This autumn, English Touring Opera revisits the baroque era to bring a festival of Venetian opera and music to opera houses, theatres, churches and cathedrals up and down the country.
Returning to the origins of commercial opera, which emerged in Venice in the 17th and 18th century, ETO presents three productions which capture the wit, humour and seductive qualities of the era. These are new productions of Handel’s Agrippina and Cavalli’s Jason, together with a revival of Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea.
The tour opens at the Britten Theatre, Royal College of Music between Saturday 28 September and Saturday 12 October, then visits eight theatres and another seven churches, cathedrals and concert halls in England until Sunday 24 November.
ETO is working once again with period instrument orchestra The Old Street Band, and alongside the three Venetian operas this season is presenting two concert evenings of Italian sacred music by Handel and Vivaldi, featuring ETO’s soloists and orchestra in collaboration with regional choirs across the country.
Faroese designer Samal Blak is designing the sets and costumes for all three of the Autumn 2013 operas. The lighting designer for the season is Ace McCarron. All three productions are sung in English.
Cavalli’s Jason is l oosely based on the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece and was a runaway hit when it premiered in Venice in 1649, proving one of the most popular operas of the 17th century. ETO’s new production is directed by Ted Huffman and conducted by Joseph McHardy, and stars Hannah Pedley as Medea and Clint Van Der Linde as Jason, with Mark Wilde as Apollo.
Monteverdi’s final masterpiece The Coronation of Poppea is often described as his greatest achievement, combining mythic and very human themes. ETO’s production is inspired by Stalin’s Russia, and was originally directed by James Conway in a co-production with the Royal College of Music in November 2012. The revival director this autumn is Oliver Platt, and the conductor is Michael Rosewell. The Coronation of Poppea stars mezzo Helen Sherman as Nero and soprano Paula Sides as Poppea. Young Polish countertenor Michal Czerniawski sings the role of Ottone.
Agrippina is widely regarded as Handel’s first operatic masterpiece, and uses many of the same characters as The Coronation of Poppea. ETO ’s new production is conducted by Jonathan Peter Kenny, and sung in English to a translation made specifically for this production by director James Conway. The cast includes Gillian Webster as the eponymous heroine, Andrew Slater as Claudius and Jake Arditti as Nero.
Alongside the Autumn operas, ETO’s singers and orchestra are performing two evenings of baroque sacred music across the country, in collaboration with regional choirs. Both the concerts are conducted by Jonathan Peter Kenny.
Music for a Venetian Orphanage is a concert of music originally written for the celebrated orphan musicians of the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, where Vivaldi worked for most of his life. The programme features the Magnificat, whose arias in the original score were inscribed with the name of the orphan girl intended to perform, and the Gloria – Jubilate o amoeni, an elaboration of Vivaldi’s celebrated Gloria in D major with additional text and arias. Music for a Venetian Orphanage is performed at Crediton and Harrogate.
Handel’s Music for Vespers includes Donna che in ciel , written to celebrate the deliverance of Rome from the earthquake of 1703, Il pianto di Maria , an exquisite meditation on the Virgin Mary at the foot of the cross , and the extravagant and daring Dixit Dominus. Music for Vespers is performed in locations including Rochester, Newcastle and Warwick.
Full listings are as follows:
The Coronation of Poppea
Running time: Approximately 2 hours 40 minutes in total, including one 20 minute interval
Composer: Claudio Monteverdi
Libretto: Francesco Busenello
Translation: Anne Ridler
Director: James Conway – revival director Oliver Platt
Conductor: Michael Rosewell
Cast: Helen Sherman (Nero), Paula Sides (Poppea), Piotr Lempa (Seneca), Hannah Pedley (Ottavia), Michal Czerniawski (Ottone), Stuart Haycock (Lucano), Jake Arditti (Amor), Nicholas Merryweather (Liberto), Russell Harcourt (Nutrice), Mark Wilde (Arnalta).
Jason
Running time: Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes in total, including one 20 minute interval
Composer: Francesco Cavalli
Libretto: Giacinto Andrea Cicognini
Translation: Ronald Eyre
Director: Ted Huffman
Conductor: Joseph McHardy
Cast: Clint Van Der Linde (Jason), Hannah Pedley (Medea), Andrew Slater (Hercules), Stuart Haycock (Volano), Michal Czerniawski (Delfa), Mark Wilde (Egeus/Apollo), Piotr Lempa (Orestes).
Agrippina
Running time: Approximately 3 hours in total, including one 20 minute interval
Composer: George Frideric Handel
Libretto: Vincenzo Grimani
Translation: James Conway
Director: James Conway
Conductor: Jonathan Peter Kenny
Cast: Gillian Webster (Agrippina), Andrew Slater (Claudius), Clint Van Der Linde (Ottone), Jake Arditti (Nero), Nicholas Merryweather (Pallante), Paula Sides (Poppea), Russell Harcourt (Narciso).
1. Britten Theatre, Royal College of Music, Prince Consort Road, London, UK
Sat 28 September 2013: The Coronation of Poppea
Fri 4 October 2013: Jason
Sat 5 October 2013: Jason
Tue 8 October 2013: Agrippina
Wed 9 October 2013: The Coronation of Poppea
Thu 10 October 2013: Jason
Fri 11 October 2013: Agrippina
Sat 12 October 2013: Agrippina
Booking information: 0844 412 4314 / www.englishtouringopera.org.uk
2. Rochester Cathedral, Rochester, Kent, UK
Tue 15 October 2013: Music for Vespers
Booking information: 0844 412 4314 / www.englishtouringopera.org.uk
3. Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, UK
Thu 17 October 2013: Jason
Fri 18 October 2013: The Coronation of Poppea
Sat 19 October 2013: Agrippina
Booking information: 01728 687 110 / www.aldeburgh.co.uk
4. Malvern Festival Theatre, Malvern, Worcestershire, UK
Thu 24 October 2013: Agrippina
Fri 25 October 2013: The Coronation of Poppea
Sat 26 October 2013: Jason
Booking information: 01684 892277 / www.malvern-theatres.co.uk
5. Church of the Holy Cross, Crediton, Devon, UK
Sun 27 October 2013: Music for a Venetian Orphanage
Booking is via Exeter Northcott: 01392 493 493 / www.exeternorthcott.co.uk
6. Theatre Royal Bath, Bath, UK
Mon 28 October 2013: The Coronation of Poppea
Tue 29 October 2013: Jason
Booking information: 01225 44 88 44 / www.theatreroyal.org.uk
7. Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate, UK
Thu 31 October 2013: Jason
Fri 1 November 2013: The Coronation of Poppea
Sat 2 November 2013: Agrippina
Booking information: 01423 502 116 / www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk
8. St Wilfrid’s Church, Harrogate, UK
Sun 3 November 2013: Music for a Venetian Orphanage
Booking is via Harrogate Theatre: 01423 502 116 / www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk
9. Gala Theatre, Durham, County Durham, UK
Mon 4 November 2013: Agrippina
Tue 5 November 2013: Jason
Wed 6 November 2013: The Coronation of Poppea
Booking information: 03000 266 600 / www.galadurham.co.uk
10. King’s Hall, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Thu 7 November 2013: Music for Vespers
Booking is via Gala Theatre, Durham: 03000 266 600 / www.galadurham.co.uk
11. Buxton Opera House, Buxton, Derbyshire, UK
Fri 8 November 2013: The Coronation of Poppea
Sat 9 November 2013: Agrippina
Booking information: 0845 127 2190 / www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk
12. Firth Hall, Sheffield, UK
Sun 10 November 2013: Music for Vespers
Booking information: 0114 256 5567 / www.englishtouringopera.org.uk
13. Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick, UK
Tue 12 November 2013: Music for Vespers
Booking information: 01926 776438 / www.englishtouringopera.org.uk
14. Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge, UK
Wed 13 November 2013: Jason
Thu 14 November 2013: The Coronation of Poppea
Fri 15 November 2013: Agrippina
Sat 16 November 2013: Agrippina
Booking information: 01223 50 33 33 / www.cambridgeartstheatre.com
15. Exeter Northcott, Exeter, UK
Wed 20 November 2013: Jason
Thu 21 November 2013: The Coronation of Poppea
Fri 22 November 2013: Agrippina
Sat 23 November 2013: Agrippina
Booking information: 01392 493 493 / www.exeternorthcott.co.uk
15. Exeter Cathedral, Exeter, UK
Sun 24 November 2013: Music for Vespers
Booking is via Exeter Northcott: 01392 493 493 / www.exeternorthcott.co.uk