Taking Zarathustra on-line: orchestra of Opera North from their homes in Yorkshire join conductor Tobias Ringborg in Sweden for Strauss' epic tone poem

When the orchestra of Opera North's concerts at Leeds Town Hall and Huddersfield Town Hall with conductor Tobias Ringborg were cancelled, the players in the orchestra were, to put in mildly, annoyed. Two players, Daniel Bull (cello) and Lourenço Macedo Sampaio (viola), had the idea to continue on-line, so conductor Tobias Ringborg conducted the first five minutes of Richard Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra (one of the works due to be performed) in an empty church in Stockholm with just a piano, then 40 individual players from the orchestra recorded their own contribution to be added. The results are remarkable, and can be seen on YouTube.

Whilst we look forward with anticipation to Opera North's 2020/21 season (booking for which has just opened), we can look back on previous productions available on-line,  including Wagner's complete Ring Cycle and the recent revival of Alessandro Talevi's production of Britten's Turn of the Screw.