| HGO | |||
| Richard Hetherington | Musikalische Leitung | ||
| Andrew Davidson | Regie | ||
| Maira Vazeou | Bühnenbild | ||
| Musica Poetica | |||
| Rosie Rowell | Sopran | Atalanta | 2015 Apr 24, 26, 29, Mai 01, 02 |
| Sophie Pullen | Sopran | Atalanta | 2015 Apr 25, 28, 30, Mai 02 mat, 03 |
| Corinne Hart | Sopran | Romilda | 2015 Apr 24, 26, 29, Mai 01, 02 |
| Madeleine Holmes | Sopran | Romilda | 2015 Apr 25, 28, 30, Mai 02 mat, 03 |
| Freya Jacklin | Mezzosopran | Amastre (Amastris) | 2015 Apr 24, 26, 29, Mai 01, 02 |
| Madeleine Sexton | Mezzosopran | Amastre (Amastris) | 2015 Apr 25, 28, 30, Mai 02 mat, 03 |
| Cathy Bell | Mezzosopran | Arsamene (Arsamenes) | 2015 Apr 24, 26, 29, Mai 01, 02 |
| Oskar McCarthy | Bariton | Arsamene (Arsamenes) | 2015 Apr 25, 28, 30, Mai 02 mat, 03 |
| Jean-Max Lattemann | Countertenor | Serse (Xerxes) | 2015 Apr 24, 26, 29, Mai 01, 02 |
| Paul Bork | Sopran | Serse (Xerxes) | 2015 Apr 25, 28, 30, Mai 02 mat, 03 |
| Chris Webb | Bass | Ariodate (Ariodates), Elviro | 2015 Apr 24, 26, 29, Mai 01, 02 |
| James Schouten | Bariton | Ariodate (Ariodates), Elviro | 2015 Apr 25, 28, 30, Mai 02 mat, 03 |
From April 24th to May 3rd, at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate, award-winning Hampstead Garden Opera will present a new production of Handel’s Xerxes in the English version of Nicholas Hytner. The Music Director will be Richard Hetherington who this season will conduct La Traviata at the Royal Opera House.
HGO’s Principal Music Director, Oliver-John Ruthven, describes Handel’s Xerxes as “a superb example of music theatre, in which we find a wealth of beauty, profundity, and comedy.” Within the opera we hear one of Handel’s best-loved tunes (often known as Handel’s Largo) and a wealth of other beautiful music. We will be using the Nicholas Hytner translation from his highly acclaimed ENO Production.
This will be the first time that Richard Hetherington has conducted a production at HGO. Richard is currently a member of the music staff at the ROH, and will be conducting The Royal Opera’s La traviata in June. This will also be the first HGO production to be staged by Australian director, Andrew Davidson.
Andrew Davidson observes, “the libretto of Xerxes in the form adopted by Handel is a lesson in love, loyalty, and justice from one of the world’s great operatic wordsmiths. It celebrates the human capacity for the sensual, the scientific, the silly, and the sublime.”
Andrew sees the King’s brother Arsamenes as the key character: “It can be tough living in the shadow of a big brother. It’s even tougher when your big brother is a king who acts like a kid. Spending a fortune on insane building projects, or cultivating a bizarre infatuation with a plant, you can deal with. But when he steals your beloved on your wedding day, it’s time to take action. Thus the true hero Arsamenes embarks on a battle of hearts in the corridors of power. Little does Xerxes know that his own fiancée is headed into town to tame this whiz kid run wild. Will she pull rank; reshuffle the cards and claim Xerxes for herself? Or will the dark clouds of tyranny extinguish the light? The resolution is not obvious.”
Performances of Xerxes:
Evenings – Apr 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, May 1 & 2 at 7.30 pm
Matinées at 4.00pm: Sundays Apr 26 & May 3
Matinée at 2.30pm: Saturday May 2nd
Upstairs At The Gatehouse, Highgate, London N6 4BD
Tickets: (unreserved) £23 (Concessions £21 - Apr 24, 25, & 26)