PRESS INFORMATION ENO 2013/14 SEASON 1 #ENGLISHENO1314 NATIONAL OPERA Press Information 2013/4 CONTENTS Autumn 2013 4 FIDELIO Beethoven 6 DIE FLEDERMAUS Strauss 8 MADAM BUtteRFLY Puccini 10 THE MAGIC FLUte Mozart 12 SATYAGRAHA Glass Spring 2014 14 PeteR GRIMES Britten 18 RIGOLetto Verdi 20 RoDELINDA Handel 22 POWDER HeR FAce Adès Summer 2014 24 THEBANS Anderson 26 COSI FAN TUtte Mozart 28 BenvenUTO CELLINI Berlioz 30 THE PEARL FISHERS Bizet 32 RIveR OF FUNDAMent Barney & Bepler ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA Press Information 2013/4 3 FIDELIO NEW PRODUCTION BEETHoven (1770–1827) Opens: 25 September 2013 (7 performances) One of the most sought-after opera and theatre directors of his generation, Calixto Bieito returns to ENO to direct a new production of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio. Bieito’s continued association with the company shows ENO’s commitment to highly theatrical and new interpretations of core repertoire. Following the success of his Carmen at ENO in 2012, described by The Guardian as ‘a cogent, gripping piece of work’, Bieito’s production of Fidelio comes to the London Coliseum after its 2010 premiere in Munich. Working with designer Rebecca Ringst, Bieito presents a vast Escher-like labyrinth set, symbolising the powerfully claustrophobic nature of the opera. Edward Gardner, ENO’s highly acclaimed Music Director, 2013 Olivier Award-nominee and recipient of an OBE for services to music, conducts an outstanding cast led by Stuart Skelton singing Florestan and Emma Bell as Leonore. Since his definitive performance of Peter Grimes at ENO, Skelton is now recognised as one of the finest heldentenors of his generation, appearing at the world’s major opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, New York, and Opéra National de Paris. Emma Bell is one of the UK’s leading lyric sopranos who was praised by the Financial Times for her 2010 performance at ENO in Idomeneo; ‘Emma Bell looks and sounds voluptuous while singing scrupulously in style’. Established ENO artists James Creswell and Sarah Tynan take the roles of Rocco and Marzelline and Philip Horst makes his ENO debut in the role of Don Pizarro. DIRECTOR: CALIXTO BIEITO, CONDUCTOR: EDWARD GARDNER, SET DESIGNER: REBECCA RINGST, COSTUME DESIGNER: INGO KRÜGLE, LIGHTING DESIGNER: TIM MITCHELL CAST INCLUDES: EMMA BELL (Leonore), STUART SKELTON (Florestan) excluding selected performances, PHILIP HORST (Don Pizarro), JAMES CRESWELL (Rocco), SARAH TYNAN (Marzelline), ADRIAN DWYER (Jaquino), ROLAND WOOD (Don Fernando) A co-production with Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich 4 ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA Press Information 2013/4 Wilfried Hösl Credit: AUTUMN 2013 5 DIE FLEDERMAUS NEW PRODUCTION JOHANN STRAUss II (1825–1899) Opens: 30 September 2013 (11 performances) Strauss’s popular operetta returns to the London Coliseum after 20 years in a new production directed by Christopher Alden. Over the last 5 seasons, Alden has produced many critically acclaimed productions for ENO, including the Olivier Award-winning production of Partenope, The Makropulos Case and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (winner of Russia's esteemed Golden Mask Award for opera and theatre). Alden plays a central role in ENO’s 2013/14 season with this being the first of two new productions he is directing. In this co-production with Canadian Opera Company, Alden and his design team create a sophisticated, sexy tale that unfolds as if in a dream, taking inspiration from the black-and- white world of Ernst Lubitsch’s silent movies. Tom Randle, one of ENO's most dynamic singing actors, returns to sing the role of Gabriel von Eisenstein. ENO Harewood Artist Julia Sporsén, who sang the title role in Richard Jones’s magnificent production of Julietta, described by the Financial Times as ‘a complete stage animal...who deserves to go far’, now takes on her biggest role to date as Rosalinde. Fellow ENO Harewood Artist Rhian Lois sings Adele. Award-winning baritone and ENO favourite Andrew Shore returns following his comical success in the 2013 revival of Jonathan Miller’s The Barber of Seville, described by The Stage as ‘effortless’, to perform the role of Frank. Making their ENO debuts are Jennifer Holloway, the exciting American mezzo-soprano who sings Prince Orlofsky, and the brilliant young conductor Eun Sun Kim. DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHER ALDEN, CONDUCTOR: EUN SUN KIM, SET DESIGNER: ALLEN MOYER, COSTUME DESIGNER: CONSTANCE HOFFMAN, LIGHTING DESIGNER: PAUL PALAZZO CAST INCLUDES: TOM RANDLE (Gabriel von Eisenstein), JULIA SPORSÉN (Rosalinde), JENNIFER HOLLOWAY (Prince Orlofsky), RHIAN LOIS (Adele), RICHARD BURKHARD (Dr Falke), EDGARAS MONTVIDAS (Alfred), SIMON BUTTERISS (Dr Blind), ANDREW SHORE (Frank), TBA (Ida), JON POHL (Frosch) A co-production with Canadian Opera Company New production supported by Lord and Lady Laidlaw 6 ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA Press Information 2013/4 Credit: Chris Hutcheson AUTUMN 2013 7 MADAM BUTTERFLY REVIVAL GIACOMO PUCCINI (1858–1924) Opens: 14 October 2013 (14 performances) Anthony Minghella’s Madam Butterfly, described by The Times as ‘one of the most deeply thoughtful and ravishingly beautiful re-creations of Puccini’s opera that you are ever likely to see’, returns to ENO for its fifth revival. This production launched the fertile artistic relationship between ENO and the Metropolitan Opera, New York, which Peter Gelb (General Manager of the Met) described as ‘the envy of the opera world’. This elegant production is fast becoming an ENO classic and showcases the company’s work with creative talent from across the arts. Expert puppeteers Blind Summit add a touching layer of theatrical genius portraying Butterfly’s and Pinkerton’s child in puppet form. Mary Plaza returns from the 2012 revival to share the lead of doomed heroine Cio-Cio- San with Dina Kuznetsova who recently celebrated success in the title of Glyndebourne’s Rusalka. Similarly Gwyn Hughes Jones returns as F. B Pinkerton, sharing the role with Timothy Richards following a number of successful European engagements. ENO Harewood Artist Catherine Young returns from the 2012 revival singing the role of Kate Pinkerton and fellow ENO Harewood Artist George von Bergen takes the role of Sharpless. DIRECTOR: ANTHONY MINGHELLA, CONDUCTOR: GIANLUCA MARCIANO / MARTIN FITZPATRICK, SET DESIGNER: MICHAEL LEVINE, COSTUME DESIGNER: HAN FENG, LIGHTING DESIGNER: PETER MUMFORD, CHOREOGRAPHER: CAROLYN CHOA, PUPPERTY: MARK DOWN AND NICK BARNES FOR BLIND SUMMIT THEATRE CAST INCLUDES: DINA KUZNETSOVA / MARY PLAZA (Cio-Cio San), TIMOTHY RICHARDS / GWYN HUGHES JONES (F. B. Pinkerton), GEORGE VON BERGEN (Sharpless), PAMELA HELEN STEPHEN (Suzki), ALUN RHYS-JENKINS (Goro), MARK RICHARDSON (The Bonze), ALEXANDER ROBIN BAKER (Prince Yamadori), CATHERINE YOUNG (Kate Pinkerton) A co-production with the Metropolitan Opera, New York and the Lithuanian National Opera Original production supported by Lord and Lady Laidlaw 8 ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA Press Information 2013/4 Credit: Clive Barda AUTUMN 2013 9 THE MAGIC FLUTE NEW PRODUCTION WOLFGANG MOZART (1756–1791) Opens: 7 November 2013 (12 performances) ENO is the modern home for opera in London, keeping the artform fresh and relevant for contemporary audiences through bold interpretations of familiar repertoire. ENO’s worldwide reputation, working collaboratively with directors from across the arts, has made the company the first choice for many of the most talented directors from theatre. Complicite’s Simon McBurney returns to ENO for his second operatic venture. McBurney made his opera directing debut at De Nederlandse Opera and ENO in 2010 with A Dog’s Heart, described by The Guardian’s Michael Billington as ‘the most exciting and coherent piece of expressionism... seen on a British stage’. Mozart’s The Magic Flute is, as The Sunday Times described, in ‘the surest of directorial hands’ of McBurney, whose modern and bold take on this classic tale premiered in Amsterdam in 2012 to full houses. McBurney delves deep into the circumstances, inspiration and language of the original piece, reinstates dialogue that is regularly cut and makes the orchestra a visible part of the action. Gergely Madaras, the first recipient of ENO’s Charles Mackerras Fellowship, makes his ENO conducting debut. ENO’s commitment to support and develop new talent continues as ENO Harewood Artist Ben Johnson sings the role of Tamino, following his recent success as Alfredo in ENO’s La traviata: ‘another knockout performance is the young British tenor Ben Johnson, singing with unerring power’ (The Times). American soprano Devon Guthrie returns to ENO following her success in Fiona Shaw’s The Marriage of Figaro in 2011 to sing the role of Pamina. Bass James Creswell sings the role of Sarastro and British tenor Brian Galliford returns from ENO’s Olivier Award-nominated production of Caligula to sing the role of Monostatos. ENO Harewood Artist Mary Bevan who, according to The Guardian sang the role of Yum-Yum ‘immaculately’ in ENO’s 2012/13 revival of The Mikado, takes the role of Papagena. DIRECTOR: SIMON MCBURNEY, CONDUCTOR: GERGELY MADARAS, SET DESIGNER: MICHAEL LEVINE, COSTUME DESIGNER: NICKY GILLIBRAND, LIGHTING DESIGNER: JEAN KALMAN, VIDEO DESIGNER: FINN ROSS, SOUND DESIGNER: GARETH FRY, CHOREOGRAPHER: JOSIE DAXTER CAST INCLUDES: BEN JOHNSON (Tamino), DEVON GUTHRIE (Pamina), ROLAND WOOD (Papageno), MARY BEVAN (Papagena), TBA (Queen of the Night), JAMES CRESWELL (Sarastro), BRIAN GALLIFORD (Monostatos), ELEANOR DENNIS (First Lady), CLARE PRESLAND (Second Lady), ROSIE ALDRIDGE (Third Lady), ANTHONY GREGORY (First Priest/First Armed Man), STEPHEN HOLLOWAY