Il mondo della luna
This year Operaluna is marking the bicentenary year of Haydn’s death in 1809 and has booked Opera East Productions to return to Marlborough with their tribute to Haydn, ‘Il mondo della luna (The World on the Moon).’
A largely undiscovered treasure, Il mondo della luna interweaves themes of love, intrigue, fantasy and experiment in a masterpiece of classical light opera. It is a familiar story, but with a twist: a protective father, aptly named Buonafede – ‘Goodfaith’ – is intent on preventing his two daughters (and their maidservant) from marrying wrongly. One of the suitors, Ecclitico, is equally intent on outwitting him. Ecclitico, an amateur astrologer, persuades Buonafede that he can transport him to the moon! All is possible in this apparent garden of desires, where Cecco, another of the suitors-in-disguise, reigns supreme as Emperor. Back on earth, lunar events need some unravelling, but all’s well that ends well!This new production, which will be sung in English, will be directed by Jeff Clarke, whose Le nozze di Figaro (2008) for OEP was such a success in Marlborough last year. Musical direction will be by OEP's Artistic Director, Oliver Gooch who, in addition to the success of Le Nozze di Figaro for OEP,last year, also conducted Riders to the Sea and Savitri (Buxton Festival), Conrad Susa's The Dangerous Liaisons (Dicapo Opera, New York), and Un giorno di regno (Stanley Hall Opera and Iford Opera). Forthcoming engagements include I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Opera North), Turandot (ROH), Sarka (Dicapo Opera), Eugene Onegin (Iford Opera), Fra Diavolo (Stanley Hall Opera) and of course Il mondo della luna (OEP).
“ ... the clarity with which vocal and instrumental lines were defined was often revelatory.”
Rian Evans, Opera“ … Oliver Gooch [and his players] mined the vein of melancholy that lies at the centre of Stravinsky’s music, and lent the evening …. a reflectiveness that you rarely hear.”
Robert Thicknesse, Opera Now
Since its creation almost a decade ago, Opera East Productions has been delighting audiences across East Anglia and beyond with its fresh and vibrant stagings of a wide variety of opera sung in English. The company is especially noted for its music education work which is carefully constructed around operas in the current repertoire. Particularly memorable performances have included works by Britten, including The Turn of the Screw and Albert Herring, Janàček’s The Cunning Little Vixen and most recently Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress and Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro.