“The Predator Punish'd”: Longborough's new Don Giovanni

Ivan Ludlow (Don Giovanni) and Claire Egan (Donna Anna)

By Roy Westbrook, 12 July 2019

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“Ivan Ludlow’s Don Giovanni was imposing in physique (on show a lot of the time) and in sheer energy”

Reviewed at Longborough Festival Opera, Moreton-in-Marsh on 11 July 2019

Mozart, Don Giovanni

Longborough Festival Opera

Thomas Blunt, Conductor

Martin Constantine, Director

Will Holt, Set Designer

Ivan Ludlow, Don Giovanni

Emyr Wyn Jones, Leporello

Claire Egan, Donna Anna

Paula Sides, Donna Elvira

Llio Evans, Zerlina

William Morgan, Don Ottavio

Matthew Durkan, Masetto

Lukas Jakobski, The Commendatore

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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Roy Westbrook

Roy Westbrook gained a diploma in music history at London University (Morley College) and was for some years the head of music day schools at Oxford University, where he also led music summer schools. After some years leading the University's business school he has returned to music teaching and writing, and recently took part in the Arts in Residence courses on Bruckner, Mahler and Bach He is co-author (with Terry Barfoot) of a history of opera, and has taught day schools on Sibelius in Oxford and elsewhere.