Glyndebourne Festival 2022

[Belgrove]

Next year’s Glyndebourne Festival is announced:

New Productions
The Wreckers - Smyth - Ticciati - LPO
La bohéme - Puccini - de Souzer - LPO
Alcina- Handel - Capuano - OAE
Double Bill - La voix humaine & Les Mamelles des Tirésias - Poulenc - Ticciati - LPO

Revivals
Le Nozze di Figaro - Mozart - Andretta & Carter - OAE
Don Pasquale - Donizetti - Glassberg - LPO

The Poulenc looks fun (well, the second half at least). No idea about The Wreckers, any recommendations or warnings?

[Bryn]

Next year’s Glyndebourne Festival is announced:

New Productions
The Wreckers - Smyth - Ticciati - LPO
La bohéme - Puccini - de Souzer - LPO
Alcina- Handel - Capuano - OAE
Double Bill - La voix humaine & Les Mamelles des Tirésias - Poulenc - Ticciati - LPO

Revivals
Le Nozze di Figaro - Mozart - Andretta & Carter - OAE
Don Pasquale - Donizetti - Glassberg - LPO

The Poulenc looks fun (well, the second half at least). No idea about The Wreckers, any recommendations or warnings?

This should give you at least some idea of the Smyth, though not, of course, the prospective Glyndebourne production:

The overture starts about 1 minute in.

[Bryn]

There is also a Radio 4 Tales from the Stave programme on the opera: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b6m9jm

[Belgrove]

Many thanks for those pointers, will investigate.

[Bryn]

Many thanks for those pointers, will investigate.

I'm pretty sure the Odaline de la Martinez/BBCPO recording issued by Conifer was also broadcast on Radio 3 but can find no reference to such via a quick search.

[Simon B]

Wasn't that recording of a live performance at the Proms? That would explain the radio broadcast. I have a vague recollection it has been broadcast in the interim too though it may just have been excerpts.

Edit: Recorded at the 1994 Proms according to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wreckers_(opera).

It's in the not-quite-setting-the-world-alight but interesting rarity, veering-between-a-bit-foursquare-and-vaguely-impressionistic, decent smattering of "good bits" category to my undistinguished ears. Hardly an incisive analysis I know. I'd be tempted to take the rare opportunity to see it if the pox were sufficiently in abeyance by then. Though I've yet to ever cross the country-house-opera line and as a generally solo opera-goer these days the whole black tie and picnics ambience sits too uncomfortably with that to really consider it...

[duncan]

It's in the not-quite-setting-the-world-alight but interesting rarity, veering-between-a-bit-foursquare-and-vaguely-impressionistic, decent smattering of "good bits" category to my undistinguished ears. Hardly an incisive analysis I know. I'd be tempted to take the rare opportunity to see it if the pox were sufficiently in abeyance by then. Though I've yet to ever cross the country-house-opera line and as a generally solo opera-goer these days the whole black tie and picnics ambience sits too uncomfortably with that to really consider it...

That's my take on it too after having been to the Proms performance. Glad I've heard it but won't be rushing back for a second helping.

Glyndebourne doesn't have to be unapproachable. Looking smart is expected but Black Tie is not compulsory. I wear a penguin suit but only because I'm not very imaginative. A significant number of chaps don't but are usually dressed-up in some more interesting manner.

I take home-made sandwiches and drink ale or tea from a flask. It works better for me with a companion; I don't feel this at a regular opera house.

[Bryn]

This should give you at least some idea of the Smyth, though not, of course, the prospective Glyndebourne production:

The overture starts about 1 minute in.

Prompted by the mention of this work, I ordered a copy of the Yaetropect CDpera reissue of the 1994 Proms performance. I collected it an hour or so ago. It should sound somewhat better than my now long-lost cassette recordings from FM.

[Constantbee]

Next year’s Glyndebourne Festival is announced:

The Poulenc looks fun (well, the second half at least).

Seems light years away but I expect 2022 will come round soon enough. Both Poulenc pieces have featured in Wigmore recitals during the past 12 months. Louise Alder included an extract from Les Mamelles in her recital of October 2020-ish, with Julien van Mellaerts as the husband, and Claire Booth (acc. Christopher Driver) gave a moving performance of La Voix Humaine (10 March 2021). It's very sad Seems an unusual choice for Glyndebourne. Wonder how they'll be staged.

[Belgrove]

… Seems an unusual choice for Glyndebourne. Wonder how they'll be staged.

Laurent Pelly is directing the Poulenc double bill. He did the Ravel double bill a while ago, and L’enfant et les Sortiléges was 45 minutes of pure magic and joy. If anyone can realise Les mamelles for the stage, then he surely can.

Regarding The Wreckers, Stephen Langridge (Glyndebourne’s artistic director) states that, ‘… the English text is embarrassingly bad. Our staging (is) the first time the opera will be performed in French - as Smyth originally conceived it’.

[Belgrove]

You wait 3 centuries for Alcina, and along come three in the same year - Opera North’s (which I doubt will be revived), the Royal Opera’s in the autumn, and currently Glyndebourne’s, which is outrageously entertaining and musically spectacular (and the lighting is gorgeous). The plot is impenetrable and not worth attempting to fathom, but the mixed up genders touch upon issues of the day and are wittily staged. Alcina’s enchanted island becomes a nightclub in 1960’s Italy, where sumptuous reviews are staged to beguile and entrap a well heeled, hedonistic clientele. Delicious playing from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment complimented singing out of the top draw. Can’t help thinking this would have been a better choice to bring to the Proms rather than The Wreckers. Glyndebourne’s track record for producing high quality and entertaining Handel continues (and the prospect of a new Semele next year).

[duncan]

Thought I'd put in my 2d on this already but seemingly not. Mostly agree with Belgrove and it would have made a great Prom. It's not like we've had a lot of Handel recently (and we have had 4 Mozarts in the last 10 years).

Thoroughly enjoyed the singing and playing. The acting and dancing was Glydebourne's usual high standard, the benefit of a well-rehearsed young and committed cast. The set and costumes were gorgeous. Some interesting takes on gender fluidity, some things never change! Couldn't follow the story at all despite having done my homework. Talking to a friend, one of the performers, at the interval I was not the only one to be baffled by it! I did find this a bit of a barrier.

Have tickets for the ROH in November and don't expect it to be better performed.