Coming up - Saul, Magic Flute and much more

The good news is that Glyndebourne are producing more Handel, unfortunately not another opera. Though given my doubts about Handel's previous two operatic outings there (Rodelinda and Giulio Cesare), perhaps that's a good idea. In fact, with the new Julius Caesar at ENO I am beginning to doubt whether any of our major opera companies are capable of staging Handel's opera seria any more. Anyway, rant over. Glyndebourne are staging Handel's Saul in 2015, with William Christie conducting and Barrie Kosky directing. It was Kosky who directed the recent Rameau opera at the London Coliseum, so we can presumably expect lots of theatricality, not much naturalism and perhaps some nudity! The cast includes Lucy Crowe and Sophie Bevan. (see my article about staging Handel oratorios)

Also at Glyndebourne in 2015, Frederic Wake-Walker will be directing Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera. Three cheers for Wake-Walker, just one dutiful cheer for the opera - I'm afraid that I still can't get excited about early Mozart. (see my review of Wake-Walker's Jephtha in Buxton, and my review of Bow Down for the Opera Group).

In the pipeline elsewhere, Paul Daniel will be conducting a production of A Village Romeo and Juliet in 2015, though you will have to travel to Frankfurt for it.

ENO are replacing their Nicholas Hytner production of The Magic Flute with one by Simon McBurney, of Complicite. McBurney directed the well received, and rather spectacular production of A Dogs Heart at the London Coliseum in 2010. It should be interesting to see what he makes of Mozart's problem opera and in particular what he does with the acres of spoken dialogue. There's a tendency at the moment to cut this heavily, and it would be nice to try another way.