n e Issue 37, Winter 2009 NCO w s www.newchamberopera.co.uk

FORTHCOMING DATES & TICKET INFORMATION

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

January Friday 23 Lauren Bensted - jazz alto* TICKET DETAILS Friday 30 Aileen Thomson - soprano*

February Lunchtime Vocal Friday 6 Robyn Allegra Parton - soprano & Recitals Charlotte Denham - mezzo-soprano* 1.15pm Friday 13 Jonathan Darbourne - counter-tenor* New College Ante-chapel Friday 20 Tom Bennett - bass* £2/£1 concessions on the door Gluck: Orpheus & Euridice . . Orfeo: Joe Bolger Euridice: Anna Sideris Amor: Robyn Allegra Parton Gluck Conductor: Nicholas Pritchard . Director: Michael Burden 26, 27, 28 February 2009 Orpheus & Euridice New College Antechapel, 8.30pm Conductor: Nicholas Pritchard Director: Michael Burden 26, 27 and 28 February 2009 Friday 27 Jon Stainsby - baritone* 8.30pm New College Ante-chapel March £10/£5 concessions Friday 6 Dom Burnham - counter-tenor* Oxford Playhouse Box Office (01865) 305 305 OR on the door Friday 13 Max Jones - baritone*

Summer Opera Summer Opera 8 (Preview), 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19 July 2009 Wednesday 8 (Preview), Saturday 11, The Warden’s Garden, New College and Tuesday 14 New Chamber Opera 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 r y Cooper (01865) 279 337 . Summer Opera S t even Devine D i re c t o r, The Band of Instruments Roger Hamilton Sunday 12 D i re c t o r, Opera Studio The Art Fund . R epetiteurs T i m o t hy Motz, Mat t h ew Haw ken, Jo n athon Swinard Company Secre t a r y C l a re Atkinson (01491) 641 259 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 Wednesday 15 P roduction administrator Christine Murray .Recitals Administrator N i cholas Pritch a rd Friends of the Oxford Botanic Garden New Chamber Opera . 4 Mansfield Road . Oxford OX1 3TA (01844) 214 468 Tel: 01865 281 966 . Fax: 01865 279 590 . Email: info @ n ewch a m b e ro p e ra.com Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 Web pages: http://www. n ewch a m b e ro p e ra . c o. u k Friends of the Welsh National Opera C o m p a ny No 3502769 . Charity No 1095069 (01865) 865 806 page 4 n The New Chamber Opera Newsletter e Issue 37, Winter 2009 NCO w www.newchamberopera.co.uk New Chamber Opera s

he acquisition has been made appeared in recent decades. Richard Sandra M Burridge possible thanks to the generous Ovenden, Keeper of Special Mr D E Chamberlain Tdonations offered by the Collections and Associate Director, Robin Darwall-Smith members of the general public and Bodleian Library, said: ‘The Air Cdre J. De’Ath grants given by the V & A Purchase Bodleian Library thanks all the Margaret Forrest Grant Fund, the Friends of the members of the general public and Elizabeth Foster-Hall Bodleian, the Friends of the National the organizations whose donations Robert and Louise Gullifer Libraries, New Chamber Opera and made it possible for Erismena to be Anthony Hawkins Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.’ saved for the nation. The acquisition Christopher and Fiona Hodges o runs the Bodleian Library makes it possible for us to conserve Leofranc Holford-Strevens Press release announcing the this unique and significant Hilliard Charitable Trust purchase of the manuscript of manuscript for the benefit of Anne Hudson S generations to come”. J. F. and S. A. Iles C a v a l l i ’s E r i s m e n a ; the full announcement can be found on their hose supporters of New Oliver Jacobs website, and there is also a version on Chamber Opera who John and Elaine Ledingham our own. After several months of nail- contributed to the fund are Hermione Lee T James Lister biting activity, the news came through listed below: that enough money had been raised Naomi van Loo not only to prevent an important Roger Ainsworth Sir David and Lady Lumsden manuscript ‘the earliest surviving Clare Atkinson Mr H. J. Lush and Mrs S. E. Lush score of an opera in English’ from Anne Balfour-Fraser Stephen Moorbath going abroad, but brought it to Lady Ball Graham Midgley Oxford. The release continues: Alison Benson Anastasios Nikolopoulos Bonnie Blackburn Katharine Peet ritten by Pietro Francesco Michael Bourdeaux Bruce and Carol Phillips Cavalli (1602-1676), the Helen and Sebastian Brock Andrew Pinnock Wleading Italian opera Elizabeth Lang Brown Judith Priestman composer of the mid-17th century, John and Jeanette Burden W. Birch Reynardson Erismena dates from the 1670s, 30 Michael Burden Anne Roberts years before any other Italian operas Robert and Maggie Burden Kate and Alan Ryan were known to have been performed Peter Burge Dr and Mrs Peter Schofield in Britain. The manuscript now Matthew and Kate Shilvock enriches the Bodleian Library ’s Supporters of New Chamber outstanding music collection and is Opera an important addition to the Library’s Dr A M V Surbaum existing holdings of English 17th- and Jennifer Thorp 1 8 t h - c e n t u r y opera and theatre Susan Wollenberg music.The score has been part of a 13 Anonymous donors private collection and has been studied by only a small number of lease let us know of any errors or omissions. There scholars in the past 50 years. It is one is still a slight shortfall, which we hope will be Pbridged soon: any member who wishes to of the most significant British 17th- contribute should get in touch with us, or contact the century music manuscripts to have Bodleian Library directly. n e Issue 37, Winter 2009 NCO w s www.newchamberopera.co.uk

Our new repetiteur tells all...

London Taxis, Patricia Rozario and a Saturday afternoon in New College’s it was perhaps unsurprising that I bit of W. A. Mozart: an Oxford ‘Old Bursary’ – unfamiliar territory, but managed to leave both my scarf and Repetiteur’s First Experience. nothing porters’ directions could not diary on the returning Oxford Tube. The fix. Arriving on time, my carefully rest of the week was therefore inevitably Not every music undergraduate gets to planned entrance was irritatingly ruined marred by a slight confusion as to where work with a world-class soprano in by a failed attempt to open the I was meant to be, as well as a distinct their first term. It was therefore with B u r s a r y ’s old door; fortunately, a chill down the back of my neck. great excitement but slight smiling lady emerged at the window, apprehension that I Googled ‘Patricia pointing me towards the correct With nothing to track the passing days, Rozario’ to see what was expected of entrance. I trotted on round, unaware the rehearsals and two successful me… that I had just met Patricia Rozario. performances passed quickly by. I’d learnt a lot over the rapid production Realisation 1: She has a ‘Wikipedia’ And so the rehearsal began: “Right”, process; indeed the whole affair seemed entry. Now of course one shouldn’t says Michael, “Let’s take it from the marked by moments of revelation and base opinions (or one’s essays for that top”. “Er. That’s the tape bit”, I replied. realisation. Hopefully I’d emerged a matter) on such a disputed source, “We won’t use the tape until next week. better repetiteur – if not a better pianist! however the fact remains that an article It’s only the Overture to the Marriage of I consider myself very fortunate to have in Wikipedia suggests at least some Figaro; just keep the tempo going…” worked with Patricia Rozario on such an level of public recognition. And so the sight-reading began. exciting and contemporary project. Apprehension increase. Though as I appeared from the after- Realisation 4: If you get the score in show drinks and began my late-night Realisation 2: Leading composers such advance, look at everything. Even the search for dinner, I couldn’t help wishing as Arvo Part and John Tavener have bits you don’t think you’re going to I’d accepted that sandwich… written pieces especially for her. have to play. I remain unsure whether Jonathon Swinard Andrew Gant’s Don’t Go Down the Mozart has forgiven me for my on-the- Elephant After Midnight represents a spot interpretation of his great overture. Andrew Gant’s opera Don’t go down more recent dedicated work – Thankfully, the rest of the rehearsal ran the Elephant after Midnight w a s premiered in London this summer somewhat smoother; however further p re m i e red by Patricia Rozario and under the direction of Michael Burden revelations were just round the corner: and now scheduled to be repeated in New Chamber Opera conducted by John Traill and directed by Michael Oxford with yours truly at the “Well Jonathon, with regard to B u rde n at the Te t e - a - Tete Opera harpsichord. Double apprehension Monday” Michael started, “if I meet Festival at the Riverside Studios in increase. you at the lodge at 12pm then we should August 2008; they gave two have enough time to pick up the tube performances in Oxford in November. With Patricia’s biography memorised, I from outside Queen’s and get to felt suitably equipped to attend Patricia’s ready to start about 2pm…” M i c h a e l ’s first production meeting. “Tube?” I enquired with that look Those present: Michael, myself, a pot of bemusement recognised universally of Earl Grey tea and the SCR biscuit as the ‘fresher’s frown’. tin. “Yes – how else are we going to get to London…?” Realisation 3: Half of the opera is “ We’re going to London?” I performed over a tape of the Marriage replied. of Figaro; my workload on the “Yes, we’re going to London.” harpsichord was therefore not as great as originally anticipated. What is more, Realisation 5: We’re going to London. I had a full three weeks before Our rehearsal at Patricia’s house was a rehearsals in which I could digest the slightly surreal experience. score. Apprehension decrease. Let the Operatically, things were taking shape. practice begin… However for me, it will be most remembered as the day that an My state of euphoria was soon international soprano offered to make dispelled as the first rehearsal loomed me a sandwich. Who needs an into view. It was scheduled for a autograph, eh? Given such excitement,

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Forthcoming....

Summer Opera Orpheus & Euridice

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

l mondo alla roversa premiered in Venice in 1750. The story is by the Igreat Venetian playwright, Carlo Goldoni, and he and Galuppi have been credited with ‘inventing’ opera buffa. It is set on an island in the Antipodes, which is governed by a Council of Women. The cast divides into naturally into two groups; the three powerful women who sit on the Council, and their three spineless lovers. The women are worried the men, being physically s t r o n g e r, will over overpower them; unbeknowest to the women, the men are 26, 27, 28 February 2009 quite happy in their state of subjection! 8.30pm The result? The women plot and The Ante-chapel, New College precipitate a coup in which the men take over; all the characters then agree that rfeo ed Euridice, an opera in approach is reflected in the absence of ‘women in command make for a topsy- three acts composed by the common features of opera seria turvy world’. OChristoph Willibald Gluck, was such as da capo arias, secco recitatives originally set to an Italian libretto by accompanied by the continuo only, the Ranieri de’ Calzabigi and was fir s t rigid structure of alternating recitatives Mailing List performed in Vienna 1762. Based on a and arias, and a complex plot with sub- Thracian myth, this opera can be plots. While there is a more varied and categorised under azionie teatrale – flexible use of recitatives coupled with Mailing Lists. Each hard copy and Italian for ‘theatrical action/plot’ – and self-contained arias to drive a electronic mailing returns out of date is the first of Gluck’s three reform simplified plot, the chorus and the addresses; it would be helpful if operas. Both Gluck and Calzabigi were orchestra assume a much more members of the e l e c t ronic mailing influenced by the French tragédie en significant role than before in Italian could keep their address up to date. musique and the reformist ideas of opera. Orfeo ed Euridice has undergone Would members of the hard copy Francesco Algarotti, and thus set out to numerous revisions, including a 1774 mailing list who would like to join the reform the elaborate Italian opera seria French version by Gluck, and a 1859 electronic mailing list - used for with ‘noble simplicity’, and with a hybrid version by Berlioz which is reminders of forthcoming events - stronger emphasis on drama instead of perhaps most-widely known and please let us know? music, dance or setting. This reformist performed today. Jasmine Chin

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