n e Issue 39, Winter 2010 NCO w s www.newchamberopera.co.uk

FORTHCOMING DATES & TICKET INFORMATION

Calendar Listing Those events marked with an asterisk * are University events

January Friday 22 Alexandra Vinall - soprano* TICKET DETAILS Friday 29 Guy Cutting - tenor*

February Lunchtime Vocal Friday 5 Freya Hopper - soprano* Recitals 1.15pm Friday 12 Omar El-Okdah - baritone* Friday 19 Aileen Thomson - soprano* New College Antechapel Friday 26 Paola Cuffolo - soprano* £2/£1 concessions on the door March

Menotti Menotti: The Medium The Medium Monica: Anna Aspasia Sideris; Toby: Krishna Omkar Conductor: Nicholas Pritchard Madame Flora: Amy Williamson; Mrs Gobineau: Julia Sitkovetsky; Director: Michael Burden Mr Gobineau: George Coltart; Mrs. Nolan: Taya Smith . 4, 5, 6 March 2010 Conductor: Nicholas Pritchard Director: Michael Burden 8.30pm 4, 5, 6 March 2010 New College Antechapel New College Antechapel, 8.30pm £10/£5 concessions Playhouse Box Office Friday 5 Anna Schors - soprano* (01865) 305 305 OR on the door Friday 12 Rob Opoku - tenor*

Summer Opera Summer Opera 7 (Preview), 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18 July 2010 Wednesday 7 (Preview) The Warden’s Garden, New College and Tuesday 13 New Please download forms from New Chamber Opera - N ew Chamber Opera Ensembl e h t tp : / / w w w. n e w c h a m b e ro p e r a . c o. u k The Band of Instruments - Phoenix - Cutting Edge Fridays 10 & 17 . Pa t ro n H a r vey McGregor Singing Pa t ro n James Bowman New College Development Office . D i rector of Pro d u c t i o n s M i chael Burden Musical Dire c t o r G a ry Cooper (01865) 279 337 . Summer Opera S t even Devine D i re c t o r, The Band of Instruments Roger Hamilton Sunday 10 D i r e c t o r, Opera Studio N i cholas Pritch a rd The Art Fund (01491) 641 259 . R e petiteurs Jo n athon Swinard, Benjamin Holder Company Secre t a r y C l a re Atkinson Sunday 11 . C o m p t ro l l e r G raham Midgl ey Wa r d r o b e Diana Lintott, Fiona Hodge s The Art Fund (01491) 641 259 P roduction administrator Christine Murray .Recitals Administrator N i cholas Pritch a rd Wednesday 14 New Chamber Opera . 4 Mansfield Road . Oxford OX1 3TA Friends of the Oxford Botanic Garden Tel: 01865 281 966 . Fax: 01865 279 590 . Email: info @ n ewch a m b e ro p e ra . c o.uk (01844) 214 468 Web pages: http://www. n ewch a m b e ro p e ra . c o. u k Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 C o m p a ny No 3502769 . Charity No 1095069 Friends of WNO (01865) 865 806 page 4 n e NCO w New Chamber Opera s

ne of the opera for next year’s reached its zenith with the best-known season will be a new staging by and memorable performances of ONew Chamber Opera, of Ormindo and Calisto at Glyndebourne ’s Erismena written for from about 1967 under Raymond performance in Venice in 1655. This will Leppard; others followed, including be a very special production for many Egisto and Orion. reasons, but central to it is a new edition C a v a l l i ’s opera plots fall into of the opera based on a manuscript newly several groups; the mythological ones purchased by the Bodleian Library in (such as Calisto), those that deal with Oxford. The manuscript dates from about ancient heros (such as S e r s e), and 1670, and is a key work in the history of l a s t l y, a group of romantic English opera, having an underlaid tragicomedies. E r i s m e n a belongs to English singing translation and therefore between Monteverdi and Lully. In fact, this last collection of works, ones that the first surviving opera text in English. It he was one of Monteverdi’s successors are characterised by ‘intrigue, disguise, would however have gone abroad, had at St Mark’s Venice, the city for which mistaken identity, ardent devotion, not the Bodleian stepped in to purchase it, all but a handful of his 30 or so operas fickle passion, long-lots relatives, and both New Chamber Opera and Opera were written and first performed. Like heavy parents, canny servants, and the at West Green House played an important most opera composers, when his works like’; join us this summer to celebrate role in securing it for the nation. went out of fashion, he slipped into this amazing story, as it twists and There is no question that Cavalli is obscurity, and the modern discovery of turns through the Kingdom of Media the greatest opera composer who worked Cavalli did not begin until the 1950s. It on the Caspian Sea. n e Issue 39, Winter 2010 NCO w s www.newchamberopera.co.uk

Profile: Anna Aspasia Sideris

Anna Aspasia Sideris

nna studies singing with Sara Oxford Harmonic Society in Oxford n her first year at Oxford, Anna sang Reynolds, the Head of Vocal Town Hall and future engagements in the NCO Studio production of AStudies at the Junior Royal include the soprano soloist for the IGluck’s Orpheus and Euridice: Academy of Music. She has toured the Brahms’ ‘Requiem’ in the Sheldonian Singing with New Chamber UK with Young Opera playing Miss in 2010. Opera Studio has been a wonderful Wordsworth in Britten’s A l b e rt During her tenure at JRAM, Anna experience, and performing Eurydice in Herring and Susanna in Mozart’s Le performed the role of Emmie in G l u c k ’s opera O r p h e u s a personal Nozze di Figaro. Other roles include B r i t t e n ’s A l b e r t Herr i n g and the highlight. Having New College Ante- Eurydice in Orpheus and Eurydice by Counsel in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial chapel as a venue made my job as an Gluck (New Chamber Opera Studio), by Jury. She was also a soloist in actress very easy. The imposing ornate Belinda in Purcell’s , various large choral works with the and creaky gates that led to our figurative Barbarina in Mozart’s Le Nozze di JRAM choir conducted by Jonathon “underworld” created a real feeling of F i g a ro, the May Queen in M e r r i e Willcocks. Previous oratorio experience entrapment and reinforced my sense of England by Edward German, Elsie in with various choral societies include the despair at having to return at the end of Yeomen of the Guard, Mabel in Pirates Soprano solos in Vi v a l d i ’s ‘Gloria’, the piece. The sparse production allowed of Penzance, Josephine in HMS H a n d e l ’s ‘Messiah’, Haydn’s ‘Little the focus of the piece to be on the Pinafore and Princess Zara in Utopia O rgan Mass’, Mozart’s ‘Requiem’, emotional struggle between the Limited by Gilbert and Sullivan. Anna Rossini’s ‘Petite Messe Solenelle’ and characters, which culminates in Orpheus is in much demand as a soloist; D v o r a k ’s ‘Te Deum’. Anna has looking at Eurydice and sending her back previous concerts including the performed in various venues including behind those gates. It was a joy to sing soprano soloist in Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’ the Buxton Opera House, St Johns with Joe Bolger (Orpheus), and the performed in the Sheldonian Theatre, Smith Square, St Martins in the Fields audience seemed to enjoy watching the soprano soloist in Haydn’s ‘Nelson and the Linbury Studio of the Royal performance as much as I enjoyed Mass’ and Dvorak ‘Stabat Mater’ with Opera House. participating in it. page 2 n Issue 39, Winter 2010 e NCO w www.newchamberopera.co.uk s

Summer Opera Forthcoming....

Baldassare Galuppi: Il mondo alla roversa; or, the world topsy-turvy with women in charge

The Warden’s Garden, New College 6.30pm 8 (Preview), 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19 July 2008

a l l u p p i ’s and Goldini’s third comic opera, Il mondo alla Groversa was our opera for a year in which rain almost entirely defeated play! The weeks featured tropical downpours at 5.00pm, with mist, rain, and wind.... The cast - Tullia: Kate Semmens; Aurora: Merryn Gamba; Monica: Anna Aspasia Sideris; Toby: Krishna Omkar Cintia: Rachel Lindop; Rinaldino: Madame Flora: Amy Williamson; Mrs Gobineau: Julia Sitkovetsky; Rachel Shannon; Graziosino: Allan Mr Gobineau: George Coltart; Mrs. Nolan: Taya Smith Smith; Giacinto: Giles Davies; and Director: Michael Burden; Musical director: Nicholas Pritchard Ferramonte: Tom Raskin - all battled through it, as did the orchestra. There was an interesting reaction to the resolution of the plot, which appeared to 4, 5, 6 March 2010 cede power to the male characters; 8.30pm many of those who saw the opera were The Antechapel, New College surprised to find that although the women apparently gave in to the men, members of the séance, she becomes there was no question that they still in he Medium of the title, Madame drunk and terrified, and hearing a noise charge! Flora, or Baba, is a fraudulent, Talcoholic, trickster, who plays on behind a curtain, believes it to be the the desires of those who wish to contact ghost. She shoots at the curtain, only for their lost loved ones. Her regulars are Toby’s body to fall on to the stage. Mailing List Mr. and Mrs. Gobineau, her new ‘catch’ The opera is in two acts, and was Mrs. Nolan. Madame Flora is assisted commisioned by Columbia University, by her daughter, Monica, and by a mute where it was first performed on 8 May Mailing Lists. Each hard copy and servant boy To b y, whom she has 1946. Menotti was responsible for both electronic mailing returns out of date rescued from the streets of Budapest. In the libretto and the score. The opera’s addresses; it would be helpful if the first séance of the opera, however, first professional production was members of the e l e c t ronic mailing Madame Flora accidentally makes presented on a double bill with could keep their address up to date. contact with someone ‘on the other Menotti’s The Telephone, and was also Would members of the hard copy side’ and is panic stricken. She blames staged on Broadway at the Ethel mailing list who would like to join the everyone, particularly To b y. Monica, Barrymore Theater, made into a film electronic mailing list - used for h o w e v e r, is in love with him, and noir, starring Anna Maria Alberghetti, reminders of forthcoming events - protects him from Baba’s worst and broadcast on television in 1948 please let us know? excesses. But later, after a visit from the with Marie Powers.

page 3