Glyndebourne on Tour 2011: Saturday 8 October — Saturday 10 December

Glyndebourne on Tour (GOT) 2011 presents three productions this autumn, opening at Glyndebourne then touring to six regional venues.

With its blend of exciting new talent, exceptionally high production standards and value for money ticket prices, GOT offers something for everyone, whether an opera newcomer or a seasoned aficionado.

GOT 2011 is led once again by Czech conductor Jakub Hrŭša, now in his second year as Music Director. This year’s programme features a new production of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and revivals of Handel’s Rinaldo and Puccini’s La bohème.

With booking now open, GOT 2011 will stage performances in Glyndebourne, Woking, Milton Keynes, Norwich, Plymouth, Stoke-on-Trent and – for the first time since 2004 – Wimbledon.

Productions

Following the extremely successful production of L’elisir d’amore in 2007, GOT continues its exploration of Donizetti’s work by staging his other great comic masterpiece, Don Pasquale, in a new production from Mariame Clément, making her Glyndebourne debut.

David McVicar’s production of La bohème, which premiered on the Tour in 2000, returns with a young and talented cast, many of whom have graduated from the Glyndebourne Chorus and are embarking on exciting solo careers.

The trio of operas is completed by Robert Carsen’s production of Handel’s Rinaldo, which comes direct from the 2011 Glyndebourne Festival. This follows his extremely well-received interpretation of Baroque masterpiece The Coronation of Poppea for GOT 2010.

Venues

After a three-week run at Glyndebourne, GOT travels to Woking, Milton Keynes, Norwich, Plymouth, Wimbledon and Stoke-on-Trent.

Tour Extras

The Tour will also revive its hugely successful Performances for Schools, offering students access to performances of La bohème (Glyndebourne and Stoke-on-Trent) and Don Pasquale (Glyndebourne) this autumn. They take place on the following dates:

La bohème: Tuesday 18 October, 11.00am at Glyndebourne (sold out)

Don Pasquale: Thursday 20 October, 11.00am at Glyndebourne (sold out)

La bohème: Friday 9 December, 2.00pm at Stoke-on-Trent’s Regent Theatre

For details of how to book, visit www.glyndebourne.com/education

Led by a team of artists from Glyndebourne, Opera Experience workshops introduce students to opera through a range of engaging activities including vocal warm-ups, drama work, singing and discussion. Students then attend a Glyndebourne on Tour performance in the evening.

Opera Land www.operaland.org was launched by Glyndebourne in 2010 and is designed to help children discover more about opera. From September, it will be packed with resources to help children and young people understand La bohème. Suitable for use in the classroom or at home, Opera Land uses film, music and activities to guide young people through the key elements of the opera. Designed for Key Stage 2 pupils and above. 

This year, Glyndebourne presents a Don Pasquale study event on 16 October. Led by music specialists with members of the opera’s production team and cast, it will be presented in collaboration with the Centre for Community Engagement at the University of Sussex. Book online or +44 (0)1273 813813.

Pre-performance talks are led by opera experts and are available to GOT ticket holders at all venues.

Support

GOT 2011 has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Arts Council England, The Daily Mail and Handel and Yvonne Evans.

Box Office

To book, visit www.glyndebourne.com or call the Glyndebourne Box Office on +44 (0)1273 813813. Concessions and special offers available.

A number of exclusive ticket offers will be available to people under 30 years-old who have signed up to the Glyndebourne<30 scheme. To find out more, visit www.glyndebourne.com/under30

For the performance of La bohème on October 24 during half term, children’s tickets are available for £10 each when purchased with one or more full-price ticket. To prepare for the performance, children and their parents/guardians are invited to a 90-minute family workshop exploring the opera. Book via the Glyndebourne box office: +44 (0) 1273 813813.

A turn-page electronic version of the GOT brochure can be viewed and downloaded from http://glyndebourne.com/tour-2011-brochure

A selection of press images for each of the revival productions is available to download from the Glyndebourne press image library. As Don Pasquale is a new production, images will be available from October 2011. Please contact the Press Office for further details.

Press Office contact:

Chandra Fifield, Press Officer

 Glyndebourne Press Office

chandra.fifield@glyndebourne.com

+44 (0)1273 812321

Notes for editors:

GAETANO DONIZETTI

Don Pasquale

One of Donizetti’s most popular works, Don Pasquale was premiered in 1843 and proved an instant hit across Europe. This classic opera buffa comes to Glyndebourne for the first time since 1939, directed by French director Mariame Clément, making her Glyndebourne debut.

British bass-baritone Jonathan Veira will perform the title role, marking his 20^th Glyndebourne production. Other recent Tour successes for Jonathan include Don Magnifico/La Cenerentola (GOT 2010) and the title role in the GOT 2009 production of Falstaff.

Ukrainian tenor and winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize 2011, Andrei Bondarenko makes his Glyndebourne debut as Malatesta. Formerly a member of the Salzburg Festival Young Artists Programme, he has been a soloist at the Mariinsky Academy of Young Singers in St Petersburg since 2007.

Enea Scala sings the role of Ernesto in his Glyndebourne debut. The Italian lyric tenor has sung at venues including the Teatri di Reggio Emilia, the Teatro Communale di Bologna, the Teatro Alighieri di Ravenna and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

Singing the role of Norina, Ainhoa Garmendia makes her Tour debut. Most recently for Glyndebourne, in 2009, the Spanish soprano sang the role of Adina in the Festival production of L’elisir d’amore at very short notice, after the original singer fell ill.

Fresh from conducting L’elisir d’amore in this year’s Festival, Spanish conductor Enrique Mazzola conducts performances at Glyndebourne, Woking and Milton Keynes. British conductor Roy Laughlin takes the baton for performances in Norwich, Plymouth and Wimbledon.  

A new production, generously supported by Handel and Yvonne Evans

Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Conductor                    Enrique Mazzola/Roy Laughlin (16, 19, 23, 26, 30 November; 3 December)

Director                        Mariame Clément

Designer                      Julia Hansen

Lighting Designer         Bernd Purkrabek

Cast includes:

Don Pasquale              Jonathan Veira

Malatesta                     Andrei Bondarenko

Ernesto                        Enea Scala

Norina                          Ainhoa Garmendia

Glyndebourne on Tour Orchestra and The Glyndebourne Chorus

 

GIACOMO PUCCINI

La bohème

Puccini’s exploration of the joy, anguish and heartbreak of young love in La bohème has led to it becoming one of the most popular operas of all time. First seen on the Tour in 2000, David McVicar’s production is revived by director Lee Blakeley.

Sharing the role of Rodolfo are Brazilian tenor Atalla Ayan and American tenor Bryan Hymel, both making their Glyndebourne debuts.  

Mimì is performed by American soprano Keri Alkema who makes her Glyndebourne debut. She has sung at venues including the New York City Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville and Atlanta Opera.

Singing the role of Musetta, British soprano and John Christie Award winner Natasha Jouhl returns to the Tour following her role as Donna Anna in the 2010 production of Don Giovanni. 

La bohème is conducted by GOT Music Director Jakub Hrŭša in Glyndebourne and Woking. Glyndebourne Chorus Master Jeremy Bines conducts performances in Milton Keynes, Norwich, Plymouth, Wimbledon and Stoke.  

A revival of the 2000 GOT production

Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Conductor                         Jakub Hrŭša/Jeremy Bines (8, 11, 29 November, 2,7,10 December)

Director                             David McVicar

Revival Director                  Lee Blakeley

Set Designer                     Michael Vale

Costume Designer             Mikki Engelsbel

Lighting Designer               Paule Constable

Movement Director            Leah Hausman

 

Cast includes:

Rodolfo                             Atalla Ayan/Bryan Hymel (18, 22, 25, 29 November; 2,7,10 December)

Mimì                                 Keri Alkema

Musetta                            Natasha Jouhl

Marcello                           Vincenzo Taormina

Schaunard                         Nicholas Lester

Colline                              Lukas Jakobski

Benoît/Alcindoro                Richard Mosley-Evans

Glyndebourne on Tour Orchestra and The Glyndebourne Chorus

 

GEORG FRIDERIC HANDEL

Rinaldo

A production direct from the 2011 Glyndebourne Festival, Robert Carsen’s Rinaldo is revived for the Tour by Bruno Ravella. The work with which Handel made his London debut and the first Italian opera to be created specifically for the British stage, Rinaldo is a spectacular tale of love, honour and righteousness. 

Baroque specialist Christophe Dumaux sings the title role of Rinaldo. The counter-tenor made his Glyndebourne debut in 2005 as Tolomeo in the Festival production of Giulio Cesare, a role he reprised in 2009. Christophe also sang the role of Ottone in Robert Carsen’s GFO 2008 production of L’incoronazione di Poppea.

Winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Prize in 2006, British soprano Elizabeth Watts makes her Glyndebourne debut as Almirena.

Argante is sung by Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins in his Glyndebourne debut. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Verbier Festival Academy’s 2008 Prix d’Honneur.

Ana Maria-Labin sings the role of Rinaldo’s nemesis Armida, making her Glyndebourne debut.

A specialist in Handel and historical performances as both harpsichordist and conductor, Laurence Cummings conducts all performances.

A new production from the 2011 Festival

Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Conductor                           Laurence Cummings

Director                               Robert Carsen

Revival Director                    Bruno Ravella

Designer                             Gideon Davey

Lighting Designer                 Robert Carsen and Peter Van Praet

Movement Director               Philippe Giraudeau

Movement Revived by           David John

Dramaturg                            Ian Burton

 

Cast includes:

Rinaldo                                Christophe Dumaux

Goffredo                               Louise Poole

Eustazio                               Christopher Ainslie

Almirena                               Elizabeth Watts

Armida                                 Ana Maria-Labin

Argante                                Joshua Hopkins

Christian Magician                  William Towers

 Glyndebourne on Tour Orchestra