Opera North: history and repertoire, seasons 2004–
Opera North is an opera company based at The Grand Theatre, Leeds, England. This article covers the period during which the Music Director has been Richard Farnes.
History
Unusually, the 2004-5 season opened with five new productions. One of them, Orfeo ed Euridice, premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival and was subsequently seen at the Monaco Dance Centre in Monte Carlo as well as in Leeds, Newcastle, Nottingham and Salford. It was the company's first collaborative production with a dance company (Emio Greco | PC).
After the Grand Theatre's closure in June 2005 for the commencement of the Leeds Grand Theatre Transformation project, the final three productions in the theatre toured to Hull New Theatre, the Theatre Royal, Norwich, the Lyceum Theatre (Sheffield) and the Grand Opera House (Belfast) as well as the company's regular venues in the North of England. One of these productions was One Touch of Venus, with a libretto by S. J. Perelman and Ogden Nash and music by Kurt Weill, another of the company's trademark performances of musical theatre works.
During the Transformation project, Opera North presented a number of semi-staged and concert performances in venues such as Leeds Town Hall, the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, The Sage Gateshead and Symphony Hall, Birmingham, as well as performances at the Bradford Alhambra and other theatres, including, for the first time, His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen.
Phase 1 of Transformation was completed in the autumn of 2006. As well as much-needed renovations to the Grand Theatre itself, it created a permanent home and Opera Centre for Opera North, with two large rehearsal spaces that are the same size as the theatre's stage. The company returned to the theatre in October of that year with new productions of Rigoletto and Peter Grimes. The latter production, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, was garlanded with awards from The South Bank Show, the Royal Philharmonic Society and the Theatre Management Association.
During 2007-8, a mini-festival of operas inspired by William Shakespeare was presented by Opera North. It comprised Verdi's Falstaff and Macbeth, Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Gounod's Roméo et Juliette and Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi. The latter saw the first appearance with the company by Sarah Connolly, who returned in 2010 for Donizetti's Maria Stuarda.
A second phase of Transformation, completed in 2009, focused on restoring the former Assembly Rooms, which originally opened in 1879, as a small-scale performance space managed by Opera North. Now called the Howard Assembly Room, it hosts a variety of musical and other events, one of which was the world premiere performance by Opera North in late 2009 of Jonathan Dove's chamber opera Swanhunter, based on the Lemminkäinen legend.
Opera North's collaborations with other opera companies and festivals during this period included:
- Così fan tutte, a co-production with Glimmerglass Opera, which premiered in Leeds and was also seen at New York City Opera
- Kurt Weill's Der Kuhhandel (Arms and the Cow), a co-production with the Bregenz Festival and the Vienna Volksoper
- Reinhard Keiser's Croesus, a co-production with Minnesota Opera
- Jonathan Dove's The Adventures of Pinocchio, a co-production with Chemnitz Opera
Company visits abroad included taking Julietta and One Touch of Venus to the Ravenna Festival and Skin Deep, Of Thee I Sing and Moscow, Cheryomushki to Bregenz.
Repertoire
Below is a list of main stage[1] operas performed by the company during this period.
| Season | Opera[2] | Composer | Principal cast | Conductor | Director | Designer[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | OrfeoOrfeo ed Euridice | Gluck Gluck | Taylor Daniel Taylor (Orfeo), Isabel Monar (Euridice), Claire Ormshaw (Amor) | Kok Nicholas Kok | Greco Emio Greco | Scholten Pieter C Sholten /Clifford Portier |
| 2004–05 | Manon LManon Lescaut | Puccini Puccini | Dercho Natalia Dercho (Manon), Hugh Smith (Des Grieux), Christopher Purves (Lescaut) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Slater Daniel Slater | Hopkins Robert Innes Hopkins |
| 2004–05 | CosiCosì fan tutte | Mozart Mozart | Bystrom Malin Byström (Fiordiligi), Ann Taylor (Dorabella), Iain Paton (Ferrando), Roderick Williams (Guglielmo), Claire Wild (Despina), Peter Savidge (Don Alfonso) | Abel Yves Abel | Albery Tim Albery | Hoheisel Tobias Hoheisel |
| 2004–05 | One touchOne Touch of Venus | Weill Weill | Coker Karen Coker (Venus), Loren Geeting (Rodney Hatch), Christianne Tisdale (Molly), Ron Li-Paz (Whitelaw Savory) | Holmes James Holmes | Albery Tim Albery | Macdonald Antony McDonald /Emma Ryott |
| 2004–05 | Don GDon Giovanni | Mozart Mozart | Williams Roderick Williams (Don Giovanni), Susannah Glanville (Donna Anna), Giselle Allen (Donna Elvira), Andrew Foster-Williams (Leporello), Iain Paton (Don Ottavio) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Fuchs Olivia Fuchs | Turner Niki Turner |
| 2004–05 | GazzaLa gazza ladra | Rossini Rossini | Hegarty Mary Hegarty (Ninetta), Ashley Catling (Giannetto), Robert Poulton (Podestà), Jonathan Best (Fernando), Anne-Marie Gibbons (Pippo) | Parry David Parry | ZZZ Revival of 1991-2 production | |
| 2004–05 | Bluebeard’sBluebeard's Castle[4] | Bartok Bartók | Tomlinson John Tomlinson (Bluebeard), Sally Burgess (Judith) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Havergal Giles Havergal | Wiltshire Adam Wiltshire |
| 2005–06 | SaulSaul[5] | Handel Handel | Hayward Robert Hayward (Saul), Tim Mead (David), Lucy Crowe (Michal), Sarah Fox (Merab), Mark Wilde (Jonathan) | Curnyn Christian Curnyn | Fulljames John Fulljames | Gilmour Soutra Gilmour |
| 2005–06 | HanselHänsel und Gretel[6] | Humperdinck Humperdinck | Young Julianne Young (Hansel), Jeni Bern (Gretel), Peter Hoare (Witch), Christopher Purves (Peter) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Fulljames John Fulljames | Gilmour Soutra Gilmour |
| 2005–06 | MarriageThe Marriage of Figaro | Mozart Mozart | Pencarreg Wyn Pencarreg (Figaro), Jenni Bern/Lucy Crowe (Susanna), Howard Reddy/James McOran-Campbell (Count), Linda Richardson (Countess), Julianne Young (Cherubino) | Gansch Christian Gansch | ZZZ Revival of 1995-6 production | |
| 2005–06 | RondineLa rondine | Puccini Puccini | Kelly Janis Kelly (Magda), Rafael Rojas (Ruggero), Alan Oke (Prunier), Gail Pearson (Lisette), Peter Savidge/Jonathan Best (Rambaldo) | Farnes Richard Farnes | ZZZ Revival of 1993-4 production | |
| 2005–06 | KuhhandelDer Kuhhandel | Weill Weill | Capalbo Leonardo Capalbo (Juan), Mary Plazas/Deborah Norman (Juanita), Jeffrey Lawton (Mendez), Adrian Clarke (Jones), Robert Burt (Ximenes), Donald Maxwell (Conchas) | Holmes James Holmes | Pountney David Pountney | Hayler Duncan Hayler |
| 2006–07 | RigolettoRigoletto | Verdi Verdi | Opie Alan Opie/Jonathan Summers (Rigoletto), Rafael Rojas (Duke), Henriette Bonde-Hansen/Linda Richardson (Gilda) | Andre Martin André/ Mark Shanahan | Edwards Charles Edwards | Edwards Charles Edwards |
| 2006–07 | Peter GPeter Grimes | Britten Britten | Lloyd-R Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts (Grimes), Giselle Allen (Ellen Orford), Christopher Purves (Balstrode) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Lloyd Phyllida Lloyd | Ward Anthony Ward |
| 2006–07 | VoixLa voix humaine | Poulenc Poulenc | Rodgers Joan Rodgers (Elle) | Watkins Paul Watkins | Pye Tom Pye | Pye Tom Pye |
| 2006–07 | MagicThe Magic Flute | Mozart Mozart | Lyon Ed Lyon/Peter Wedd (Tamino), Noriko Urata (Pamina), Roderick Williams/Riccardo Simonetti (Papageno), Chester Patton (Sarastro), Penelope Randall-Davis (Queen of the Night) | Macgrath Paul McGrath | ZZZ Revival of 2002-3 production | |
| 2006–07 | ElisirL'elisir d'amore | Donizetti Donizetti | Ryberg Anna Ryberg (Adina), Andrew Kennedy (Nemorino), Peter Savidge (Dulcamara), Riccardo Simonetti (Belcore) | Evans Tecwyn Evans | ZZZ Revival of 2000-1 production | |
| 2006–07 | OrfeoL'Orfeo | Monteverdi Monteverdi | Nilon Paul Nilon (Orfeo) | Moulds Christopher Moulds | Alden Christopher Alden | Steinberg Paul Steinberg /Doey Lüethi |
| 2006–07 | KatyaKáťa Kabanová | Janacek Janáček | Allen Giselle Allen (Katya), Peter Wedd (Boris), Ashley Catling (Kudryash), Wendy Dawn Thompson (Varvara), Sally Burgess (Kabanicha) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Albery Tim Albery | Bechtler Hildegard Bechtler |
| 2006–07 | DidoDido and Aeneas[7] | Purcell Purcell | Bickley Susan Bickley (Dido), Amy Freston (Belinda), Adam Green (Aeneas) | Kok Nicholas Kok | Collins Aletta Collins | Cadle Giles Cadle/ Gabriella Dalton |
| 2007–08 | FalstaffFalstaff | Verdi Verdi | Hayward Robert Hayward (Falstaff), Susannah Glanville (Alice Ford), Olafur Sigurdarson (Ford), Ashley Catling (Fenton), Valérie Condoluci (Nanetta), Susan Bickley (Mistress Quickly), Deanne Meek (Meg Page) | Farnes Richard Farnes | ZZZ Revival of 1996-7 production | |
| 2007–08 | CroesusCroesus | Keiser Keiser | Nilon Paul Nilon (Croesus), Michael Maniaci (Atis), Gillian Keith (Elmira), Henry Waddington (Cyrus), William Dazeley (Orsanes), Fflur Wyn (Clerida) | Bicket Harry Bicket | Albery Tim Albery | Travers Leslie Travers |
| 2007–08 | AdventuresThe Adventures of Pinocchio (world premiere) | Dove Dove | Simmonds Victoria Simmonds (Pinocchio), Jonathan Summers (Geppetto), Mary Plazas (Blue Fairy), Mark Wilde (Cat), James Laing (Fox) | Parry David Parry | Duncan Martin Duncan | Oconnor Francis O’Connor |
| 2007–08 | Peter GPeter Grimes | Britten Britten | Lloyd-R Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts (Grimes), Giselle Allen (Ellen Orford), Christopher Purves (Balstrode) | Farnes Richard Farnes | ZZZ Revival of 2006-7 production | |
| 2007–08 | MacbethMacbeth | Verdi Verdi | Hayward Robert Hayward (Macbeth), Antonia Cifrone/Yvonne Howard (Lady Macbeth), Peter Auty (Macduff) | Farnes Richard Farnes/ Martin Pickard | Albery Tim Albery |
Engels Johan Engels/ |
| 2007–08 | MidsummerA Midsummer Night's Dream | Britten Britten | Laing James Laing (Oberon), Jeni Bern (Tytania), Henry Waddington (Bottom), Peter Wedd (Lysander), Elizabeth Atherton (Helena), Frances Bourne (Hermia), Mark Stone (Demetrius) | Stratford Stuart Stratford | Duncan Martin Duncan | Engels Johan Engels /Ashley Martin-Davis |
| 2007–08 | RomeoRoméo et Juliette | Gounod Gounod | Capalbo Leonardo Capalbo (Roméo), Bernarda Bobro (Juliette), Frances Bourne (Stéphano), Stephan Loges (Mercutio), Henry Waddington (Frère Laurent) | André Martin André/ Peter Selwyn | Fulljames John Fulljames | Engels Johan Engels/ Adam Wiltshire |
| 2008–09 | Of theeOf Thee I Sing | Gershwin Gershwin | Dazeley William Dazeley (Wintergreen), Bibi Heal (Mary), Heather Shipp (Diana Devereux), Steven Beard (Alexander Throttlebottom) | Dorrell Mark W Dorrell | ZZZ Revival of 1997-8 production | |
| 2008–09 | ToscaTosca | Puccini Puccini | Kizart Takesha Meshé Kizart (Tosca), Rafael Rojas (Cavaradossi), Robert Hayward (Scarpia) | Licata Andrea Licata/ Martin Pickard | ZZZ Revival of 2002-3 production | |
| 2008–09 | CapuletiI Capuleti e i Montecchi | Bellini Bellini | Connolly Sarah Connolly (Romeo), Marie Arnett (Giulietta), Edgaras Montvidas (Tebaldo) | Benzi Manlio Benzi | Phelan Orpha Phelan | Travers Leslie Travers |
| 2008–09 | SkinSkin Deep (world premiere) | Sawer Sawer | Dolton Geoffrey Dolton (Needlemeier), Janis Kelly (Lania), Heather Shipp (Donna), Amy Freston (Elsa), Andrew Tortise (Robert), Mark Stone/Riccardo Simonetti (Luke), Gwendoline Christie (Susannah) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Jones Richard Jones | Laing Stewart Laing |
| 2008–09 | Let emLet 'Em Eat Cake | Gershwin Gershwin | Dazeley William Dazeley (Wintergreen), Bibi Heal (Mary), Steven Beard (Alexander Throttlebottom), Richard Burkhard (Kruger), Richard Suart (General Snookfield) | Davies Wyn Davies/ Mark W Dorrell | Gawn Caroline Gawn | Hopkins Tim Hopkins/ Gabrielle Dalton |
| 2008–09 | MoscowMoscow, Cheryomushki | Shostakovich Shostakovich | Obrien Philip O’Brien (Sergei), Claire Pascoe (Lusya), Summer Strallen (Lidochka), Eaton James (Boris), Grant Doyle (Sasha), Bibi Heal (Masha) | Holmes James Holmes | ZZZ Revival of 2000-1 production | |
| 2008–09 | Don CDon Carlos | Verdi Verdi | Gavin Julian Gavin (Carlos), Janice Watson (Elisabetta), William Dazeley (Posa), Brindley Sherratt/Alastair Miles (Philip II), Jane Dutton (Eboli) | Farnes Richard Farnes | ZZZ Revival of 1992-3 production | |
| 2008–09 | EntfuhrungDie Entführung aus dem Serail | Mozart Mozart | Valentine Kate Valentine (Konstanze), Allan Clayton/Joshua Ellicott (Belmonte), Clive Bayley (Osmin), Elena Xanthoudakis (Blonde), Nicholas Sharratt (Pedrillo) | Macdonald Rory Macdonald | Hopkins Tim Hopkins | Hopkins Tim Hopkins/ Gideon Davey |
| 2009–10 | CosiCosì fan tutte | Mozart Mozart | Atherton Elizabeth Atherton (Fiordiligi), Victoria Simmonds (Dorabella), Allan Clayton (Ferrando), Quirijn de Lang (Guglielmo), Amy Freston (Despina), Geoffrey Dolton (Don Alfonso) | Parrott Andrew Parrott/ Justin Doyle | ZZZ Revival of 2004-5 production | |
| 2009–10 | WertherWerther | Massenet Massenet | Nilon Paul Nilon (Werther), Alice Coote/Ann Taylor (Charlotte), Fflur Wyn (Sophie) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Cairns Tom Cairns | Bechtler Hildegard Bechtler /Amy Roberts |
| 2009–10 | ExcursionsThe Excursions of Mr. Brouček to the Moon and to the 15th Century | Janacek Janáček | Graham-H John Graham-Hall (Brouček), Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts (Mazal), Anne Sophie Duprels (Málinka), Donald Maxwell (Würfl), Jonathan Best (Sacristan) | Andre Martin André | Fulljames John Fulljames | Lowde Alex Lowde |
| 2009–10 | BohemeLa bohème | Puccini Puccini | Bezduz Bülent Bezdüz (Rodolfo), Anne Sophie Duprels (Mimi), Marcin Bronikowski (Marcello), Sarah Fox (Musetta) | Farnes Richard Farnes/ Geoffrey Paterson | ZZZ Revival of 1992-3 production | |
| 2009–10 | RuddigoreRuddigore | Sullivan Sullivan | Doyle Grant Doyle (Robin/Ruthven), Amy Freston (Rose), Hal Cazalet (Richard), Richard Burkhardt (Despard), Heather Shipp (Mad Margaret), Steven Page (Sir Roderick), Anne-Marie Owens (Dame Hannah) | Wilson John Wilson/ Anthony Kraus | Davies Jo Davies | Hudson Richard Hudson/ Gabrielle Dalton |
| 2009–10 | RusalkaRusalka | Dvorak Dvořák | Allen Giselle Allen (Rusalka), Richard Berkeley-Steele (Prince), Richard Angas (Water Sprite), Susannah Glanville (Foreign Princess), Anne-Marie Owens (Jezibaba) | Dohnanyi Oliver von Dohnanyi | ZZZ Revival of 2003-4 production | |
| 2009–10 | MariaMaria Stuarda | Donizetti Donizetti | Connolly Sarah Connolly (Maria), Antonia Cifrone (Elisabetta), Bülent Bezdüz (Leicester), David Kempster (Cecil), Frédéric Bourreau (Talbot) | Rumstadt Guido Johannes Rumstadt | Macdonald Antony McDonald | Macdonald Antony McDonald |
| 2010-11 | AdventuresThe Adventures of Pinocchio | Dove Dove | Simmonds Victoria Simmonds/Karina Lucas (Pinocchio), Jonathan Summers (Geppetto), Mary Plazas/Fflur Wyn (Blue Fairy), Mark Wilde (Cat), James Laing (Fox) | Parry David Parry/Robert Houssart | ZZZ Revival of 2007-8 production | |
| 2010-11 | TurnThe Turn of the Screw | Britten Britten | Atherton Elizabeth Atherton (Governess), Benjamin Hulett (Prologue/Quint), Giselle Allen (Miss Jessel), James Micklethwaite (Miles), Fflur Wyn (Flora), Yvonne Howard (Mrs Grose) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Talevi Alessandro Talevi | Boyd Madeleine Boyd |
| 2010-11 | MerryThe Merry Widow | Lehar Lehár | Corley Stephanie Corley (Hanna Glawari), William Dazeley (Danilo), Amy Freston (Valencienne), Allan Clayton/Nicholas Sharratt (Camille), Geoffrey Dolton (Baron Zeta) | Davies Wyn Davies/Andrea Quinn | Havergal Giles Havergal | Travers Leslie Travers |
| 2010-11 | CarmenCarmen | Bizet Bizet | Shipp Heather Shipp (Carmen), Peter Auty (Don José), Kostas Smoriginas (Escamillo), Anne Sophie Duprels (Micaela) | Delfs Andreas Delfs | Kramer Daniel Kramer | Gilmour Soutra Gilmour/Gabrielle Dalton |
| 2010-11 | From the House of the DeadFrom the House of the Dead | Janacek Janáček | Lloyd Roberts Jeffrey Lloyd Roberts (Luka), Roderick Williams (Goryanchikov), Alan Oke (Skuratov), Claire Wild (Alyeya), Mark le Brocq (Shapkin), Robert Hayward (Shishkov) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Fulljames John Fulljames | Bird Dick Bird |
| 2011–12 | MadamaMadama Butterfly | Puccini Puccini | Duprels Anne Sophie Duprels (Butterfly), Noah Stewart (Pinkerton), | Davies / Pickard Wyn Davies/ Martin Pickard | Albery Tim Albery | |
| 2011–12 | Giulio CesareGiulio Cesare | Handel Handel | Stephen Pamela Helen Stephen (Giulio Cesare), Sarah Tynan (Cleopatra), James Laing (Tolomeo) | Howarth Robert Howarth | Albery Tim Albery | Travers Leslie Travers |
| 2011–12 | NormaNorma | Bellini Bellini | Kremer Annemarie Kremer (Norma) | Dohnányi Oliver von Dohnányi | Alden Christopher Alden | Edwards Charles Edwards |
| 2012–13 | Don GiovanniDon Giovanni | Mozart Mozart | Dazeley William Dazeley (Don Giovanni) Raval Meeta Raval (Donna Anna) | RingborgTobias Ringborg | Talevi Alessandro Talevi | Boyd Madeleine Boyd |
| 2012–13 | OtelloOtello | Verdi Verdi | Samm Ronald Samm(Otello) | FarnesRichard Farnes | Albery Tim Albery | Travers Leslie Travers |
| 2012–13 | La Clemenza di titoLa Clemenza di Tito | Mozart Mozart | Kremer Annemarie Kremer (Vitellia)Nilon Paul Nilon (Tito) | Farnes Richard Farnes | Fulljames John Fulljames | Travers Leslie Travers |
Sources
- Opera North annual review 2004-2005
- Opera North annual review 2006-2007
- Opera North programmes 2008-11
References
- ↑ "Main stage" means operas performed at Leeds Grand Theatre and a number of touring venues; small-scale productions performed only in spaces such as the Howard Assembly Room are not included. Semi-staged concert performances at Leeds Town Hall and other similar venues are included, but concert performances without any staging are not.
- ↑ Titles in Bold are new productions. Opera titles are those used in Wikipedia and not necessarily those used by Opera North.
- ↑ Where two designers are credited, the first-named designed the set and the second designed the costumes
- ↑ Semi-staged production, performed as a double-bill with concert performances of Daphnis et Chloé.
- ↑ Semi-staged concert performances
- ↑ Semi-staged concert performances
- ↑ Performed as a double-bill with Les noces
See also
- Opera North: history and repertoire, seasons 1978–79 to 1980–81
- Opera North: history and repertoire, seasons 1981–82 to 1989–90
- Opera North: history and repertoire, seasons 1990–91 to 1996–97
- Opera North: history and repertoire, seasons 1997–98 to 2003–04
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