Following on from recent Olivier-nominated productions with The Royal Opera, we’re very proud to be part of their autumn season. We’ll be returning to the candlelit intimacy of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, with Luigi Rossi’s dark portrayal of the Orpheus story, conducted by Christian Curnyn and directed by Keith Warner.
Rossi’s Orpheus is one of several operatic versions of this enduring classic myth. At the centre is Orpheus, who uses his musical gifts to try to win his beloved Eurydice back from Hades. Torment, jealousy and the intervention of the gods are also part of this engrossing drama in which the spurned lover Aristaeus turns to madness, while the devoted lover Orpheus earns a place among the stars.
When the opera was given its premiere at the Palais Royal, it drew much admiration, not least for its wealth of duets and ensembles alongside inventive and delightful arias. Rossi composed an ever-shifting musical mosaic to match the interweaving comic and tragic strands of the story.
Mary Bevan and Louise Alder head the cast as Orpheus and Euridice, joined by Caitlin Hulcup, Sky Ingram, Philip Smith, Verena Gunz and Mark Milhofer.
Performances run from 23 October to 15 November, including 3 matinees. Friends booking opens 16 June, general booking opens 7 July. Our last opera there, L’Ormindo, sold out in seconds, so get those dates in your diary and get booking!
http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/orpheus-by-keith-warner
http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/…/sam-wanamaker-pl…/orpheus
‘A first-rate production in a well-nigh perfect venue… A more exquisite evening would be hard to imagine.’
The Guardian on L’Ormindo
