Albert Herring

On the surface, Britten’s Albert Herring is a knockabout pastoral farce, with its story of Albert’s alcohol-fuelled journey of self-discovery after his coronation as the May King of Loxford. It’s easy to recognise comedic archetypes in Peter Hall’s production (redirected … Continue reading →

Eugene Onegin

Graham Vick’s Glyndebourne production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin was deemed definitive by many when it opened in 1994. Revived by Caroline Sharman for the touring company, however, its force has waned a bit. This may be due to the fact … Continue reading →

Carmen

David McVicar’s production of Carmen, considered controversial when it opened earlier this year, squarely anchors Bizet’s masterpiece in the tradition of French naturalism. That this should faze some people is perhaps an indication of how views of the opera have … Continue reading →

Carmen

Glyndebourne’s new Carmen, directed by David McVicar, has been built around the casting of the title role. It was Anne Sofie von Otter’s desire to sing the part on stage that spawned the idea of this production, and though it … Continue reading →

Euryanthe

Posterity has not been very kind to Euryanthe. Weber’s grand heroic-romantic opera, first performed in 1823 and composed to capitalise upon the phenomenal success of his Der FreischÀtz two years earlier, is recognised as a precursor of much that German … Continue reading →

Katya Kabanova

Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s 1988 production of Janacek’s Katya Kabanova is often cited as one of Glyndebourne’s most formidable achievements. Using oppressively garish designs by Tobias Hoheisel, Lehnhoff pared the opera down to its essentials and focused unblinkingly on the themes of … Continue reading →

Don Giovanni

Hell, Freud once remarked, lies in the ceaseless repetition of the same compulsive act. He was writing about neurosis, but Graham Vick, in his Glyndebourne production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, reapplies it to the opera’s metaphysics. His Don is hauled … Continue reading →