Today : world première of 'Jack the Ripper' by Iain Bell in London (ENO)

Today, the English National Opera in London presents the world première of Jack the Ripper : The Women of Whitechapel, an opera composed by Iain Bell with a libretto by Emma Jenkins.

© Frances Marshall

It is the composer's fourth opera, after A Harlot's Progress (Vienna, October 2013), A Christmas Carol (Houston, December 2014), and In Parenthesis (Cardiff, May 2016).

A disadvantaged group of working-class women are drawn together in their determination to survive the murderous terror that stalks London's Whitechapel in 1888. Mary Kelly, who runs a doss house with her grandmother Maud, is teaching her daughter Iris to read and write to give her a chance to have a better life. But as the darkness descends and Mary watches the women in her life start to disappear, the community turn to her to find a way out of the labyrinth. (reproduced from the ENO website)

The cast includes soprano Claudia Boyle (Mary Kelly), soprano Josephine Barstow (Maud), soprano Janis Kelly (Polly Nichols), soprano Marie McLaughlin (Annie Chapman), soprano Susan Bullock (Liz Stride), soprano Lesley Garrett (Catherine Eddowes), baritone Alan Opie (The Pathologist), bass baritone Robert Hayward (Commissioner of Police) and tenor Nicky Spence (Sergeant Johnny Strong). Martyn Brabbins conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the English National Opera. Daniel Kramer directs.

The required orchestra is the following (reproduced from the Music Sales Classical website) :

- 2 flutes (doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (doubling contrabassoon) ;
- 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 1 tuba ;
- timpani, percussion, cymbalum, harp ;
- strings (12.10.8.6.4).

The opera is co-produced with Opera North.

Today : world première of 'The Monstrous Child' by Gavin Higgins in London

Today, the Royal Opera House in London presents the world première of The Monstrous Child, an opera composed by Gavin Higgins, with a libretto by Francesca Simon based on her own children book.

It is the composer's first opera.

Hel is the daughter of Norse god Loki and the giantess Angrboda. She’d be an ordinary teenager if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s half girl and half corpse. A prophecy predicts that Hel’s brothers are fated to bring forth the end of days, and in an attempt to prevent this the Gods kidnap all three of Loki’s monstrous children and take them to Asgard. Here, Hel becomes infatuated with Baldr, son of Odin (the king of the Gods). Odin banishes her to Niflheim to rule over the dead for eternity, where she continues to dream of Baldr. When Baldr unexpectedly appears in Nifelheim, Hel is forced to face up to reality and her fate. (reproduced from the Royal Opera House website)

The cast includes mezzo Marta Fontanals-Simmons (Hel), mezzo Rosie Aldridge (Angrboda), tenor tom Randle (Loki / God), mezzo Lucy Schaufer (Modgud) and bass Graeme Broadbent (Odin). Jessica Cottis conducts the Aurora Orchestra. Timothy Sheader directs.

The venue is the Linbury Theatre. The performance should last about 2 hours, including one interval.

New programme books in my collection

I have recently acquired several programme books for contemporary operas :

- Jonas S. Bohlin, Tristessa, Stockholm, October 6, 2018
It is a 28 pages brochure. It contains :
- complete cast and crew with B & W headshots ;
- synopsis (in Swedish and English) ;
- Torbjörn Elensky : Angela Carter satte allt på spel (Angela Carter put everything at stake) ;
- Torbjörn Eriksson : interview with Katharina Thoma ;
- Katarina Aronsson : Operan är scenkonstens moder (Opera is the mother of the performing arts), interview with visual artist Ann-Sofi Sidén ;
- Jonas S. Bohlin : Känslan av att stå utanför är en erfarenhet som påverkat mitt liv (The feeling of standing outside is an experience that has affected my life) ;
- Tiina Rosenberg : Divor är trasiga tanter, excerpt of HBTQ spelar roll (LGBT plays a role) ;
- several color photos.
The brochure is entirely in Swedish, unless otherwise stated.

- Niklas Brommare, När då då, Stockholm, October 13, 2018
It is a 28 pages brochure. It contains :
- complete cast and crew with B & W headshots ;
- color photos of rehearsals and drawings (sketches of characters), with quotes of the libretto.
The brochure is entirely in Swedish.

- Christian Diendorfer, Die Wand, Linz, Septembre 16, 2018
It is a 32 pages brochure. It contains :
- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- Ira Goldbecher : Marlen Haushofer, kurze biografische Einblicke ;
- Hermann Schneider : Zum Libretto ;
- Dialogue with Eva-Maria Melbye (director) and Marcus Olson (set designer) : Eine poetische Neufassung ;
- Composer's biography ;
- several color photos.
The brochure is entirely in German.

 - Adam Gorb, The Path to Heaven, Leeds, June 19, 2018
It is a 20 pages brochure. It contains :
- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- biographies of artists with color headshots ;
- color photos of rehearsals ;
- complete libretto.
The brochure is entirely in English.

- Michael Jarrell, Bérénice, Paris, September 29, 2018
It is a 136 pages book. It contains :
- Complete cast ;
- In Brief (French and English) ;
- Synopsis and Characters (Franch and English) ;
- Timeline (French and English) ;
- Michael Jarrell : Faire chanter le français de Racine ;
- Philippe Albèra : Un portrait de Michael Jarrell ;
- Julia de Gasquet : L'instant et le moment : l'alexandrin métamorphosé ;
- Georges Forestier : Racine et le choix de Bérénice ;
- Christian-Georges Schwentzel : La reine "amie" et l'empereur ;
- Konrad Kuhn : Une pièce contemporaine ;
- Nathalie Azoulai : Tous les cahots de l'abandon (excerpt of Titus n'aimait pas Bérénice) ;
- complete libretto ;
- B & W photos of rehearsals ;
- biographies of the artists, with B& W headshots.
The book is entirely in French, unless otherwise stated.

- David Sawer, The Skating Rink, Wormsley (Garsington Opera), July 5, 2018
It is a 128 pages book that contains information on all four operas performed this year. There are actually 10 pages about The Skating Rink, not included the artists' biographies. It contains :
- complete cast and crew ;
- synopsis ;
- Creative Collaboration, David Sawer and Rory Mullarkey in conversation with Fiona Maddocks ;
- Chris Andrews : Roberto Bolaño and 'The Skating Rink' ;
- Enric's dream of skating, excerpt of Bolañ's The Skating Rink.
Biographies of artists with B & W headshots are included in the general roster for the Festival.

Other new programmes for past operas :

- Thomas Adès, Powder Her Face, Irish National Opera, Wexford, February 24, 2018. The opera was first performed in 1995. I also have the programme book for performances in Bologna (November 2010) ;
- Harrison Birtwistle, The Last Supper, Berlin (Staatsoper Unter den Linden), April 18, 2000 (world première). It contains a leaflet with complete cast and crew and another leaflet with biographies ot the artists ;
- Friedrich Cerha, Onkel Präsident, Munich (Gärtnerplatztheater im Prinzregententheater), June 1st, 2013 (world première) ;

- Silvia Colasanti, La metamorfosi, Firenze (Teatro Goldoni), March 9, 2014. The opera was first performed in the same theatre in May 2012 ;
- Nico Muhly, Two Boys, London (English National Opera), June 24, 2011 (world première) ;

- Hans Schanderl, Der Maschinist, Magdeburg, September 23, 2000. The opera was first performed on September 16, 2000 in Hannover. It contains a separate leaflet with the complete cast and crew ;
- Marco Tutino, Le Braci, Firenze, November 5, 2015. The opera was first performed in Budapest in October 2014.

I now have 599 programme books for contemporary operas. I have scanned all the covers and uploaded them to this flickr folder.

Today : first staged performance of 'Pushkin' by Konstantin Boyarsky at Grange Park

Today, the Grange Park Opera in West Horsley presents the first staged performance of Pushkin, an opera in two acts by Konstantin Boyarsky, with a libretto in English by Marita Phillips, great-great-great-granddaughter of Alexander Pushkin, his wife Natalya and Tsar Nicolas I.

It is the composer's first opera.

The opera tells the story of two giants in Russia’s tumultuous history : the nation’s Poet, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin and the nation’s Tsar, Nicholas I. Their relationship begins with mutual need and mutual admiration and ends in the tragic death of Pushkin. (reproduced from the opera website)

The opera was first performed in concert on February 4, 2017 by Novaya Opera Theater, in Moscow, as part of the epiphany Festival.

The cast includes tenor Peter Auty (Pushkin), baritone Artyom Garnov (Tsar Nicholas I), soprano Julietta Avanesyan (Natalya), mezzo Irina Romishevskaya (Catherine), mezzo Anna Sinitsyna (Alexandrine) and tenor Yaroslav Abaimov (Barton Heckeren). Jan Latham-Koenig conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of Novaya Opera. Igor Ushalov directs.

The performance should last about 3:30 hours, including one intermisson.

Today : world première of 'The Skating Rink' by David Sawer in Garsington

Today, the Garsington Opera presents the world première of The Skating Rink, an opera composed by David Sawer, with a libretto by Rory Mullarkey based on the novel by Roberto Bolano.

It is the composer's fourth opera after The Panic (London, May 31, 1991), From Morning to Midnight (London, ENO, April 27, 2001) and Skin Deep (Leeds, Opera North, January 16, 2009).

Nuria, a beautiful young skating champion, has a powerful admirer, Enric, whose obsession drives him to pilfer funds to build her an ice rink in a deserted Spanish mansion. Discovered by an unlikely group of characters, a murder on the ice becomes the centre of this thrilling tale of jealousy, political corruption and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. (reproduced from the Garsington Opera website)

The cast includes bass baritone Grant Doyle (Enric), tenor Sam Furness (Gaspar), baritone Ben Edquist (Remo), mezzo Susan Bickley (Carmen) and soprano Claire Wild (Caridad). Garry Walker conducts the Garsington Opera Orchestra. Stewart Laing directs.

New programme books in my collection

I have recently acquired several programme books for contemporary operas :

 - John Adams, The Death of Klinghoffer, London (ENO), February 25, 2012.
It is a 98 pages book, with only 48 pages related to the opera. The opera was first performed in Brussels in 1991. I already have programme books from Lyon (1991) and Long Beach (2014).
- John Adams, Doctor Atomic, London (ENO), February 25, 2009.
It is a 78 pages book, with 36 pages related to the opera. The opera was first performed in San Francisco in 2005. I already have programme books from Amsterdam (2007) and Strasbourg (2014).
- Gavin Bryars, Doctor Ox's Experiment, London (ENO), June 15, 1998.
It is a 42 pages brochure. This is the programme for the world première performance.

 
- John Cage, Europeras 1 & 2, Braunschweig, November 25, 2017.
It is a 32 pages brochure. The operas were first performed in Frankfurt in 1987.
- Elliott Carter, What Next ?, München, November 20, 2011.
It is a 40 pages brochure. It also includes a separate 12 pages leaflet with biographies of the artists. The opera was first performed in Berlin in 1999. Puccini's Gianni Schicchi was performed as the first part of a double bill evening. I have another programme for a concert version in Paris in 2000.
- Peter Eötvös, Tri Sestri, München, February 8, 2010.
It is a 44 pages brochure. It also includes a separate 12 pages leaflet with biographies of the artists. The opera was first performed in Lyon in 1998. I have the programme book the the world première and another one for performances at the Wiener Staatsoper in March 2016.

 
- Philip Glass, The Making of the Representative for Planet 8, London (ENO), November 17, 1988.
It is a 48 pages brochure. The opera was first performed in Houston in July 1988. The performances in London were the first in Europe.
- Philip Glass, The Perfect American, London (ENO), June 1, 2013.
It is a 76 pages book, with only 38 pages related to the opera. The opera was first performed in Madrid in January 2013. I have the programme book for the world première.
- Iain Hamilton, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, London (ENO), February 2, 1977.
It is a 44 pages brochure. This is the programme for the world première.

- Hans Werner Henze, Die Bassariden, München, May, 19, 2008.
It is a 140 pages book. It also includes a separate 6 pages leaflet with biographies of the artists. The opera was first performed in Salzburg in 1966. I have another programme book for performances in Paris in 2005.
- Helmut Lachenmann, Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern, Hamburg, January 26, 1997.
It is a 48 pages book. This is the programme book for the world première. I already have two other programme books for this opera : Paris in September 2001 and Stuttgart in October 2001.
- Jost Meier, Dreyfus - Die Affäre, Basel, October 16, 1994.
It is a 112 pages book. The opera was first performed in Berlin in May 1994. I have another programme brochure for performances at New York City Opera in April 1996.

- Lucia Ronchetti, Rivale, Braunschweig, October 29, 2017.
It is a 16 pages leaflet. The opera was first performed in Berlin on October 8, 2017. I have the programme book for the world première.
- Poul Ruders, The Handmaid's Tale, London (ENO), April 3, 2003.
It is a 96 pages brochure, with only 40 pages dedicated to the opera. The opera was first performed in Copenhagen in 2000.
- Aulis Sallinen, The King Goes Forth to France, London (Royal Opera House), April 1, 1987.
It is a 72 pages brochures, with only 32 pages dedicated to the opera. The opera was first performed in Savonlinna in 1984.

- Mark Anthony Turnage, Greek, London (ENO), September 27, 1990.
It is a 64 pages brochure. The opera was first performed in München in June 1988. I have two other programme books for this opera : Wuppertal in 1992 and Paris in 2000.
- Mark Anthony Turnage, The Silver Tassie, London (ENO), February 16, 2000.
It is a 96 pages brochure. This is the programme for the world première.
- Rufus Wainwright, Prima Donna, Augsburg, February 3, 2018.
It is a 24 pages brochure. The opera was first performed in Manchester in 2009.

I now have 586 programme books for contemporary operas. I have scanned and uploaded all the covers to this flickr folder.

Today : world première of 'Cave' by Tansy Davies in London

Today, the Royal Opera House and the London Sinfonietta present the world première of Cave, a chamber opera in 8 scenes for 2 singers and ensemble with electronics, composed by Tansy Davies, with a libretto by Nick Drake.

(c) Maurice Foxall

It is the composer's second opera after Between Worlds, first performed by English National Opera at the Barbican on April 11, 2015.

This music theatre work follows a grieving man’s quest for survival and renewal, in a dystopian future of desert shopping malls and melting ancient glaciers. Desperate to connect one last time with his lost daughter, he enters a dark cave, and so begins his journey into the underworld of spirits. (reproduced from the Royal Opera House website)

The cast include tenor Mark Padmore (Man) and contralto Elaine Mitchener (Hannah). Geoffrey Paterson conducts the London Sinfonietta. Lucy Bailey directs.

The performance should last about 60 minutes. The venue is Printworks.

Today : world première of 'Mamzer Bastard' by Na'ama Zisser in London

Today, the Royal Opera House and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama present the world première of Mamzer Bastard, a chamber opera by Na'ama Zisser, with a libretto (in English, Hebrew and Yiddish) by Samantha Newton and Rachel C. Zisser.

It is the composer's second opera after Black Sand (London, 2013).

It is the night before Yoel’s wedding, an arranged marriage within his Orthodox Hasidic community. He is wracked with doubt. A chance encounter with a stranger reveals truths about Yoel that change everything. (reproduced from the Royal Opera House website)

The cast includes countertenor Collin Shay (Yoel), baritone Steven Page (Stranger), mezzo Gundula Hintz (Esther), tenor Robert Burt (Menash) and cantor Netanel Hershtik (David). Jessica Cottis conducts the Aurora Orchestra. Jay Scheib directs.

The venue is the Hackney Empire. The performance should last about 90 minutes (no interval).

Today : world première of 'Lessons in Love and Violence' by George Benjamin in London

Today, the Royal Opera House in London presents the world première of George Benjamin's new opera, Lessons in Love and Violence, with a libretto by Martin Crimp.

It is the third opera composed by George Benjamin, after Into the Little Hill (Paris, November 22, 2006) and Written on Skin (Aix-en-Provence, July 7, 2012), both with librettos by Martin Crimp.

A king is forced to choose between love and political expediency. His decisions allow his country to slide into civil war, and turn his wife and son against him. (reproduced from the Royal Opera House website)

The cast includes baritone Stéphane Degout (King), soprano Barbara Hannigan (Isabel) ; baritone Gyula Orendt (Gaveston / Stranger), tenor Peter Hoare (Mortimer) and tenor Samuel Boden (Boy / Young King). The composer conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Katie Mitchell directs.

The performance should last about 1 hour and 40 minutes. No intermission.

There will be 6 performances in London. Then, the production will travel to Amsterdam (June 2018), Hamburg (April 2019, conducted by Kent Nagano) and Lyon (May 2019).

Vocal score and libretto, published by Faber Music, are already available.

Today : world première of 'Coraline' by Mark-Anthony Turnage in London

Today, the Royal Opera House presents the world première performance of Mark-Anthony Turnage's Coraline, an opera for family audience, with a libretto by Rory Mullarkey based on the novel by Neil Gaiman.

(c) Philip Gatward

It is the composer's fifth opera. His previous works for the stage include Greek (1988), The Silver Tassie (2000) and Anna Nicole (2011).

Coraline opens a mysterious door in her parents’ home to discover an Other World. It is inhabited by her Other Mother and Other Father, who have buttons instead of eyes. Everything seems better in the Other World – to start with, at least…
Coraline discovers that the Other Mother wants to trap her in the Other World forever, and has kidnapped Coraline’s real parents to try to force her hand. But Coraline tricks her and she and her parents finally escape safely back home. (reproduced from the Royal Opera House website)

The cast includes soprano Mary Bevan (Coraline), mezzo Kitty Whately (Moter / Other Mother), baritone Alexander Robin Baker (Father / Other Father), soprano Gillian Keith (Miss Spink), mezzo Frances McCafferty (Miss Forcible) and tenor Harry Nicoll (Mr Bobo). Sian Edwards conducts the Britten Sinfonia. Aletta Collins conducts. The opera is performed at the Barbican Theatre.

The full score is published by Boosey & Hawkes. It is available for online perusal. According to the score, the requested orchestra is the following :

- flute (doubling piccolo), oboe (doubling Cor anglais), clarinet in Bb, bass clarinet, basson, horn in F ;
- trumpet in C, trombone ;
- harp, piano (doubling celesta), percussion (1) ;
- 1 violin, 1 viola, 2 cellos, 1 double bass.

The performance should last about 90 minutes.

Today : world première of Giorgio Battistelli's 'Wake' in Birmingham

Today, the Birmingham Opera Company presents the world première of Giorgio Battistelli's new opera, Wake, with a libretto by Sarah Woods.

Battistelli has already composed about 20 stage works, including Il Medico dei pazzi (Nancy, June 2014), CO2 (Milano, May 2015) and Lot (Hannover, April 2017).

Wake begins with the death of Lazarus, and the desperation of Martha and Mary, which becomes an echo of the injustice and unhappiness of man’s lot. But when Lazarus is brought back to life by Jesus, he is no longer able to cope with the reality he’d left behind. The celebration of his return is haunted by the despair over his non-return. Everything has changed, nothing is as it once was. Only in the end, in a boat surrounded by a sea of people telling their own stories, does Lazarus regain hope and his own humanity thanks to the solidarity among the desperate. (reproduced from the Ricordi website)

The cast includes soprano Nardus Williams (Martha), soprano Mimi Doulton (Mary), baritone Elliott Carlton Hines (Jesus) and tenor Joshua Stewart (Lazarus). Jonathon Heyward conducts the orchestra. Graham Vick directs.

The full score is available on the Ricordi website. It includes the composition of the required orchestra :

- 3 (II also picc., III picc.).1 (also cor.i.).5 (I Picc. in Mib, II in Sib e La, also Picc. in Mib, III bcl., IV dbcl. also bcl.). 2 (II dbn.) ;
- 4.2.2.2 tu. wag. 1. ;
- 2 acc., 4 perc., 2 grand piano, harp, guit. ;
- strings : 1.1.1.1.1.

The performance should last about 75 minutes.

Today : world première of Nico Muhly's 'Marnie' in London (ENO)

Today, the English National Opera in London presents the world première of Nico Muhly's new opera, Marnie, with a libretto by Nicholas Wright, based on Winston Graham's novel.

It is the composer's third opera after Dark Sisters (Gotham Chamber Opera, New York, November 9, 2011) and Two Boys (London, ENO, June 24, 2011).

A young woman makes her way through life by embezzling from her employers, before she moves on and changes her identity. When her current boss Mark Rutland catches her red-handed, he blackmails her into a loveless marriage. Marnie is left with no choice but to confront the hidden trauma from her past. (reproduced from the ENO website)

The cast includes mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke (Marnie), baritone Daniel Okulitch (Mark Rutland), countertenor James Laing (Terry Rutland), tenor Alasdair Elliott (Mr Strutt),contralto Kathleen Wilkinson (Marnie's mother) and soprano Lesley Garrett (Mrs Rutland). Martyn Brabbins conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the English National Opera. Michael Meyer directs.

The performance should last about 2 hours and 40 minutes. The opera will be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 on December 9, 2017.

Today : world première of Louis Mander's 'The Life to Come' by the Surrey Opera

Today, the Surrey Opera presents the world première of Louis Mander's opera The Life to Come, with a libretto by Stephen Fry after E. M. Forster's short story.

It is the composer's second opera after The Fallen Soldier (Belsize Opera, 2017).

A story of fated love between an African Prince and a zealous British Missionary. It addresses spiritual and religious conflicts amidst the tension between prejudices and freedom in Colonial Africa in the early 20th Century. (reproduced from the composer's website)

The cast includes tenor Martin Lindau (Paul Pinmay), baritone Jolyon Loy (Ronald), baritone Themba Mvula (Vithobai), baritone Jonathan Forbes Kennedy (Rev. Tregold) and mezzo Hannah Poulsom (Verily Romily). Jonathan Butcher conducts and directs. The venue is the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill, Surrey. Further performances in Croydon and Brighton in October.

The performance should last about 1 hour and 50 minutes, with one intermission.

The opera will also be performed by the Norwegian Opera in Oslo, conducted by tone Bianca Dahl and directed by Einar Bjørge.

New programme books in my collection : Dove, Schnyder and Zender

I have recently acquired three new programme books for contemporary operas :

- Jonathan Dove, The Day After, London (ENO Studio Live), May 26, 2017 (half of a 32 pages brochure, the other half is about Gilbert & Sullivan's Trial by Jury) ;
- Daniel Schnyder, Charlie Parker's Yardbird, London (ENO at Hackney Empire), June 9, 2017 (24 pages brochure) ;
- Hans Zender, Stephen Climax, Brussels (La Monnaie), Novembre 10, 1990 (144 pages book).

I now have 488 programme books for contemporary operas. All scanned covers are in this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Roxanna Panufnik's 'Silver Birch' in Garsington

Today, the Garsington Opera presents the world première of Roxanna Panufnik's 'people's opera' Silver Birch, with a libretto by Jessica Duchen, after Siegfried Sassoon's poems and the testimony of a British soldier who served in Iraq.

It is the composer's third opera after Inkle and Yarico (Barbados, 1997) and The Music Programme (Warsaw, 2000).

Jack joins the army to silence his father's taunts for his love of poetry. Joined by his brother Davey, their devastating experiences turn the whole family's world upside down. Supported by the power of their mother's love as she tries to hold the family together they, like Sassoon himself, seek to help those whose suffering they share. (reproduced from Garsington Opera website)

The cast includes tenor Sam Furness (Jack), mezzo Victoria Simmonds (Anna), bass baritone Darren Jeffery (Simon), bass baritone Bradley Travis (Siegfried Sassoon) and soprano Sarah Redgwick (Mrs Morrell). Douglas Boyd conducts and Karen Gillingham directs.

The performance should last about 1 hour and 45 minutes (no interval).

Today : world première of Brett Dean's 'Hamlet' in Glyndebourne (and programme book)

Today, the Glyndebourne Festival presents the world première of Brett Dean's Hamlet, an opera in two acts with a libretto by Matthew Jocelyn based on Shakespeare.

It is the composer's second opera after Bliss (Sydney, March 12, 2010).

Thoughts of murder and revenge drive Hamlet when he learns that it was his uncle Claudius who killed his father, the King of Denmark, then seized his father’s crown and wife. But Hamlet’s vengeance vies with the question: is suicide a morally valid deed in an unbearably painful world ? (reproduced from the Glyndebourne Festival website)

The cast includes tenor Allan Clayton (Hamlet), mezzo Sarah Connolly (Gertrude), soprano Barbara Hannigan (Ophelia), bass-baritone Rod Gilfry (Claudius), tenor Kim Begley (Polonius), bass John Tomlinson (Ghost of Old Hamlet). Vladimir Jurowski conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Glyndebourne Chorus. Neil Armfield directs.

The required orchestra is the following (according to the Boosey & Hawkes website) :

- 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons ;
- 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba ;
- percussion (4 players) ;
- timpani, accordion, harp, keyboard ;
- strings (10.8.6.6.4)

These numbers include two identical trios, each consisting of 1 clarinet, 1 trumpet and 1 percussion, to be stationed in the theatre throughout.

The performance should last about 140 minutes, and the complete performance including interval should last about 4 hours.

The programme book for the complete Festival is a large 144 pages book. It contains 11 pages on Hamlet :

- the synopsis ;
- complete cast and crew ;
- a discussion with the creative team (composer, librettist, conductor, director, leading man Allan Clayton and dramaturg Cori Ellison) ;
- We who are Hamlet, by Sarah Crompton ;
- Will the real Hamlet please stand up ? by James Shapiro ;
- artists biographies for the whole Festival, with black and white headshots.

I now have 476 programme books for contemporary operas. All scanned covers are in this flickr folder.

Today : world première of Ravi Shankar's 'Sukanya' in Leicester

Today, the Royal Opera House, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Curve Theatre in Leicester presents the posthumous world première of Ravi Shankar's opera Sukanya, with a libretto by Amit Chaudhuri based on the Mahabharata.

The score has been completed by David Murphy.

After a terrible mistake leaves the ancient sage Chyavana blinded, the beautiful princess Sukanya finds herself marrying for the sake of her kingdom. As a pair of swaggering, meddling gods watch this unlikely union blossom, will love grow in the strangest of circumstances ? (reproduced from the Curve Theatre website)

The cast includes soprano Susanna Hurrell  (Sukanya), tenor Alok Kumar (Chyayana), bass baritone Keel Watson (King Shaariyati), baritone Njabulo Madlala and baritone Michel de Souza (Aswini Twins). David Murphy conducts the BBC Singers and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Suba Das directs.

After the first performance in Leicester, it will be presented in Salford (The Lowry), Birmingham (Symphony Hall) and London (Royal Festival Hall).

Today : world premiere of Lliam Paterson's 'The 8th Door' in Glasgow

Today, the Scottish Opera presents the world premiere of Lliam Paterson's The 8th Door, conceived as a prequel to Bela Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle.

(c)Mihaela Bodlovic

It is the composer's first opera.

Inspired by Bartók’s great masterpiece, The 8th Door probes those things left unsaid – the spaces and silences in Bluebeard’s Castle. Performed by a cast of actors from around the globe, it holds up a mirror to the world of Bluebeard, weaving together the poetry of his Hungarian contemporaries and Paterson’s clear and vibrant music. Six singers join the orchestra in the pit, delivering a wealth of textures and sounds to a strikingly beautiful visual story of love and confusion. (reproduced from the Scottish Opera website)

The cast includes mezzo Katie Grosset, baritone Martin Häßler, counter-tenor Daniel Keating-Roberts, soprano Hazel McBain, tenor William Morgan and soprano Emily Vine. Sian Edwards conducts the Scottish Opera Chorus and Orchestra. Matthew Lenton directs.

Both works are sung in Hungarian. The complete performance should last about 2 hours.