A game of two halves: Ariadne auf Naxos at Longborough

By Charlotte Valori, 16 July 2018

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“Stoughton commands the stage with fearless sincerity”

Reviewed at Longborough Festival Opera, Moreton-in-Marsh on 13 July 2018

Strauss R., Ariadne auf Naxos

Longborough Festival Opera

Anthony Negus, Conductor

Alan Privett, Director

Faye Bradley, Set Designer

Helena Dix, The Primadonna (Ariadne)

Jonathan Stoughton, The Tenor (Bacchus)

Robyn Allegra Parton, Zerbinetta

Clare Presland, Composer

Alice Privett, Echo

Suzanne Fischer, Naiad

Flora McIntosh, Dryad

Harry Nicoll, Dancing Master

Richard Roberts, Scaramuccio

Darren Jeffery, Music Master

Timothy Dawkins, Truffaldino

Aidan Coburn, Brighella

David Padua, Officer

Julien Van Mellaerts, Harlequin

Ricardo Panela, Wigmaker

Samuel Oram, Lackey

Anthony Wise, The Major-Domo

Longborough Festival Opera Orchestra

Dorman’s Wahnfried receives its UK premiere at Longborough

Mark Pullinger, 27th May

Longborough Festival Opera, built on Wagnerian foundations, stages the UK premiere of Avner Dorman’s ambitious cautionary tale about the Wagner clan and establishing the composer’s legacy.

***11

An enthralling Walküre at Longborough Opera Festival

David Karlin, 18th June

Who wouldn't relish the chance of seeing a Ring cycle at close quarters? Longborough's Die Walküre isn't perfect, but it consistently delivers on the story and on character interpretation.

****1

Back to the Bard: Longborough's Fairy Queen

Roy Westbrook, 29th July

Polly Graham's production turns semi-opera into “three-quarters opera”, to good effect.

***11

Don't look back: Longborough's new L'Orfeo

Roy Westbrook, 11th July

Olivia Fuchs directs Monteverdi's early opera in a sparse staging with a consistently fine cast.

***11

Fame and feuding on the Rhine: Longborough's new Götterdämmerung

Roy Westbrook, 29th May

Longborough's Ring Cycle reaches completion in the Cotswold's, effectively staged by Amy Lane.

****1

Grief compellingly explored: Die tote Stadt at Longborough

David Karlin, 27th June

An outstanding performance from Rachel Nicholls lights up Carmen Jakobi's compelling production of Korngold's exploration of grief.

****1

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Charlotte Valori

Charlotte Valori read Classics at Christ Church, Oxford. As a classicist, her main interest is Greek tragedy and its reception by later cultures, which has led to a continuing passion for theatre and opera. Charlotte reviews for several online magazines, and won the Bachtrack Opera Award 2015 for Best Written English Review. Follow her on Twitter @operissima.