Glyndebourne Festival Opera 2023
Glyndebourne Festival Opera 2023
Glyndebourne Festival -the flagship season of world-class opera, will run from 19 May to 27 August 2023. Every production, whether an opera or concert, will be wrapped in the full Festival experience: indoor performances with a long dining interval and time to enjoy the gardens. New productions of Handel, Mozart, and Poulenc, plus revivals of Donizetti, Stravinsky, and Britten in a star-studded summer season.
The famous Glyndebourne Festival showcases a spectacular array of musical flair across many weeks in the summer. Audiences flock from far and wide to enjoy the fine music and the ambiance of the beautiful surroundings. This level of luxury hospitality is unmatched at any other operatic festival.
After two limited years, the appetite for opera is insatiable: Glyndebourne Festival Opera is about to open but already diaries are open for 2023 – and with good reason.
Three exciting new productions dominate a season that is punctuated too with revivals of three outstanding classic productions.
The season opens with Mozart's Don Giovanni in a new production by Mariame Clement. A woman director is sure to bring new insights into the rise and fall of an inveterate womanizer. The cast includes Moldovan baritone Andrey Zhilikhovsky as Don Giovanni, Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva as Donna Anna and Armenian soprano Ruzan Mantashyan as Donna Elvira, Evan Rogister conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (17 performances, 19 May-15 July 2023).
Also new is Poulenc's moving opera Dialogues des Carmelites. Directed by Barrie Kosky, whose most recent production of Handel's Saul scooped awards and accolades. The cast includes soprano Danielle de Niese as the opera’s heroine Blanche de la Force, with Swedish mezzo-soprano Katarina Dalayman and Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill (10 performances, 10 June-29 July 2023).
The third new production is directed by Adele Thomas, who made such an impression at the Royal Opera House with Handel's Berenice and Vivaldi's Bajazet. She returns to Handel and his Semele, based on Greek myth, with American soprano Joélle Harvey in the title role, plus British mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston as Juno and British tenor Stuart Jackson as Jupiter. Václav Luks conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (14 performances between 23 July-26 Aug 2023).
Returning to the season are three stalwarts: Peter Hall's 1981 silvery production of Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, a magical evening based on Shakespeare's comedy. Dalia Stasevska conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the case includes British countertenor Tim Mead as Oberon and American bass-baritone Brandon Cedel as Bottom (12 performances, 1 July-22 Aug 2023).
With its designs by David Hockney and the angular music of Igor Stravinsky, The Rake's Progress is another Glyndebourne evergreen It returns with New Zealand tenor Thomas Atkins as Tom Rakewell, British soprano Louise Alder as Ann Trulove and British bass-baritone Sam Carl as Nick Shadow. Robin Ticciati conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (10 performances, 4-27 August 2023).
A delightful cast makes the return of Gaetano Donizetti's comedy L’elisir d’Amore a very welcome prospect. Ben Gernon conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra, chorus, and soloists who include British soprano Nardus Williams as Adina and Armenian tenor Liparit Avetisyan as Nermorino (15 performances, 20 May-12 July 2023).
A key part of the Glyndebourne Festival experience is the 90-minute interval – a chance to enjoy a picnic in the gardens or dinner at one of three on-site restaurants. You’re welcome to bring your own picnic, or order one to pick up when you arrive.
About the Glyndebourne Festival Opera
The Glyndebourne festival is held annually in England, near the town of Lewis in East Sussex on The Glyndebourne estate. The festival was founded in 1934 by philanthropist and owner of the Estate John Christie, who was a great lover of music. Amateur Opera performances were held in his house. Christie later married singer Audrey Mildmay. They came up with the idea to hold a high-level Opera festival. Thus, on may 28, 1934, the opening of the first festival was held with a production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Opera the Wedding of Figaro with Audrey Mildmay as Susanna. Over time, the Glyndebourne festival has become one of the most important events for music lovers.
In 1968, the festival expanded its program, there was a program of tours. To this day, festival performances can be seen in different parts of England.
If initially, the repertoire of the festival consisted mainly of operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, then later the repertoire was expanded. The audience could enjoy operas by Gioachino Rossini, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Gaetano Donizetti, Leos janáček, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, and others. These works were directed by such famous conductors as Fritz Busch (1934 – 1951), Vittoro GUI (1951 – 1960), John Pritchard (1960 – 1977), Bernard Haitink (1978 – 1988), and others. Such Opera stars as Luciano Pavarotti, Ruggero Raimondi, and others appeared on the stage of the festival.
The hall where the Glyndebourne festival was held was constantly renovated and expanded. If initially, it could accommodate 300 spectators, by 1977 – 850. In addition, a separate rehearsal room was added. However, this expansion did not meet the requirements of the festival, so in 1992 the construction of a new building began.
The new hall was opened on May 28, 1994, and could accommodate 1,200 spectators. The first production on the new stage, 60 years ago, was the Opera "the Wedding of Figaro" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Today, Opera lovers come to the festival every year and note that it retains its own style and unique atmosphere.
