Fall under the spell of a landmark British opera in this acclaimed semi-staged production by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
Edward Gardner conducts and Stuart Skelton takes the lead role.
A gripping human drama centering on a mysterious antihero, swept along by glittering waves of expressive music, Britten’s enduringly compelling work has often been named the greatest British opera of all time.
This winter at Royal Festival Hall, Australian tenor Stuart Skelton returns to a role for which he has received widespread international praise.
The Sunday Times has called him ‘the Grimes de nos jours’ and The Guardian names his interpretation of the part ‘the best around today’.His performances as Grimes with English National Opera, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award, were conducted by Edward Gardner during his ten-year tenure as ENO’s Music Director.
The Guardian commented, ‘it's Gardner who pulls all the threads together in conducting that is effortlessly vital, marvellously lyrical and searingly intense.’
Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic are joined by an all-star cast, including Erin Wall as schoolmistress Ellen Orford, described by The Financial Times as ‘a soprano of radiance, pristine beauty and tingling top notes’.
Roderick Williams, praised by The New York Times for his ‘rich, burnished baritone’, appears as Captain Balstrode and Susan Bickley – ‘resplendent’ (The Guardian) – as Auntie.
Three choruses take the stage for an opera known for its rousing massed vocals. The semi-staged production features Rostin Wexelsen’s strikingly suggestive minimalist design.
Presented in collaboration with Bergen National Opera. Originally presented in 2017, in collaboration with Bergen International Festival and Bergen National Opera.
November 30, 2019 at 7:00 PM
Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London, UK
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