WINTER 2017
Emma Bell and Vanessa • Opera1 Passion • Keith A Pettit Festival 2018 Creating a new tradition
Looking forward to her role debut in Vanessa, Emma Bell talks to Kate Harvey about the freedom of a blank canvas
on to principal roles for the Tour (Rodelinda) and Festival (Rodelinda, The Turn of the Screw, The Cunning Little Vixen). ‘I have to confess when I first opened the score and saw on the title page, ‘Vanessa: a beautiful woman in her late 30s’, I was hooked,’ Emma says. ‘I’ve never played a beautiful woman before – it’s something quite new and an hilarious bit of vanity. The family said, “Some might say it would be the biggest challenge yet..!” ‘On a serious note, I was immediately struck by the “time standing still” aspect of the story. Reading the libretto what stuck out most was the line “I have scarcely breathed so that life should not leave its trace, and that nothing must change in me that you loved.” It conjured up so many thoughts. To sing and explore this piece will be hugely rewarding and exciting.’ Emma is making a role debut as Vanessa and Mike Hoban Mike Emma Bell in the title role, Rodelinda, Festival 2004 has never seen a production of the opera, though she has performed music by Samuel Barber in recital. When Glyndebourne unveiled its 2018 Festival lineup, there was great excitement at the ‘Everything I have ever sung of Barber’s I have prospect of a new production of Samuel loved – Knoxville being my favourite so far. Barber’s Vanessa. He always teams, or so it seems to me, with incredible wordsmiths. And wordsmiths of An immediate triumph on its premiere in 1958, his own time. It’s that same kind of Britten the opera won a Pulitzer Prize but, despite its marriage of words and music. The language is rich orchestration and memorable melodies, so wonderfully evocative of the things they are it has rarely been seen outside the US. As a talking about and the era they are in.’ result, next summer’s staging will be the first fully-staged, professional production of Vanessa On the score for Vanessa, Emma says ‘the sound in the UK. world is really rich. For my money, I’m entering the world of Strauss – these beautiful lines, with Taking the title role is Kathleen Ferrier Award- winner Emma Bell, who began her career in an understanding of the voice, rich colours.’ the Glyndebourne Chorus, quickly moving Glyndebourne’s production of Vanessa will
2 be directed by the British director Keith Warner, who says he’s been waiting his entire career for a chance to direct the piece. The darkly psychological plot makes it a deeply theatrical opera, well suited to a singer who is so admired for her acting abilities. ‘We’ve not seen how it will be designed, or what’s in Keith’s mind, yet I’m already in a world of black and white movies. It’s hugely cinematic, conversational, up-close.’ The relative rarity of Vanessa productions means next year’s staging offers something new not just to audiences, but also many of the performing company, which includes Lithuanian tenor Edgaras Montvidas as Anatol and French mezzo soprano Virginie Verrez as Erika. ‘It’s basically a blank canvas, which is so exciting – no pre-conceptions from audience or artists,’ Emma explains. ‘I don’t think we have anybody in the cast
that has done their role before. Not only Bill Cooper are we doing role debuts but we’re doing Emma Bell as the Fox in The Cunning Little Vixen, Festival 2012 role debuts where there is no ‘tradition’, if you like – there’s no ‘I’ve seen Don Giovanni a hundred times and now it’s my turn to do my was given the cover role of Annina’s Maid in Don Giovanni.’ Simon Boccanegra that season. Then they were looking ahead to covers for the Tour – Rodelinda In recent years Emma has debuted a number had opened that season in the Festival and of jugendlich-dramatisch (lyric dramatic I covered Lisa Milne. From that leap of faith soprano) roles including Eva (Die Meistersinger – from Annina’s Maid’s one line, to going on von Nürnberg), Elsa (Lohengrin) and Elisabeth as Rodelinda – I was back on the Festival as a (Tannhäuser) moving on from an early career soloist the next year. It’s really amazing to me.’ built predominantly on Mozart’s leading ladies. On returning to Glyndebourne next summer for the first time since 2012 (when she played Her Glyndebourne debut came in 1998, the the Fox in The Cunning Little Vixen) Emma says: ‘I same year that she joined the Glyndebourne always love coming to Glyndebourne. Everything Chorus, when she stepped in to cover for is so beautiful and professional, the production an indisposed Lisa Milne in the title role of values are so high, the musical standards are Rodelinda during the Glyndebourne Tour. fantastic, there’s a canteen with good food (call me shallow!) and I know everybody – honestly ‘In the first week of being in the Glyndebourne the list just goes on and on… Chorus I won the Kathleen Ferrier Award. The management instantly said, ‘Right, we’ve Vanessa is part of the 2018 Glyndebourne got a Ferrier winner in the building’ and I Festival from 5 – 26 August 2018
3 Tour 2017 Life on Tour
In the summer edition of Glyndebourne News Tom Waghorn, Orchestra Pit Manager, told us a little about his work during the Festival; from liaising with the conductor on how the orchestra should be laid out to looking after Glyndebourne’s collection of keyboard instruments. He is out on the road with the Glyndebourne Tour at the moment, and explains how life changes when the venue is different each week.
The life of a Pit Manager/Orchestra Assistant During each show, I act as a stage manager for on the Tour varies from day to day and show any offstage music; making sure the resources to show. On Tuesday each week we get into the are there for that player to perform their part. venue. This involves unloading our truck of all Ultimately, however, once the show is underway the pit furniture; chairs, music stands, power I can relax until the interval comes and the supplies, music scores and this year we shall be process begins again to get the second half touring Glyndebourne’s Fortepiano for use as underway. Il barbiere di Siviglia Cosí fan continuo in both and There are always challenges taking a production tutte. We also have custody of an upright piano on Tour, and space is a key issue for me. With for Hamlet. each theatre being a different size and each pit Once the ‘get-in’ is complete I’m responsible for a different shape it is a challenge to fit the same the pit layout in each venue. As the space differs orchestra into a space sometimes half the size between each, so does the layout. We aim to of Glyndebourne without the players struggling have the orchestra set up to reflect as closely as for space. This can really change the layout of possible the rehearsals at Glyndebourne, but as the orchestra, and thus a close relationship with you can imagine this cannot always be achieved. the Orchestra Manager, his players, and the conductors is paramount. At this stage the Orchestra Manager (Jonathan Tunnell) and I will work very closely and, once In Norwich the pit is long and thin instead of agreed, and after a short rehearsal, we run the wide so it is impossible to fit the brass, horns show with an audience. Each day I reset the pit and percussion around the wind players. for each different production until we get to However, there is a very helpful pillar in the Saturday night when we pack up and move on. middle of the pit and we use this as a break and set the wind one side, the horns and brass Immediately before a show my focus changes together on the other, with the percussion from the pit setup to the conductor. At the behind. This keeps the sections together for five-minute call I ensure the conductor’s score the best balance of the sound. Canterbury and baton are placed on his podium, and then on the other hand is wide but not as deep as (at the appropriate time) signal to the Orchestra Glyndebourne and lends itself to having wind Leader (Richard Milone) to tune the orchestra. and horns, brass and percussion at the outer Once the orchestra are tuned I give a standby edges of the pit facing inwards with the strings call to the conductor and then, when instructed in a ‘ball’ in the middle. Many different methods by stage management, send the conductor into have been tried over the years but we often find the pit. I am responsible for beginning that all- we keep coming back to the same layout time important round of applause as they enter! after time because it works.
4 It makes a big difference what productions are found themselves in tight spaces, whereas the on Tour. In 2017 Il barbiere di Siviglia and Cosí fan year before that the horn players were usually tutte will generally follow the Glyndebourne called upon to accommodate the changes in layout, but Hamlet, being quite large with a lot space, and the year prior to that the poor harpist of percussion, changes from venue to venue in had a bad deal. Luckily the Tour orchestra is order to maximise the space. very accommodating with regards to space and When Hamlet was on in the Festival it had two having to move. ‘satellite’ percussion sections with a clarinet But it is all worth it. The Tour is a great and trumpet on either side of the auditorium. opportunity to show off what Glyndebourne can However, for the Tour we’ve brought some of do to those who cannot see us at home, and to the percussion instruments into the pit. The see audiences enjoying the fruits of our labour is clarinet and trumpet are still housed elsewhere, a big boost. I am most looking forward to seeing and we visited the venues in advance to identify the impact of Hamlet. The show was certainly a the spaces to accommodate these players. big challenge that paid off in the Festival and It isn’t always easy, and different players have I’m relishing the opportunity to take such a to move each year. Last year the percussionists complex and powerful piece to more people. Vicky Skeet
5 Exhibition
Preparing for ‘Opera Passion’
London hosts a major new exhibition Opera: Passion, Power and Politics, which explores the story of opera from its origins in late- Renaissance Italy to the present day. Told through the lens of seven premieres in seven European cities, the immersive exhibition takes visitors on a journey through nearly 400 years, culminating in the international explosion of opera in the 20th and 21st centuries. The recording that Glyndebourne hosted that day is just one of the many fascinating Photos: Ann Graville Photos: elements of the exhibition being gathered Late summer 2017 and Glyndebourne is by the curators under the guidance of the playing host to a rather unusual, rather special, exhibition’s artistic director Robert Carsen. recording session. Through their headphones, thanks to the Stepping into the Hector Studio that day, you binaural technology, exhibition visitors are greeted by the sight of international opera will experience what it sounded like to be singers Alice Coote and Danielle de Niese in Edmund’s shoes in the Hector Studio (pictured above) serenading what, at first glance, that day, receiving an up-close and personal looks an awful lot like the detached head of a performance from two top international stars. shop mannequin. An experience not to be missed. The singers are circling the object, moving closer then backing away, all the while giving a ravishing performance of the ‘Pur ti Miro’ duet from Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. The singers are being recorded binaurally by specialists from Sound Intermedia. The head shaped device, nicknamed Edmund (pictured right), is a microphone which is able to record sounds in a similar way as perceived by the human ear. The reason for all this? Over the coming autumn and winter the V&A Museum in
Opera: Passion, Power and Politics opened at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) on 30 September and runs until 25 February 2018.
6 Education
Christmas cheer: GYO to sing with The Sixteen © Roger Bloxham © Roger
Members of Glyndebourne Youth Opera (GYO) of singers with a unique style. It would be an are looking forward to a unique opportunity honour and a privilege to sing with them to to perform with world-renowned ensemble gain experience. They are so generous with The Sixteen on the Glyndebourne stage. their time and advice; I feel so excited and Rehearsals will be led by Lee Reynolds, Music grateful to be given this amazing opportunity.’ Director of Glyndebourne Youth Opera, and this group of talented young singers from our GYO are looking forward to singing alongside local area will perform a selection of carols professionals under the guidance of Harry as part of The Sixteen’s charity Christmas Christophers on the Glyndebourne stage, concert on Sunday 10 December at 3pm at spreading Christmas cheer and at the same Glyndebourne. time contributing to the vital work of Friends of Sussex Hospices who serve the adults and A GYO member, aged 14, explains why she children of Sussex. applied to be involved, saying ‘I love classical singing and there are not many opportunities for it – they are all pop and musical theatre’. Members of GYO will also be appearing in Another participant, aged 16, explains ‘The Glyndebourne’s new youth opera Belongings Sixteen is one of the most talented groups on 11 November.
7 Art
Box wood and bonfires
Glyndebourne strives to celebrate the work of local artists whether it is in stagecraft, costume making or the art exhibited or sold in the shop and galleries. One such artist is Keith A Pettit, a wood engraver born and bred in East Sussex who is using age-old printing techniques to produce his exquisite artworks. Karen Anderson went to meet him.
Wood engraving is a slow and studied activity; industry forever, he had to quickly move with each intricate cut to the wood has to be the times and adapt to incorporate graphic precise and measured. Watching Keith at his design into his signage work. Alongside block of English box wood is mesmerising this he was a participant in the East Hoathly because it is a rare treat to watch a craftsman Carnival Society, heavily involved in creating at work, and the slow pace his engraving their bonfire sculptures. If you are local necessitates is relaxing and calming. Isn’t to Lewes, have ever visited the town on 5 his the dream job I ask him, without the November or seen photos in the news you imposing ping of an iPhone or stacked up will know that this is an important job in a emails to address? ‘It is a job I truly love’ he town that is simply bonfire crazy! It was while says ‘but it took me a long time to get here. making a bonfire sculpture that Keith realised I didn’t realise until about eight years ago he wanted to change the course of his life and that I was actually an artist and could make a concentrate on ‘making things from now on’. living as one in the way I do today, so I think He stumbled upon wood engraving by chance I probably enjoy it even more as I came to it in the 1990s when he was bought a copy of A relatively late in my career.’ Kipling Anthology that was illustrated by Leslie Having trained as a traditional sign writer just Benenson, which contained ‘gorgeous chalk before the advent of computers changed that pastels and vibrant pencil sketches alongside unfathomable black and white illustrations.’ He didn’t realise that these images were actually printed from wood engravings until he read an explanation of the craft in another book, Chris Wormells’ Work in progress: paper sketch and box wood – the swallows in the foreground have been
engraved www.jimholden.co.uk All photos:
8 English Countryside Traditions, by which time he was hooked. He slowly built up his skills, bought some tools with fantastic otherworldly names like ‘spit sticker’, ‘scorper’ and ‘graver’ and honed his craft. In doing so he also became a traditional print maker too. Keith is primarily inspired by nature and his surroundings. He starts his creative process by photographing, and then sketching a scene he wants to transfer onto his wood block. ‘If I had all the time in the ‘Glyndebourne’ – wood block engraving world I would sit in a wood light – with a white mark as create an image inspired or a field and engrave directly opposed to the black mark that by our production of Der from life, but I don’t so I comes from a pencil, brush or Rosenkavalier. It is work have to record it in some way pen.’ He creates one print at a that he truly enjoys and and take it away with me to time, holds it in place with a relishes his connection with develop further in my studio.’ Glyndebourne: ‘I grew up and The second sketch he makes book binders ‘nipping press’, have lived near Glyndebourne is then divided up into a grid then hangs it up to dry for 48 my whole life, so it has always on paper that he can translate hours. As he has to re-ink the been in my consciousness. onto wood. He then paints block before every print, each When I was younger and had the wood with grey/black one is slightly different and never visited (and was a bit paint so that his engraved therefore unique – not copied. more rebellious), I thought image is carved into it and All of his prints are signed and Glyndebourne was elitist and becomes the opposite ‘white ‘editioned’, as expressed by the a place for others, not me. image’ on a dark background. fraction written at the bottom Then my children took part When engraving the image of each print eg 10/25 – the in Glyndebourne Youth Opera onto the wood block he has tenth print in an edition of 25. and I visited and realised to create it in reverse, or as Keith started selling his it was a welcoming and an opposite mirror image, work at Glyndebourne a accessible environment for so that when it is printed it year ago during the Tour in my children, and for me. We comes out the correct way. 2016. He has so far created were given rehearsal tickets, Once he is happy with the an ‘editioned’ set of prints came along to watch the image on wood the printing entitled ‘Glyndebourne’ opera, and I was amazingly begins. ‘The block is then and ‘Above Glyndebourne’ hooked. I really enjoy inked (applied by hand with a detailing the old mansion dressing up and it is one of roller) and printed onto paper. house beside the modern the only places that you can The cuts that were made into opera house, and is currently go and dress up to the nines the wood come out as white, working on an image of two and enjoy exquisite music. It the remaining top surface swallows in front of the opera is magical and great to now that gets inked, as black. I house. For Festival 2018 he be involved in creating work am, in effect, drawing with has been commissioned to for Glyndebourne.’
9 Legacy A knight at the opera
John Christie Society Member Sir John Caines looks back at over half a century of opera visits
Last year (2016), marked the available for 60th anniversary of my first an evening visit to Glyndebourne in the performance. ‘Mozart year’ of 1956. It was a First was good opportunity to reflect Così fan tutte on the part Glyndebourne and then has played in my life and the Don Giovanni. extent to which Glyndebourne Singers in that has enriched it. memorable year included A few years before I was able Glyndebourne to experience the unique favourites and magical pleasure of Sena Jurinac an evening of opera in the and Sesto South Downs, I did have the Bruscantini. good fortune to be taken by The cost of a
my university friend (and Guy Gravett ticket in those Glyndebourne supporter), days was a Sena Jurinac in the Festival 1956 production of Don Giovanni Peter Moores, to dinner one princely two other opera-lovers. It was an evening with Jani Strasser guineas. invigorating and intoxicating (Head of Music Staff) and culture shock. his wife when they were on Happily I had an opera-loving a talent spotting visit to friend living in Maresfield Once I had completed Colmar, France. That whetted who was prepared to provide my National Service and my appetite. But it was not transport from the Camp embarked on a career in the until the summer of 1956 gates as well as a simple and Civil Service, I was eager to when my National Service sustaining picnic sandwich. So return to Glyndebourne and took me to the Intelligence after a tedious day of military enjoy the perfect paradise Corps headquarters at chores, I was able to put on of the place. Even when I Maresfield Camp (not far my dinner jacket in the bleak was posted overseas for two from Glyndebourne) that I surroundings of the barrack years, I still managed to fit was able finally to get inside room (to the amazement in a visit to Glyndebourne that beautiful property and of my fellow soldiers) and when back in England. As the the delightful opera house. be carried away to the very years went by, the collection Twice during that summer different world of 18th-century of wonderful memories of a telephone call to the opera and be surrounded superlative performances Box Office resulted in the by the sophisticated and grew. Well-known singers like discovery that seats were glamorous company of Geraint Evans, Ian Wallace
10 and Hugues Cuenod became familiar and much-loved performers in many different roles. Magnificent conductors such as Vittorio Gui brought a unique Champagne sparkle to Rossini overtures. My knowledge of the operatic repertoire grew and grew. The old theatre had a special intimacy and charm. The entrance to it from the Organ Room through the giant fire- place never failed to delight. During the past 60 years, hardly a summer has passed without at least one visit to Guy Gravett Glyndebourne, except when Sena Jurinac and Sesto Bruscantini in 1956’s Così fan tutte rebuilding necessitated closure. The old theatre was a summer’s evening. I have woven into the fabric of my replaced by the stupendous been able to infect my three life. For example, I first met my new one with its excellent children with my enthusiasm late wife through a university acoustics and its welcome for the place and have now friend whose husband had a insulation from the heat of embarked on doing the long family connection with same for some of the Glyndebourne Estate, my grandchildren. and had as his cousin the Advancing years have General Administrator of meant that picnics have the opera. My work brought become burdensome me an enduring friendship and been replaced by with the late uncle of the the greater luxury and present Chairman. In short comfort of the excellent Glyndebourne has been for me catering facilities. The one of the greatest pleasures unique atmosphere of my life. I have every reason of an autumn visit to rejoice at that vision of John to the Tour has now Christie which brought opera become an additional to the Sussex countryside not treat, providing the long after I was born – and opportunity for a grand I thank all those who have family outing. worked so hard over the past 60 years to realise and develop As I reflect on these 60 that vision. years of enchantment, I am also struck by The John Christie Society other ways in which recognises and thanks the generous the golden thread of individuals who are leaving Sir John Caines and family during Tour 2017 Glyndebourne has been Glyndebourne a gift in their will.
11 Gardens Planting a border
One of the pleasures of November gardening is spending time planning what next year’s garden will look like. This is when the photographs and notes taken during the year are studied, to see which plants worked well and how they worked in combination in a border. It is wonderful to look back at the same border, photographed at different points in the year, to appreciate the differences and the succession of plants. Here at Glyndebourne we took two photographs of the Terrace borders to show the difference between an early summer planting, photographed on 2 June, and late summer, photographed on 15 September. If you are inspired to introduce any of the plants into your own garden, Vicky Skeet discovers from our gardening team what to plant and when.
The striking white spires of Eremurus, the foxtail In the foreground bordering the path is the lily, grow to 1.5m and flower from the end of white Nigella papillosa ‘African Bride’, an annual May. The crowns of fleshy roots should be grown from seed started in March under cover, handled carefully when planting in spring and or April to May directly in the border. It has given a soaking if they have become dry and beautiful purple stamens when it flowers from brittle. The plants need a sunny position with June, and shiny nearly-black seedpods follow good drainage, and the crowns can be left in the the flowers. ground year-round.
Terrace borders, 2 June Vicky Skeet
12 Terrace borders, 15 September Vicky Skeet
The pink tones in the border are supplied moved, but if you’re starting them from seed by Digitalis purpurea, the common foxglove, sow them in small pots in April or May in a cold echoing the tall spires of the Eremurus. Seeds frame or a greenhouse and plant them out in can be sown in late spring in-situ and once position in June. flowering has finished, will self-seed. To avoid The pink Cleome hassleriana ‘Señorita Rosalita’ too many seedlings, deadhead some of the and purple/pink Cleome hassleriana ‘Violet plants and thin out in spring. Queen’ seen on either side of the path in the Further along the border Papaver orientale and foreground are grown from seed, sown under the herbaceous perennial Paeonia lactiflora ‘Bowl cover February to May, and hardened off and of Beauty’ continue the pink theme, with the planted out at the end of May. They have a long pink climbing rose ‘Louise Odier’ and white flowering period from July until late September. Hydrangea petiolaris creating a beautiful backdrop Cosmos, sedums and dahlias fill out the border; against the aged brick wall. the dark foliage and bright red flowers ofDahlia In September the borders are packed with ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ contrast with the pale pink foliage and hot colours, and the height is of Dahlia ‘Bishop of Leicester’. We lift some of the supplied by the towering stems and bright dahlia tubers after the first frosts in November to pink tassel flowers ofPersicaria orientalis which over-winter in the greenhouse, growing them on can grow to over 2.5m tall. Persicaria is an in pots ready to plant them back out in early July annual which self-seeds in the Terrace border when their bright colours add a tropical feeling and the seedlings need to be thinned out or to the late summer borders.
13 Gardens
How does your garden grow? Kevin Martin, Head Gardener, gets ready for winter
such as pot cleaning, tool-sharpening and maintaining the lawn mower. It’s also a good time of year for reviewing how the garden looked and performed. We keep notes throughout the season, and taking photographs and recording what worked well and not so well will help you to plan your garden for next season. Depending on the weather, the last cut of the lawns at Glyndebourne will be in late October or early November. Repairing worn patches in the lawns can be done by sowing grass seed in late September into October but turf for larger areas of damage can be laid in November. Keeping the lawn clear of leaves
Vicky Skeet as they fall allows the lawn to receive water, nutrients and air and helps to prevent pests The weather determines so much of the and diseases, but also provides valuable timing of garden jobs. At Glyndebourne in material for making leaf mould, I think it’s the early November we will be looking out for the best sort of compost. Our leaves used to go first frosts; once frost has burnt the leaves on the compost heap with everything else but of the dahlias we cut the foliage down to six last year we made separate leafmould bins. inches from the ground and carefully lift the The leaves of deciduous trees like oak, beech tubers. In the greenhouse we leave the tubers and hornbeam make the best leafmould, upside down so that moisture can drain out sycamore and chestnut leaves will take longer of the stems and then cover the tubers with to rot unless you help them break down by dry compost in a box for storage over the shredding them before adding them to the winter. At Glyndebourne we used to use old leafmould bin. wine boxes for storage, now we are lucky to November is a good time to turn the have our wooden boxes made for us out of compost heap. It should be done periodically old scenery, with handles for easy lifting and throughout the year, turning the material feet – so that the box is slightly raised and air incorporates air which helps the composting can circulate around the stored tubers to help process. We use a digger to turn our compost prevent rotting. The canna rhizomes from the as we have a large heap on a concrete base, but Bourne Garden will also be lifted and stored at home you can do it by spade and fork, and in this way. on a cold November day enjoy watching the Days that are too wet for gardening outdoors steam rising from the compost as you turn it, can be spent on essential indoor jobs knowing it’s a sign of successful composting.
14 My favourite place... Dave Turner, Head of Stage
Standing in the scene dock, mid-Festival, it in the wrong location while we are changing becomes apparent how huge the logistical from our morning rehearsal production to challenge of presenting a different opera our evening performance has the potential each night is. In an effort to ensure we offer to bring the whole operation to a standstill. performances on most evenings of the summer, Given the relatively short window of time we the technical departments at Glyndebourne have to realise these turnarounds, a misplaced begin assembling and refining the scenery for item could delay the curtain up time for our each of our six productions as early as February. audience. I like to think of the scene dock like a By the time we arrive at the opening night of child’s sliding tile puzzle, but on a giant scale. our season in May, all scenic elements and The orientation of a piece that’s being stored is large props will have made their way through just as critical as its location. the scene dock firstly in their ‘flat-packed’ Not only does this area act as the holding place constituent pieces to be assembled on the stage for scenery but throughout the peak of the and latterly stored there as real, identifiable season you might find any number of skilled settings. craftspeople working on perfecting the finished At any one time during the Festival, the precise product. You may find a scenic artist matching storage location of every scenic item has been a piece of marble detailing on a scenic wall, or a carefully planned to ensure that it is easily carpenter re-hanging a door because rehearsal accessible at the exact time it is required. The has shown that it makes more dramatic sense scene dock is not merely a huge space into if the door opens inwards instead of outwards. which we randomly store our scenery. Teams The variety of items you might see in there of senior technical staff spend many hours are astonishing too. This year we had an army planning the logistics of scenery movement truck, a petrol pump, casino tables, a swamp, a through the scene dock. One small item stored giant peacock… For someone who has spent his career in the backstage environment, I know that this space is the main reason that we are able to present different nightly repertoire to our audiences. Without it, Glyndebourne’s productions would have an altogether different look and feel.
Dave Turner in the scene dock with the set of Il barbiere di
Vicky Skeet Siviglia, Tour 2017
15 We are here to help glyndebourne.com Seating 165mm Tickets 167mm BACK COVER 169mm FRONT COVER 170mm
For Festival 2018 we have four price bands, dependent on Glyndebourne Productions Limited Booking dates Seating plan the day of the week and the repertoire. The numbers 1, 2, Registered № 358266 England for Festival 2018 3 and 4 next to the name of the opera in the Performance Please get in touch with any questions about Visit our website Schedule (pages 24-27) indicate the price band for each Glyndebourne is a registered charity Members: & ticket prices performance; please refer to the table when booking your Charity № 243877 1 December 2017 tickets. The colour coding in the seating plan below Associate Members: correlates directly with the colours on the table 15 January 2018 Lewes, East Sussex opposite on page 29. Under 30s: your Membership, Gift AidBN8 5UUor England donations. for news and 26 February 2018 Prices include wheelchair include Prices companion. and Stalls Circle Foyer Circle Centre Circle Foyer C E B Boxes Centre Circle Foyer A F Boxes J G Boxes Centre Circle each box) in (6 seats H I Boxes Centre Circle each box) in (7 seats Circle Upper Sides Circle Foyer Sides Circle Side Boxes Circle 15 16 17 18 20 21 6 spaces level Circle Foyer 4 5 8 9)* Side Boxes (4 in BLUE SIDE RED SIDE Standing Slips & * Box Office and Customer Service Public: +44 (0)1273 815 000 £260 £260 £260 £250 £250 £210 £210 £160 £160 £160 £120 £225 £60 4 March 2018 online glyndebourne.com PRICE 5 March 2018 phone Standing Standing We’d£250 £250 £250also£160 love£60 to£120 £120 hear£60 £120 £30 your feedback about your up-to-date BAND 1 £225 £225 £225 £20 Glyndebourne£210 £210 experiences. information about £230 £230 £230 £220 £220 £165 £165 £130 £130 £130 £110 £190 £55 UPPER CIRCLE PRICE BAND £220 £220 £220 £130 £55 £110 £110 £55 £110 £20 Circle Box Box Box Box Circle G H I J Sides Sides 2 £190 £190 £190 £15 Festival and Tour. £165 £165 CIRCLE
£200 £200 £200 £185 £185 £140 £140 £105 £105 £105 £100 £160 £50 Box Box Box PRIVATE Box Box BOX Membership and Development Department A B C E F PRICE BAND £185 £185 £185 £105 £50 £100 £100 £50 £100 £20 3 £160 £160 £160 £15 Foyer FOYER CIRCLE Foyer Circle (ground level) Circle Glyndebourne£140 £140 Tour 2017 Sides Sides
£165 £165 £165 £155 £155 £110 £110 £95 £95 £95 £80 £125 £40 STALLS PRICE BANDLewes, £155 £155 £155 East£95 Sussex£40 £80 £80 £40 £80BN8£15 5UU 7 October – 4 £125 £125 £125 £10 £110 £110 2 December Sightlines and Supertitles Foyer Circle sides and Circle sides Restricted view of varying degrees reflected in ticket The Glyndebourne auditorium is a ‘horseshoe’ shape. As there are a very limited number of these prices (including restricted or no view of supertitles). Prices include wheelchair and companion seat. As a result, some of our seats have a restricted view of seats available, please give alternative options L A very limited number of seats available. varying degrees of the stage; and restricted or no view when booking. Wheelchair access is only available at of the supertitles. Tickets for these seats are priced Foyer [email protected] (ground level). accordingly. However, if supertitles are important to Standing and slips Please be sure to inform the Box Office if you or your Please note Upper Circle Slips and Standing your enjoyment of the performance, please tell the Standing places and slips are reserved until guests have an access requirement at the time of places only become available when public booking FESTIVAL 2018 Box Office when applying for your tickets. public booking opens. applying for tickets, or if any access needs arise opens online at 6.00pm on Sunday 4 March at between+44 applying and attending. (0)1273 815glyndebourne.com 400 and by telephone from 10.00am 19 May – 26 August Festival 2018 Box seats may be sold separately. Boxes 4, 5, 8 & 9 on Monday 5 March on +44 (0)1273 815 000. are initially held for customers using wheelchairs. Richard Hubert Smith Hubert Richard 28 | FESTIVAL 2018 GLYNDEBOURNE.COM | 29 19 May – 26 August KABEGL079 - F18 Brochure Performance/ Cover Section v8.indd 2 If you need to update your postal address please let us 10/10/2017 11:33 know in writing. glyndebourneshop.com
For information about corporate membership, Visit the Glyndebourne Shop website for gifts advertising and entertaining, contact: and art including the artworks detailed on page 8. [email protected] +44 (0)1273 815 418 Glyndebourne Productions Ltd Glyndebourne News is edited by Karen Anderson Registered No 358266 England Glyndebourne is a registered charity Charity No 243877
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE OPERA ...
1 December: Festival Society Members’ October-November: Le nozze di Figaro ticket ballot screened in selected cinemas 15 January 2018: Associate Members’ 11 November: Belongings Youth Opera ticket ballot 19 February 2018: Second opportunity for Glyndebourne Tour 2017 Members to book Festival tickets 31 October–4 November: Canterbury 20 February 2018: Second opportunity for 7–11 November: Woking Associate Members to book Festival tickets 14–18 November: Norwich 26 February 2018: Under 30s booking opens 21–25 November: Milton Keynes 4 March 2018: Public booking opens online 28 November–2 December: Plymouth Visit glyndebourne.com for more information 22 & 24 March 2018: Glyndebourne Opera Cup
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