Italian director Damiano Michieletto. Music Director of The Royal Opera, Antonio Pappano, conducts these new productions, which, linked through Michieletto’s skilful staging, draw on the realism and passion of the verismo tradition. These two tragic and passionate operas explore themes of romantic abandonment, uncontrollable emotions, jealous revenge and the harsh realities of life in rural southern Italy.

    The one act opera Cavalleria rusticana tells the story of the peasant Turiddu who is in love with the married Lola. His guilty secret is discovered by Santuzza, a woman he has seduced and then abandoned. Santuzza, after one last desperate attempt to win back Turiddu, tells Lola’s husband Alfio of his wife’s infidelity. She regrets her actions, but too late – Alfio challenges Turiddu to a duel. In Pagliacci, the hunchback clown Tonio loves Nedda, wife of Canio, who leads their acting troupe. Nedda rejects Tonio, and in revenge he brings Canio to spy on Nedda with her lover Silvio – though Silvio escapes before Canio can identify him. In the play the troupe perform that night, Canio as Pagliacci interrupts Nedda as Columbina with her lover Arlecchino, played by fellow actor Beppe. Canio demands to know the name of her lover, and fiction and reality become horribly blurred as Canio’s jealous rage takes over in the performance.

    Music Director of The Royal Opera Antonio Pappano conducted six productions in the 2014/15 Season for The Royal Opera (including four new productions, of I due Foscari, Andrea Chénier, Król Roger and Guillaume Tell) and one symphonic concert. Later in the 2015/16 Season he conducts a new production of Boris Godunov and a symphonic concert with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, along with a revival of Werther.

    Director Damiano Michieletto made his Royal Opera debut with a new production of Guillaume Tell at the end of the 2014/15 Season, conducted by Antonio Pappano. He made his international debut with an award-winning production of Weinberger’s Svanda Dudák for Wexford Opera Festival in 2003. His productions have since been staged by opera companies and festivals around the world, including La Scala, Milan, Salzburg Festival, the Metropolitan, Opera, New York, Vienna State Opera and Santa Fe Opera. His recent work includes Lucia di Lammermoor for Zürich Opera and Falstaff, La bohème and La Cenerentola for Salzburg Festival. Damiano Michieletto is joined by set designer Paolo Fantin, costume designer Carla Teti and lighting designer Alessandro Carletti, all his regular collaborators, and all of whom worked on The Royal Opera’s new production of Guillaume Tell in the 2014/15 Season.

    Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek sings the role of Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana), a role she recently sang for the Metropolitan Opera, New York. She made her Royal Opera debut as Katerina (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk) in 2006 and has since sung Sieglinde (Die Walküre), Minnie (La fanciulla del West), Elisabeth (Tannhäuser), Giorgetta (Il trittico), Dido (Les Troyens) and Maddalena di Coigny (Andrea Chénier) for The Royal Opera, as well as creating the title role in the world premiere of Anna Nicole (2011), a role which she reprised for the Company last Season. Her recent appearances elsewhere include Katerina for the Metropolitan Opera, New York, Katya Kabanova for Berlin State Opera and Sieglinde for the Liceu, Barcelona.

    Latvian tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko sings the roles of Turiddu (Cavalleria rusticana) and Canio (Pagliacci). He made his Royal Opera debut in 2011 as Luigi (Il tabarro) and has since returned to sing Verdi’s Otello and Cavaradossi (Tosca). Elsewhere he sings for major opera companies worldwide, with recent appearances including Calaf (Turandot) for La Scala, Milan), Dick Johnson (La fanciulla del West) for Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gherman (Queen of Spades) for Zürich Opera and Cavaradossi for Vienna State Opera.

    Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee sings Turiddu only on 29 December. He made his Royal Opera debut in the 2012/13 Season as Mario Cavaradossi (Tosca) and has since sung Don José (Carmen) for The Royal Opera, a role he reprises in the 2015/16 Season. His recent appearances elsewhere include the title role in Don Carlo for the Metropolitan Opera, Andrea Chénier for Zürich Opera and Don José for Bavarian State Opera. .

    The role of Mamma Lucia (Cavalleria rusticana) is sung by Italian mezzo-soprano Elena Zilio. She made her Royal Opera debut in 2007 as Zita (Gianni Schicchi), and has since

    returned to sing Monitress (Suor Angelica), Zita (in 2009 and 2011) and Madelon (Andrea Chénier) for The Royal Opera. In the 2015/16 Season she returns to sing Monitress (Suor Angelica) and Zita (Gianni Schicchi). Recent appearances elsewhere include Mistress Quickly (Falstaff) in Florence, Filipyevna (Eugene Onegin) for Bavarian State Opera and Zita for Teatro Real, Madrid.

    Greek baritone Dimitri Platanias sings the roles of Alfio (Cavalleria rusticana) and Tonio (Pagliacci). He made his Royal Opera debut in 2012 as Rigoletto and has since returned to sing Paolo Albiani (Simon Boccanegra) and Rigoletto (2014/15 Season) for The Royal Opera. In the 2015/16 Season he also sings Nabucco. Recent appearances elsewhere include Nabucco in Stuttgart, Simon Boccanegra for Bavarian State Opera, Tonio (Pagliacci) for Salzburg Easter Festival and Iago (Otello) in Frankfurt.

    Italian mezzo-soprano Martina Belli makes her Royal Opera debut in the role of Lola (Cavalleria rusticana). Her operatic engagements have included Second Maid (Elektra) for Rome Opera, Third Lady (Die Zauberflöte) in Viterbo, Federica (Luisa Miller) at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, and Enrichetta (I puritani) and Linetta (The Love for Three Oranges) for the Teatro Comunale, Florence.

    The role of Nedda (Pagliacci) is sung by Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio for all performances except 29 December. She made her Royal Opera debut in 2012 as Mimì (La bohème) and has since returned to sing Elisabetta I (Maria Stuarda) for The Royal Opera. In the 2015/16 Season she also returns to sing Leonora (Il trovatore). Recent appearances elsewhere include Leonora (Il trovatore) and Mimì for La Fenice, Venice, Amelia Grimaldi (Simon Boccanegra) for La Scala, Milan, and Liù (Turandot) for Arena di Verona.

    Romanian soprano Simona Mihai sings Nedda on 29 December only. She is a former Jette Parker Young Artists for The Royal Opera, and since leaving the Programme in 2010 has returned to sing Frasquita (Carmen), Poussette (Manon) and Musetta (La bohème). Other appearances include Second Niece (Peter Grimes) for La Scala, Milan and Adina (L’elisir d’amore) for Salzburg Landestheater.

    British tenor Benjamin Hulett sings the role of Beppe (Pagliacci). He made his Royal Opera debut in 2014 as Edmondo (Manon Lescaut). His recent appearances elsewhere include Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) for Welsh National Opera, High Priest (Saul) for Glyndebourne Festival and Fenton (Falstaff) for Opera Holland Park.

    The role of Silvio is sung by Greek baritone Dionysios Sourbis who made his debut with The Royal Opera in the 2013/14 Season as Ping in Turandot and has since sung Schaunard (La bohème) for the Company. He has sung many roles for Greek National Opera, including Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Giorgio Germont (La traviata), Marcello (La bohème) and Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), and recently sang Mozart’s Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro) in Turin.

    CREDITS

    Director Damiano Michieletto

    Conductor Antonio Pappano

    Set designs Paolo Fantin

    Costume designs Carla Teti

    Lighting design Alessandro Carletti Royal Opera Chorus

    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House CASTING

    Cavalleria rusticana

    Music Pietro Mascagni

    Libretto Giovanni Targiono-Tozzetti

    Santuzza Eva-Maria Westbroek

    Turidda Aleksandrs Antonenko

    (except 29 Dec) Yonghoon Lee (29 Dec)

    Mamma Lucia Elena Zilio

    Alfio Dimitri Platanias

    Lola Martina Belli

    Pagliacci

    Music and Libretto Ruggero Leoncavallo

    Canio Aleksandrs Antonenko

    Tonio Dimitri Platanias

    Nedda Carmen Giannattasio

    (except 29 Dec)

    Simona Mihai (29 Dec)

    Beppe Benjamin Hulett

    Silvio Dionysios Sourbis

    THE FIREWORK-MAKER’S DAUGHTER

    Linbury Studio Theatre

    David Bruce with libretto by Glyn Maxwell

    10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23 and 30 December, 2 January at 7pm

    12, 19, 21, 22, 23 and 30 December, 1 and 2 January at 2pm

    28, 29, and 31 December at 12.30pm; 28, 29 and 31 December at 5pm

  • Co-produced by The Opera Group and Opera North in association with The Royal Opera and Watford Palace Theatre.
  • Generous philanthropic support from the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund

    This entertaining family Christmas show, suitable for audiences aged six and over, is based on the novel by Philip Pullman, and has a libretto by Glyn Maxwell. Set in the Far East, the opera tells the story of Lila, a young girl who wants to be a firework-maker, like her father, and of her quest to achieve this dream.

    The Firework-Maker’s Daughter was first seen in 2013, and was nominated for the 2014 Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production following its performances at the Linbury Studio Theatre; it has since successfully toured the UK and been presented in New York. John Fulljames’s production with designs by Dick Bird uses a mixture of puppetry and live projection to create effects inspired by Indonesia’s shadow puppetry tradition.

    British-American composer David Bruce’s enjoyable lyrical score draws inspiration from folk and classical traditions from around the globe to create a unique sound world. It will be performed by a chamber orchestra from CHROMA, an ensemble well known for their performances of contemporary work. A cast of singers includes British soprano Lucy Hall and Australian soprano Lauren Fagan as Lila, Welsh baritone Wyn Pencarreg as Lalchand, British baritone Ross Ramgobin as Rambashi, British tenor Peter Kirk as Chulak, and American countertenor Tai Oney as Hamlet, the elephant.

    CREDITS

    Music David Bruce

    Libretto Glyn Maxwell

    (Based on the short story by Philip Pullman)

    Conductor Alice Farnham

    Director John Fulljames

    Designer Dick Bird

    Lighting designer Guy Hoare Choreography Victoria Newlyn

    Puppet direction Indefinite Articles CASTING

    Lila Lucy Hall/Lauren Fagan

    Lalchand Wyn Pencarreg

    Rambashi Ross Ramgobin

    Chulak Peter Kirk

    Hamlet Tai Oney

    OTHER EVENTS

    MEET THE YOUNG ARTISTS WEEK

    The Jette Parker Young Artists Programme brings together talented singers, conductors and directors from around the world at the start of their careers. Meet the Young Artists Week will run 19–26 October 2015 and will feature members of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme in a staged production of Peter Maxwell Davies’s The Lighthouse. The production is a highlight of Meet the Young Artists Week at the Royal Opera House, which provides a chance for you to see the future faces of opera in an intimate setting. The week’s activities also include a diverse programme of free recitals, a workshop and a chance to meet the Young Artists in person. These exciting opportunities to hear the new participants of the Programme culminate in The Juke Box, where the audience chooses the pieces for an evening recital from works performed at a lunchtime session.

  • RECITALS: 19 and 22 October at 1pm

  • WORKSHOP: 23 October at 1pm

  • JUKE BOX: 25 October at 1pm and 7pm

  • THE LIGHTHOUSE: 22 and 23 October at 7pm and 24 October at 1pm

    LUNCHTIME RECITALS

    The regular free lunchtime recitals feature the rising stars of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, members of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and the Royal Opera Chorus and Southbank Sinfonia.

  • 28 September at 1pm – programme TBC

  • 12 and 26 October at 1pm – programme TBC

  • 9 November at 1pm featuring members of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Ailsa Hunter and Mary Mundy performing Ligeti’s Horn Trio and Kodály’s Duo for Violin and Cello

  • 16 November at 1pm featuring soprano Jennifer Davis and bass David Shipley of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme

  • 23 November at 1pm featuring soprano Vlada Borovko, tenor Samuel Sakker and pianist Colin J. Scott of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme

  • 7 December at 1pm featuring member of the Royal Opera Chorus in a Christmas themed concert

  • 14 December at 1pm featuring baritones Samuel Dale Johnson and Yuriy Yurchuk of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme

    For further information please visit http://www.roh.org.uk/recitals/lunchtime-recitals

    BIG SING FRIDAYS

    TICKETS £5

    Paul Hamlyn Hall

    Big Sing Fridays are one-hour lunchtime taster sessions, which give members of the public the opportunity to sing alongside The Royal Opera’s music staff and guest artists in the Paul Hamlyn Hall at the Royal Opera House.

  • Friday 30 October at 1pm
  • Friday 27 November at 1pm

    For more information: www.roh.org.uk/functions/big-sing-fridays

    TEA DANCES

    TICKETS £11

    Paul Hamlyn Hall

    We continue to celebrate the days when the Royal Opera House was one of the most popular dance venues in London. Our Tea Dances take place throughout the Season in the Paul Hamlyn Hall and give you the opportunity to waltz, tango, cha cha cha and quickstep to the Royal Opera Dance Band.

  • Friday 2 October at 1pm
  • Friday 6 November at 1pm
  • Friday 4 December at 1pm

For more information: www.roh.org.uk/functions/tea-dance NOTES TO EDITORS

Monteverdi Choir

The Monteverdi Choir is famous for its passionate, committed and virtuosic singing. Over the past 50 years, it has been consistently acclaimed as one of the best choirs in the world, noted for its ability to switch composer, language and idiom with complete stylistic conviction.

Among a number of trail-blazing tours, the most ambitious was the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage in 2000, during which the Choir performed all 198 of J.S. Bach’s sacred cantatas in more than sixty churches throughout Europe. The entire project was recorded by the company’s record label, Soli Deo Gloria, and hailed as “one of the most ambitious musical projects of all times” by Gramophone magazine.

The Choir regularly takes part in staged opera productions, including in recent years Les Troyens at the Théâtre du Châtelet (2003), and Carmen (2009) and Der Freischütz (2010) at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. It has more than 150 recordings to its name and has won numerous prizes. Last year, the Choir marked its 50th anniversary with performances of the masterpiece it draws its name from: Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610.

The Choir is also a fertile training ground for future generations of choral and solo singers. Choir members often step out to sing solo parts and many former members have gone on to enjoy successful solo careers. Since 2007, the Monteverdi Apprentices Programme has added an exciting new dimension to the Choir’s profile.

English Baroque Soloists

The English Baroque Soloists have long been established as one of the world’s leading period instrument orchestras. Throughout their repertory, ranging from Monteverdi to Mozart and Haydn, they are equally at home in chamber, symphonic and operatic performances and the distinctive sound of their warm and incisive playing is instantly recognizable.

The ensemble has performed at many of the world’s most prestigious venues including La Scala in Milan, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Sydney Opera House. In the course of the 1990s they performed Mozart’s seven mature operas and recorded all Mozart’s mature symphonies and his complete piano concerto cycle.

The English Baroque Soloists are regularly involved in joint projects with the Monteverdi Choir, with whom they famously took part in the trail-blazing Bach Cantata Pilgrimage in 2000, performing all of J.S. Bach’s sacred cantatas throughout Europe. More recently, the two joined forces again on a number of Bach recordings (Mass in B minor, Motets), and for performances of Monteverdi’s Vespers and L’Orfeo during the Monteverdi Choir’s 50th anniversary year and on tour in the United States at venues including the Kennedy Centre, the Davies Symphony Hall and Carnegie Hall.

Hofesh Shechter Company (HSC)

Hofesh Shechter Company is the internationally acclaimed UK based company of choreographer Hofesh Shechter.

In 2008, Shechter formed Hofesh Shechter Company with Helen Shute (Executive Director) in response to popular demand, following the success of his award winning production Uprising/In your rooms, which was toured worldwide by the Company in its inaugural year. Also in 2008 Hofesh Shechter Company was announced as Brighton Dome and Festival’s first resident company embarking on a partnership that resulted in major commissions and projects both internationally and in the South East of England.

2009 saw commissions from Sadler’s Wells to create Uprising/In your rooms: The Choreographer’s Cut which was performed to sell out audiences at London’s iconic Roundhouse, and from Brighton Festival to create The Art of Not Looking Back, for six female dancers, all the while continuing to tour worldwide to increasing audiences and acclaim. Shechter’s first full-length work Political Mother also had its premiere at Brighton Festival in 2010 and immediately embarked on

international and UK touring. A year later Shechter re-visited the work to create Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut, selling out rock venues in Berlin, Montpellier, Paris and Hong Kong as well as London’s Sadler’s Wells. Shechter collaborated with Antony Gormley in 2012 to create Survivor, for the Barbican Centre. His 2013 work Sun has toured extensively after opening at Melbourne Festival 2013 and his new creation barbarians has its premiere in summer 2015 at the Festspielhaus, Berlin. In 2015 Hofesh Shechter Company announced Shechter Junior, a new apprentice company who gave their premiere performances in Paris in May 2015 and will tour internationally as well as taking part in projects in the UK.

Website: www.roh.org.uk
YouTube: www.youtube.com/royaloperahouse
Facebook: www.roh.org.uk/facebook
Twitter: @royaloperahouse

Life reimagined – Watch it Come Alive

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