Garsington Opera 2015

It may no longer be held in its titular locale, but since its foundation in 1989 Garsington Opera has gone from strength to strength. Set on the Wormsley Estate in Buckinghamshire’s rolling Chiltern Hills, it has a reputation for prioritising the under-performed, and has hosted the premier British productions of lesser-known works by Vivaldi, Rossini, Tchaikovsky and Janacek. This year’s four-part line-up seems no less exciting, with a Mozart favourite, two twentieth-century masterpieces and a promising collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Garsington Opera Programme
The festival runs from June 5^th to July 19^th, with its three operatic productions running in repertoire over the first five weeks. First to launch is Cosi fan tutte, Mozart’s humane and revealing comedy of marriage and manners. Andreea Soare, soprano, stars as Fiordiligi, supported by crossover queen Lesley Garrett (Soprano in Red) as the maid Despina.
Famed for its glittering interludes, Richard Strauss’ Intermezzo is another marital tale, although one of an extraordinarily personal nature: it depicts a brief episode of discord in Strauss’ own life, with the principals modelled on himself and his wife. Death in Venice, the final opera by Benjamin Britten, focuses rather on unrequited passion, as the Mahler-like composer Aschenbach contracts an obsession with a young boy. Based on the Thomas Mann (Magic Mountain, Buddenbrooks) novella, it is a sensuous portrait of human desire.

---

Curious what else is on at the Southbank Centre this summer? Check out our full guide to the Southbank Centre Festival of Love 2015.

---

Garsington Opera 2015 ends with A Midsummer Night’s Dream (16^th – 19^th July), specifically created for the season with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The RSC’s Gregory Doran directs an abridged version of the play, set alongside Felix Mendelssohn’s incidental music. This restores a shimmering orchestral gem, heard so often in concert performance, to its original dramatic context. Tickets have now sold out, but it’s worth calling the box office for returns on 01865 361636.