Summer plans for Garsington and Glyndebourne in 2018

Richard Strauss - Capriccio (c) Ken Howard for Santa Fe Opera, 2016

The Summer 2017 opera season is not yet quite upon us, yet opera companies are already announcing their plans for 2018. Opera Holland Park has already released its 2018 programme (including its first Richard Strauss opera, see my article), and now both Garsington Opera and Glyndebourne have announced theirs, and fascinating they are too.

At Garsington, 2018 heralds the company's first main season commission, the premiere of David Sawer's The Skating Rink with a libretto by playwright Rory Mullarkey based on the short novel by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño, Stewart Laing directs and Garry Walker conducts. Bruno Ravella's new production of Verdi's Falstaff will feature Henry Waddington's role debut, Richard Farnes conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra. Tim Albery's production of Richard Strauss's Capriccio is a co-production with Santa Fe Opera (see my review of the Santa Fe production), with Miah Persson as the Countess, Douglas Boyd conducts. The final new production is Mozart's The Magic Flute with both conductor and director, Christian Curny and Netia Jones, making their Garsington debuts.

Handel's Saul at Glyndebourne in 2015 - photo Bill Cooper

Over at Glyndebourne, the 2018 season will be a mix of classic revivals and intriguing newcomers. Samuel Barber's Vanessa seems to be an opera whose time might have come. We saw a new production in Santa Fe last year (see my review), and the Wexford Festival production last year made a notable effect. Now Glyndebourne is to become the first main UK company to produce the opera, giving the UK stage premiere directed by Keith Warner, conducted by Jakub Hrůša with Emma Bell, Edgaras Montvidas and Doris Soffel. The other new production is Stefan Herheim directing Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande (a strange and intriguing combination of director and opera), with Robin Ticciati conducting, with Christina Gansch and John Chest.

Glyndebourne revivals include Annilese Miskimmon's 2016 tour production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly conducted by Omer Meir Wellber, Richard Jones' production of Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier with Kate Royal, Kate Lindsay, Erin Morley, Brindley Sherratt conducted by Robin Ticciati, David McVicar's production of Handel's Giulio Cesare with Sarah Connolly and Joelle Harvey, conducted by William Christie, and Barrie Kosky's production of Handel's Saul (see my review of the 2015 premiere) with Markus Brück, Iestyn Davies, Allan Clayton, Karina Gauvin, and Anna Devin