Stage: Operation Opera
Traviata at The Hawth, and Glyndebourne go on tour
The renowned Russian State Ballet and Opera House come to The Hawth this September with Verdi’s La Traviata – a love story shrouded in sacrifice and misunderstanding. Featuring an impressive cast and accompanied by a large live orchestra with over 30 musicians.
This haunting tragedy, with its beautiful arias, will transport audiences into the world of French high society in the 1850s.
Giuseppe Verdi brings the beguiling splendour and gaiety of mid-19th century Parisian life to the stage. But there is also heartbreak and pathos in this tragic and resonant morality tale in which Violetta, a high-society courtesan with a heart of gold, sacrifices everything for the man she loves.
La Traviata, an undisputed masterpiece, contains some of Verdi’s most beautiful and memorable music. The score encompasses an astonishing range of moods and emotions, from Alfredo’s aristocratic charms to Violetta’s vivid effervescence, perfectly captured in her toast to life and free will Libiamo ne’ licit calici (let’s drink from the joyful cups) and Sempre libera (always free) – a vocal showpiece to rival any other.
A chance to enjoy one of the most powerful and popular operas of all time, sung in Italian with English surtitles.
Russian Ballet and Opera House
La Traviata
Friday 18 September 7.30pm,
The Hawth, Crawley
Tickets: £33.50, (discounts: £31.50) are available from The Hawth Box Office on 01293 553636 or at www.hawth.co.uk.
Glyndebourne Tour
If you feel that the delights of Glyndebourne are beyond your pocket then takle a good look at the 2015 Glyndebourne Tour which boasts a diverse line-up of World-class operas from Mozart, Donizetti and Handel at very affordable prices.
Now in its 47th year, Glyndebourne Tour will present three main stage productions, two of which transfer straight from the 2015 Glyndebourne Festival where they premiere this summer.
An elegant new production of Mozart’s DieEntführung aus dem Serail, which opened to sell-out audiences at the 2015 Glyndebourne Festival, heads the line-up. Among the cast is the up-and-coming American tenor Benjamin Bliss, currently a member of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Also transferring from the 2015 Festival is a new production of Handel’s oratorio Saul, directed by the brilliant, provocative Australian director, Barrie Kosky, it features Henry Waddington in the title role opposite the South African countertenor Christopher Ainslie as David.
The third production on stage in Canterbury is a revival of an opulent period staging of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale; an acclaimed production which debuted on the Glyndebourne Tour in 2011.
All three main stage productions have a central role for the Glyndebourne Chorus, an ensemble with a well-earned reputation for showcasing the soloists of tomorrow. Tour alumni include: Sir Simon Rattle, Gerald Finlay, Sarah Connolly and John Tomlinson.
David Pickard, General Director at Glyndebourne, said: “Glyndebourne Tour was founded in 1968 to give more people a chance to see our world-class productions and to provide a platform for some of the opera world’s most talented young singers. This year alongside an international cast of up and coming soloists, the Glyndebourne Chorus take a central role in all three productions providing rich opportunities for audiences across the country to watch the stars of tomorrow. It’s a diverse season which I hope will offer much to enjoy for audiences of all musical and theatrical tastes.”
Off stage, Duke’s @ Komedia, Brighton and The Picture House Uckfield will be screening Glyndebourne’s award-winning production of Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd on Sunday 11 and Sunday 18 October respectively. An all-male piece which presents the tense and stifling atmosphere on board a British man of war during the Napoleonic wars, the production was described by The Stage as ‘a masterpiece of emotional ambiguity’.
For more information and to book tickets visit glyndebourne.com/tour2015
