Ad Dardanus Music by Libretto by Jean-Philippe Rameau Antoine Le Clerc de La Bruère Paul Agnew Anna Fraser Dardanus Une Phrygienne Paul Whelan David Greco Anténor Un Phrygien Kathryn McCusker Daniel Walker Iphise Un Songe Stephen Bennett Corin Bone Teucer Un Songe Damian Whiteley Cantillation Isménor Penelope Mills Orchestra of the Antipodes Vénus Miriam Allan Une Phrygienne, Un Songe Antony Walker Bernie Tan Conductor Lighting Designer Justin Way Edith Podesta Director Choreographer Hamish Peters Designer 30 November and There will be one interval of 20 minutes Our production is based on Rameau’s 3, 4 and 5 December 2005 at the conclusion of Act II. 1739 version, with some material from the 1744 version. City Recital Hall Angel Place The performance will finish at approximately 10.15pm on Wednesday, Dardanus is being recorded for CD Saturday and Monday, and 7.45pm release by ABC Classics, and is being on Sunday. broadcast live on ABC Classic FM on Saturday 3 December. Dardanus was first performed on 19 November 1739 at Paris Opéra. Pinchgut Opera Ltd Sydney’s Chamber Opera Company Pinchgut was set up in 2001 to give funds on the artists. We plan to build Australian audiences a different the company primarily on revenue from experience of opera. box office, sponsorship and individual donations. We present works that are not frequently produced but deserve to be Dardanus is our fourth production, better known. We use more intimate following Semele (2002), The Fairy spaces – like City Recital Hall Angel Queen (2003) and L’Orfeo (2004). All Place – where the audience can be have been recorded by ABC Classics closer and more involved than is and released on CD. Future plans possible in a conventional opera include a second (mid-year) production, theatre. The orchestra is visible and and touring. We also hope to develop part of the show. a program working with students and artists just starting professional careers. The music is the foundation of our productions. We believe that opera is Why Pinchgut Opera? Pinchgut was primarily a musical art form, so we the convicts’ name for Fort Denison in will always make the music as good Sydney Harbour. We chose it because and authentic to the period as we we wanted a name that is recognisably possibly can. Sydney, easy to remember and as a reminder of our humble beginnings and We work mostly with Australian singers, tight budgets. players, directors and designers, many of whom are young artists building their careers in Australia or overseas. We want to give Australian audiences the opportunity to see and hear Australian artists now living overseas. We operate on a lean cost structure and aim to spend as much as possible of our Antony Walker Paul Whelan Antony Walker studied at the University Antony recently conducted concerts New Zealand-born Paul Whelan studied of Figaro), Olivier (Capriccio), Silvio of Sydney and has been an Opera in Sydney and Melbourne with Emma in Wellington and at the Royal Northern (Pagliacci), Ned Keene (Peter Grimes), Australia Young Artist. He established Kirkby, Cantillation and Orchestra of the College of Music in Manchester. In 1993 Demetrius (A Midsummer Night’s the Contemporary Singers and, at 22, Antipodes for Musica Viva. he won the Lieder Prize in the Cardiff Dream), Tarquinius (The Rape of became Musical Director of Sydney Singer of the World Competition. Career Lucretia), Belcore and Dulcamara (The Philharmonia Choirs. In 1997 he became Recently-released CDs include The highlights include performances at Elixir of Love), Escamillo (Carmen), the Chorusmaster and staff conductor Fairy Queen (Pinchgut Opera), a disc of Covent Garden, Netherlands Opera, Four Villains (The Tales of Hoffmann), at Welsh National Opera. In 2001 Christmas carols entitled Silent Night, Metropolitan Opera New York, Welsh Méphistophélès (The Damnation with Alison Johnston he formed the Baroque Duets with Sara Macliver National Opera, Scottish Opera, English of Faust) and the title roles in Don professional chorus Cantillation and the and Sally-Anne Russell (nominated National Opera, Opera Australia, NBR Giovanni and Eugene Onegin. Concert chamber orchestras Sinfonia Australis for a 2005 ARIA award and winner of New Zealand Opera and Opéra repertoire includes Bach’s St John and Orchestra of the Antipodes, all the ABC Classic FM Listener’s Choice Bastille in Paris. In concert he has Passion, Mozart’s Requiem, Elgar’s The of which have since made numerous Award), and Teddy Tahu Rhodes – The appeared with the Budapest, London Apostles, Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder and recordings for ABC Classics. Voice, winner of the 2004 ARIA Award and City of Birmingham Symphony Delius’ Sea Drift. for Best Classical Album. Orchestras, Bolshoi Theatre, Santa Bridget Elliot Bridget Brett Leigh Dicks In 2002 Antony was appointed Artistic Cecilia Orchestra, Scottish and English Paul performed in several concerts Conductor Director and Conductor of Washington Recent awards include the Richard Anténor Chamber Orchestras, BBC Philharmonic at the 2005 Perth International Arts Concert Opera. Recent engagements F. Gold Debut Artist Award from New and Scottish Symphony Orchestras Festival including Bach’s St Matthew include The Handmaid’s Tale and City Opera, and the American DVD and at the Edinburgh, Dresden and New Passion, Mussorgsky’s Songs and Nixon in China (Minnesota Opera), Association’s Award for Music DVD Zealand Festivals under conductors Dances of Death and Mahler’s Handel’s Orlando (New York City Excellence for his recording including Rattle, Bertini, Nagano, Hickox, Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Future Opera), Così fan tutte (Hawaii Opera of Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Gergiev, Willcocks, Runnicles and Santi. engagements include Amfortas Theatre), Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria Concerto with Gerard Willems and He has appeared in recital at Wigmore (Parsifal) with the New Zealand (Pittsburgh Opera), La Cenerentola Sinfonia Australis. Hall, St David’s Hall in Cardiff, the International Arts Festival. CDs include (Sugar Creek Festival), L’Orfeo Cheltenham Festival and the Châtelet A Midsummer Night’s Dream with (Pinchgut Opera) and, for Washington Future engagements include Tosca for Theatre in Paris. the LSO under Colin Davis, Kurt Weill’s Concert Opera, Il tabarro, Cavalleria Hawaii Opera Theatre, the American Der Silbersee under Markus Stenz and rusticana, Esclarmonde, Béatrice et premiere of Petitgerard’s The Elephant Paul’s operatic repertoire includes recordings with the BBC Philharmonic Bénédict, Stiffelio, Roberto Devereux Man for Minnesota Opera and Tancredi Marcello (La bohème), Guglielmo (Così and Scottish Symphony Orchestras. and La donna del lago. In Australia for Washington Concert Opera. fan tutte), The Count (The Marriage Justin Way Kathryn McCusker A graduate of the University of Sydney for Bernard Haitink’s farewell gala and Kathryn McCusker studied for her Now based in London, engagements and NIDA, Justin Way has been a Macbeth and La traviata for ROH’s Bachelor of Music degree at the West have included Donna Elvira (Don Staff Director at the Royal Opera Education Department. He has worked Australian Conservatorium of Music. Giovanni, Holland Park Opera and House (ROH), Covent Garden since it on new productions of The Queen of She has been the winner of the ABC Glyndebourne Festival Opera), Tirsi reopened, directing revivals of Madama Spades, Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, Young Performers’ Award and the Remy (Handel’s Clori, Tirsi e Fileno, Covent Butterfl y, The Barber of Seville and La Faust, Rigoletto, Wozzeck, Falstaff and Martin Opera Australia Award. Garden Festival), Isotta (Die schweigsame Cenerentola. Don Giovanni, among others. Frau) and Rosalia (Rossini’s L’equivoco As a principal soprano with Opera stravagante) for Garsington Opera and At home he has directed Semele and Since The Fairy Queen Justin has Australia (1994-99), her roles included Ginevra (Ariodante, Freiburg Opera). In The Fairy Queen for Pinchgut Opera, directed a revival of La Cenerentola Pamina (The Magic Flute), Ilia the 2001/02 season, covering the role and Juno and the Paycock and The for Washington National Opera at the (Idomeneo), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), of Ginevra for English National Opera, Surgeon of Honour as part of Sydney Kennedy Center, travelled to Rome Marzelline (Fidelio), Susanna (The she appeared in the final performance Theatre Company’s Directory project. Opera as associate director on Il Marriage of Figaro), Zerlina (Don and was immediately invited to work trovatore at the Baths of Caracalla, Giovanni), the title role in Iphigénie en on a new opera by Ian Wilson for the Justin’s own productions include Bizet’s co-revived the Czech premiere of Tauride and Tytania (A Midsummer ENO Studio. Other contemporary works Bridget Elliot Bridget Djamileh (Festival Les Azuriales in Martinu’s Greek Passion in Brno Shambhala Night’s Dream, performed at the 1994 include the lead role in Rendezvous by Director France and Linbury Theatre, London) and been assistant director on Der Iphise Edinburgh Festival). She also performed Australian composer Lindsay Vickery and two productions of The Marriage of Troubadour on the floating stage in the roles of Romilda (Xerxes, Victoria and Marie de Nostradame in Figaro – for Tuscany’s Opera Theatre of Bregenz, Austria. State Opera) and The Countess Nostradamus for West Australian Opera. Lucca, and for Diva Opera’s 1999 tour of (The Marriage of Figaro, West France and Switzerland. He co-founded Highlights of the coming season Australian Opera). Kathryn has appeared with the