1

2017 SEASON 2

Eugene Onegin, 2016 Absolutely everything was perfection. You have a winning formula

Audience member, 2016 1 2

SEMELE

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO

PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE Claude Debussy

IL TURCO IN ITALIA

SILVER BIRCH Roxanna Panufnik

Idomeneo, 2016 at Wormsley 3

2017 promises to be a groundbreaking season in the 28 year history of Cohen, making his Garsington debut, and directed by Annilese Miskimmon, . Artistic Director of Norwegian National Opera, who we welcome back nine years after her at . We will be expanding to four opera productions for the very first time and we will now have two resident orchestras as the joins us for Our fourth production will be a revival from 2011 of Rossini’s popular comedy, Pelléas et Mélisande. . We are delighted to welcome back , who brings his conducting expertise to his 13th production for us, and director Martin Duncan Our own highly praised Garsington Opera Orchestra will not only perform Le who returns for his 6th season. nozze di Figaro, Il turco in Italia and Semele, but will also perform the world premiere of Roxanna Panufnik’s Silver Birch at the conclusion of the season. To cap the season off we are very proud to present a brand new work commissioned by Garsington from composer Roxanna Panufnik, to be directed Pelléas et Mélisande, Debussy’s only opera and one of the seminal works by our Creative Director of Learning & Participation, Karen Gillingham, and I of the 20th century, will be conducted by Jac van Steen, who brought such will conduct. Silver Birch will involve a core of professional singers, a youth and illumination and musicianship to our production of 2015. It will be adult community chorus, young soloists and instrumentalists who will have the directed by Michael Boyd and designed by Tom Piper, who return following last fantastic experience of playing alongside our professional orchestra players. The season’s inspiring production of Eugene Onegin. libretto, by Jessica Duchen, is an emotional and uplifting story of a family whose I will conduct a re-creation of John Cox’s Le nozze di Figaro, last performed lives are changed by war. during the final year at Garsington Manor. I am thrilled to be joining forces once Do join us in 2017, when I hope you will continue to be moved and exhilarated again with both John and designer Robert Perdziola to bring their much admired as we strive for the highest artistic standards, energy and commitment in our production to the Wormsley stage. English idyll. Handel has never been performed at Garsington Opera so we are putting that right in 2017! Semele will be conducted by early music visionary Jonathan Douglas Boyd, Artistic Director Semele George Frideric Handel 5

love story with a twist; the god Jupiter is captivated by the beauty of the all-too-human Semele A Semele. Inspired by the dramatic and colourful mythological characters, Handel’s music is Jupiter Robert Murray powerfully seductive. Jupiter entrances Semele by promising that ‘Where e’er you walk’ he will Juno arrange for trees to provide welcome shade, and that at her every step, flowers will blossom into Cadmus & Somnus David Soar life. She exults, with unabashed sensual delight, in everything that Jupiter has to offer, singing Athamas Christopher Ainslie triumphantly of ‘Endless pleasure, endless love’. In this parable of over-ambition and over- Iris Llio Evans indulgence Semele flirts with danger by demanding immortality and suffers the consequences, leaving behind her one life-enhancing legacy – her son, Bacchus, god of wine. Conductor Jonathan Cohen Director Annilese Miskimmon Composed in 1744, Semele features some of Handel’s most exquisitely beautiful music, with soaring Designer Nicky Shaw choruses and splendid orchestral writing enhancing this most touching and humorous opera. Lighting Designer Mark Jonathan Annilese Miskimmon, Artistic Director of Norwegian National Opera, will direct, with Jonathan Cohen making his Garsington Opera conducting debut. Heidi Stober and Robert Murray make Garsington Opera Orchestra & Chorus their role debuts as Semele and Jupiter with the renowned Christine Rice returning to Garsington to sing Juno. Sung in English with supertitles

Performances Pre-performance Talk 1, 3, 9, 15, 24, 30 June & 4 July Saturday 3 June, 4.30pm Start time 5.55pm LE NOZZE DI FIGARO Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 7

Figaro Joshua Bloom t is the wedding day of Figaro and Susanna, but will their marriage ceremony ever take place? Susanna Jennifer France During the course of a crazy day a series of confusing events unfolds. Count Almaviva has lost I Count Duncan Rock interest in his wife and is intent on seducing Susanna. She and Figaro conspire with the Countess to Countess Kirsten MacKinnon outwit him and to teach him a lesson in fidelity but his young page, Cherubino, inadvertently upsets Cherubino Marta Fontanals- the carefully laid plans, and relationships are severely tested. All of this is brought to life by Mozart’s Simmons music of consummate grace, wit and joyous invention, with Da Ponte’s sparklingly adroit libretto. Bartolo Stephen Richardson This recreation of John Cox’s much admired 2005 production will be conducted by Garsington Marcellina Janis Kelly Opera’s Artistic Director, Douglas Boyd, and designer Robert Perdziola will adapt his elegant Basilio Timothy Robinson 18th century designs for the Wormsley stage. The cast includes Joshua Bloom (Leporello, Don Curzio Alun Rhys-Jenkins Giovanni, 2012) as Figaro and Jennifer France (Marzelline in Fidelio, 2014) as Susanna, with the award-winning Duncan Rock making his Garsington debut as the Count. Conductor Douglas Boyd Director John Cox Associate Director Bruno Ravella Designer Robert Perdziola Performances Pre-performance Talk Lighting Designer Mark Jonathan 2, 4, 8, 10, 17 June & 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 16 July Sunday 4 June, 4pm Start time 5.25pm Garsington Opera Orchestra & Chorus

Sung in Italian with English supertitles

Left: Le nozze di Figaro, 2010 Pelléas et Mélisande Claude Debussy 9

rince Golaud finds a mysterious young woman in the forest and makes her his wife. Returning Pelléas Jonathan McGovern P with her to his kingdom of shadows and secrets, a dangerous love triangle emerges as she Mélisande Andrea Carroll grows perilously close to his brother, Pelléas. Golaud Paul Gay Arkel Brian Bannatyne- The only opera completed by Debussy, Pelléas et Mélisande evokes a claustrophobic environment in Scott which a world beyond hardly exists. It is shot through with shimmering beauty and iridescent colours, Geneviève Susan Bickley creating an opera of intense hypnotic allure. Michael Boyd and Tom Piper (director and designer of Eugene Onegin, 2016) return with Jac van Conductor Jac van Steen Steen (Intermezzo, 2015), who conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in its Garsington debut. Director Michael Boyd Jonathan McGovern and Andrea Carroll make their Garsington debuts in the title roles. Designer Tom Piper Lighting Designer Malcolm Rippeth Performances Pre-performance Talk 16, 18, 22, 25, 27 June & 1, 7 July Sunday 18 June, 4.30pm Philharmonia Orchestra & Garsington Start time 5.55pm Opera Chorus

Sung in French with English supertitles IL TURCO IN ITALIA Gioachino Rossini 11

rosdocimo, a toiling poet searching for inspiration, finds his muse in the flirtatious Fiorilla, Fiorilla Sarah Tynan Pan advocate of free and unfettered love, and her devoted husband Geronio, who is more Narciso Luciano Botelho interested in fidelity and a quiet life. When a dashing Turkish stranger is added to the mix, the Zaida Katie Bray stage is set for a comedy with a deliciously layered plot full of games that go wrong and lessons to Selim Quirijn de Lang be learned. With a glittering musical score and wittily observed characters, this complex and subtle Don Geronio Geoffrey Dolton farce tells a tale of unrequited love and confused identities. Prosdocimo Martin Duncan’s joyous 2011 production returns to Garsington, conducted by Rossini expert David Conductor David Parry Parry. Returning artists include Sarah Tynan (The Creation, 2016), Luciano Botelho, Quirijn de Director Martin Duncan Lang and Katie Bray (L’italiana in Algeri, 2016) and Mark Stone (Robert Storch, Intermezzo, 2015). Designer Francis O’Connor Lighting Designer Mark Jonathan Performances Pre-performance Talk Movement Director Nick Winston 26, 29 June & 2, 5, 8, 10, 13, 15 July Thursday 29 June, 4.30pm Start time 5.55pm Garsington Opera Orchestra & Chorus

Sung in Italian with English supertitles

Left: Il turco in Italia, 2011 SILVER BIRCH Roxanna Panufnik 13

his exciting new commission from leading UK composer, Roxanna Panufnik, with a libretto from Jack Sam Furness T writer Jessica Duchen, is a celebration of music, drama, poetry and dance and brings together Anna Victoria Simmonds professional singers with 180 members of the local community. Designed to appeal to everyone from Simon age 8 upwards, Karen Gillingham, Creative Director of Garsington Opera’s Learning & Participation Bradley Travis programme, will direct and Douglas Boyd will conduct. Mrs Morrell Sarah Redgwick Davey James Way Inspired by the timeless themes of war and relationships affected by it, the opera draws upon Siegfried Sassoon’s poems and the testimony of a British soldier, who served recently in Iraq, to illustrate the Conductor Douglas Boyd human tragedies of conflicts past and present. Director Karen Gillingham Jack joins the army to silence his father’s taunts for his love of poetry. Joined by his brother Davey, their Designer Rhiannon Newman Brown devastating experiences turn the whole family’s world upside down. Supported by the power of their Composer Roxanna Panufnik mother’s love as she tries to hold the family together they, like Sassoon himself, seek to help those Librettist Jessica Duchen whose suffering they share. Movement Director Natasha Khamjani Tickets £60 adults (£30 children under 18). This includes a suggested voluntary donation of £50 (£25 Garsington Opera Orchestra children) towards our Learning & Participation programme. Sung in English with supertitles Performances 28, 29, 30 July Start time 7.30pm Tickets on sale from Tuesday 14 March 2017, available online at garsingtonopera.org There will be no interval. Pre-performance picnics available. or call 01865 361636. 14 Pre-season EVENTS

Led by specialist scholars, with members of the cast, creative teams and with excerpts performed by singers from the Alvarez Young Artists’ Programme, our Insight Talks are designed to offer historical context and musical insight to enhance your enjoyment of the in the summer.

Tuesday 4 April 2017 Le nozze di Figaro Insight Talk Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Linton Road, OX2 6UD

Tuesday 25 April 2017 Semele Study Event & Insight Talk 49 Queen’s Gate Terrace, , SW7 5PN

4pm-6pm Study Event What is Semele? An opera? An oratorio? Including Handel’s theatre, his music and the opera business in 18th century London. An in-depth guide by experts Sarah Lenton and John Snelson.

6pm Light refreshments following the lectures 7pm-8pm Insight Talk

Wednesday 3 May 2017 Pelléas et Mélisande Insight Talk Leonard Wolfson Auditorium, Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford OX2 6UD

Wednesday 10 May 2017 Il turco in Italia Insight Talk Killik & Co., 46 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 3HN

All Insight Talks will start at 7pm with guests invited to join us for a glass of wine from 6.30pm. PRE-PERFORMANCE EVENTS 15

Pre-performance Talks Garsington Opera Pavilion £12 Designed to enrich your experience of the opera to follow, Pre-performance Talks involve key members of the Garsington Opera artistic and production teams in an informal discussion centred on the creative processes of the productions, followed by questions from the floor. Talks are held in the Opera Pavilion and last approximately 45 minutes. Saturday 3 June 4.30pm Semele Sunday 4 June 4pm Le nozze di Figaro Sunday 18 June 4.30pm Pelléas et Mélisande Thursday 28 June 4.30pm Il turco in Italia

Walled Garden Recitals For the first time we are delighted to present short recitals by members of the Garsington Opera Alvarez Young Artists’ Programme each Saturday (weather permitting) in the Walled Garden’s Green Theatre. These free, informal performances offer opportunities for our young singers to explore new repertoire and bring music to the gardens for your enjoyment. 16 Highlight of the operatic year

The Evening Standard AN EVENING AT GARSINGTON OPERA 17

Arrival Guests are encouraged to arrive from 3.30pm to enjoy the gardens and grounds of the Wormsley Estate before performances begin in the early evening.

Make the most of your visit Enjoy traditional afternoon tea overlooking the famous Wormsley Cricket Ground in the Long Room Restaurant; take a short journey in a complimentary vintage bus to the beautiful 18th century Walled Garden, a favourite spot for a glass of champagne; admire the spectacular views across the Deer Park and lake from the Champagne Bar or explore the exquisite flower borders of the Opera Garden.

Interval The dinner interval lasts approximately eighty-five minutes. During this time the Long Room Restaurant offers a range of sumptuous dining options using locally sourced ingredients. If guests prefer to picnic they are welcome to order a hamper or bring their own. Complimentary scout porters and chauffeured golf buggies are available to assist with carrying picnics.

Performances start in the early evening. As the light begins to fade at the end of the interval, performances resume ending by 10.15pm when candlelit pathways and the glow of the Opera Pavilion light the way across the spectacular Chiltern landscape.

Getting to Wormsley Under an hour from London (30 minutes from Oxford) by car and 25 minutes by train with transfer buses and taxis available. 18 dining AT GARSINGTON OPERA 19

The long dinner interval is a feature of an evening at Garsington Opera.

Dine in the restaurant Enjoy a delicious three-course dinner with menus designed by Michelin Star chef, Michael North. Our spectacular Long Room Restaurant, designed by Robin Snell, architect of the Opera Pavilion, has panoramic windows providing stunning views across the splendid Wormsley Cricket Ground.

Bring a picnic Take in the view across the Chiltern Hills from the upper terrace of the Opera Pavilion, enjoy a private party in the Granary looking out over the Opera Garden, reserve a picnic tent in the Deer Park or find a table in one of our shared tents.

Order a picnic Prepared picnics are served in a wicker hamper and include a delicious selection of gourmet picnic favourites. A table overlooking the Cricket Ground is reserved free-of-charge for those ordering a picnic, or guests can choose to book a tent in the Deer Park for a small additional charge.

Pre-performance Take traditional afternoon tea in the Long Room Restaurant or enjoy champagne and canapés at the Champagne Bar. 20 BOOKING INFORMATION

Please return your booking form by the relevant membership deadline in order to receive confirmation of dates and tickets. Ingrams Circle, Constellation and Patron priority booking deadline Members of the Ingrams Circle, Constellation of Garsington and Patrons are invited to return booking forms online or by post by Wednesday 30 November 2016 to be included in their priority booking allocation. Special Friend and Friend priority booking deadline Special Friends and Friends are invited to return booking forms online or by post by Monday 9 January 2017 to be included in their priority booking allocation. Affiliate Member priority booking Affiliate Members are invited to book online, by telephone or by post from 10.00am on Tuesday 28 February 2017. GO<_35 Member priority booking GO<_35 Members are invited to book online from 10.00am on Tuesday 7 March 2017. Public booking Public booking opens online and by telephone from 10.00am on Tuesday 28 March 2017. BOOKING INFORMATION 21

Members are able to submit their priority booking request electronically via the Garsington Opera website at priority.garsingtonopera.org. Upon submission, members will receive a confirmation email. In due course, once allocation is completed, the Box Office will email confirmation of dates and tickets, with an invitation to provide payment details. Members wishing to continue to use the traditional paper booking form are very welcome to do so. They will receive confirmation of their tickets in due course, once allocation is completed. Guidance

• Please return your booking form online or by post as soon as possible, but please be aware that booking forms will not be processed until the relevant booking deadline has been reached.

• Some evenings are more popular than others, particularly Saturdays, so we would ask that you specify as many alternative dates and prices as possible in order that we can process your booking more quickly.

• Ticket allocations are prioritised by membership group and, within that, the date of submission of booking forms.

• If you would like seats allocated next to friends, please ensure both paper booking forms are submitted together, in the same envelope. If you are submitting your booking form electronically, please specify your seating requirements in the Notes section of the form.

• Please keep a copy of your booking form for your records. If you are submitting a booking form electronically, you will receive a confirmation email for your records. Eugene Onegin, 2016 22 Booking Information

Accessibility Please inform us at the time of booking if you or your guests have restricted Customers reselling tickets are responsible for contacting the Box Office if they mobility or special requirements. We have a number of Wheelchair spaces would like to know the status of their resale. Unsold returned tickets may be and seats in the Orchestra Stalls and Front Stalls that are accessible with withdrawn from resale at any time at the original purchaser’s request and/or at very few stairs; a lift is available to the first level of the auditorium. There are a the Management’s discretion. limited number of parking spaces solely for the use of those with accessibility All tickets are sold subject to the right of the Management to make any alterations requirements. These must be booked in advance through the Box Office who will to the published operas, dates or casts which may be necessary owing to illness issue a parking permit. Our Long Room Restaurant has step-free access. or other unavoidable circumstances. Conditions of sale Photography, filming and sound recording of any kind are strictly prohibited. By Tickets are not refundable. However, subject to availability, tickets may be either entering the Wormsley Estate you agree to being filmed or photographed which exchanged up to a week before or accepted for resale. All requests must be may be used for marketing or promotional purposes. received in writing or by email. Garsington Opera’s exchange and resale facility is subject to a £10 per-ticket administration fee. Privacy notice By giving Garsington Opera your information you agree to us using the If your tickets have been accepted for resale by the Box Office, the original tickets information you provide in accordance with our privacy policy (garsingtonopera. must be returned before we can begin offering your tickets for resale. Please note org/privacy-policy/). In addition to our supporter newsletter, we would like that a resale is never guaranteed and that Garsington Opera reserves the right to to send you information about our events and services. You can opt out of sell any unsold tickets for that performance before returned tickets can be sold. receiving marketing information at any time, please let us know by writing to us Reimbursement for resold tickets is made only to the original purchaser. Tickets at Garsington Opera, The Old Garage, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7NP or by may only be sold for the original value. email to [email protected].

All details correct at time of going to print. Photos: Clive Barda, Mark Douet, Alice Pennefather, Johan Persson, Mike Hoban. Design: Franks and Franks seating plan & Ticket Prices 23

Operas

Price band Ⓐ Price band Ⓑ Price band Ⓒ Mon, Tues, Weds Thurs, Fri, Sun Sat

BOXES £160 £180 £200

REAR STALLS £105 £115 £135

MIDDLE STALLS £140 £150 £170

FRONT STALLS £160 £180 £200

ORCHESTRA stalls £135 £145 £165 inc. wheelchair platform

Ⓓ Silver Birch ticket prices can be found on page 13 All tickets include a suggested, but non-obligatory, donation of £70. 24 Performance diary 2017

Thursday 1 June Semele Ⓑ Sunday 2 July Il turco in Italia Ⓑ Friday 2 June Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Monday 3 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓐ Saturday 3 June Semele  ♣ Ⓒ Tuesday 4 July Semele Ⓐ Sunday 4 June Le nozze di Figaro  Ⓑ Wednesday 5 July Il turco in Italia Ⓐ Thursday 8 June Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Thursday 6 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Friday 9 June Semele Ⓑ Friday 7 July Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓑ Saturday 10 June Le nozze di Figaro ♣ Ⓒ Saturday 8 July Il turco in Italia ♣ Ⓒ Thursday 15 June Semele Ⓑ Sunday 9 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Friday 16 June Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓑ Monday 10 July Il turco in Italia Ⓐ Saturday 17 June Le nozze di Figaro ♣ Ⓒ Tuesday 11 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓐ Sunday 18 June Pelléas et Mélisande  Ⓑ Thursday 13 July Il turco in Italia Ⓑ Thursday 22 June Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓑ Friday 14 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Saturday 24 June Semele ♣ Ⓒ Saturday 15 July Il turco in Italia ♣ Ⓒ Sunday 25 June Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓑ Sunday 16 July Le nozze di Figaro Ⓑ Monday 26 June Il turco in Italia Ⓐ Friday 28 July Silver Birch Ⓓ Tuesday 27 June Pelléas et Mélisande Ⓐ Saturday 29 July Silver Birch Ⓓ Thursday 29 June Il turco in Italia  Ⓑ Sunday 30 July Silver Birch Ⓓ Friday 30 June Semele Ⓑ Saturday 1 July Pelléas et Mélisande ♣ Ⓒ  Pre-Performance Talk ♣ Walled Garden Recital A Price Band The setting was beautiful, the organisation was faultless, and the gardens looked spectacular

Audience member, 2016 27

Idomeneo, 2016 28

L’italiana in Algeri, 2016

Garsington Opera at Wormsley

The Old Garage, The Green, Great Milton, Oxford OX44 7NP Telephone 01865 361636 Email [email protected] www.garsingtonopera.org