Opera North new season

Opera North's 2009/10 season has been announced, and there are some gems in it.

Tom Cairns is directing a new production of Massenet's Werther with Alice Coote as Charlotte, which makes it unmissable. Paul Nilon is in the title role, which should be interesting as this intelligent artist does not have the typical type of tenor voice used in the role. Richard Farnes conducts. Also new in the autumn is Janacek's The Adventures of Mr. Broucek, one of the rarest of Janacek's mature operas. John Graham-Hall is in the title role, with a strong cast including Anne-Sophie Duprels, Jeffrey Lloyd Roberts, Frances McCafferty, Donald Maxwell and Jonathan Best. John Fulljames directs. Also during the Autumn they are touring a small scale production of a new opera by Jonathan Dove and Alasdair Middleton called Swanhunter. It will premiere in the new Howard Assembly Room at the Grand Theatre in Leeds before touring to smaller venues.

Then in Winter 2010 we are getting a new production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore directed by Jo Davies; no cast details yet. Finally in Spring 2010 the highlight of the season, for me, Sarah Connolly in the title role of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda. Antonia Cifrone is Elizabeth and Turkish tenor Bulent Bezduz is Leicester. Bezduz was seen most recently on the South Bank as Pilade in Opera Rara's Ermione. The production is directed and designed by Antony McDonald.

For the revivals there is Cosi van Tutte with Victoria Simmonds as Dorabella, Phyllida Lloyd's 1993 production of La Boheme with Anne-Sophie Duprels and Bulent Bezduz and Rusalka with Giselle Allen in the title role.