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

Aoife Miskelly (Eurydice) and Peter Gijsbertsen (Orfeo)

L'Orfeo

Frances Gregory (Proserpina) and Julien Ségol (Pluton)

Peter Gijsbertsen (Orfeo)

By Roy Westbrook, 12 July 2023

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“Monteverdi, writing in a form with no template yet in 1607, virtually invents opera”

Reviewed at Longborough Festival Opera, Moreton-in-Marsh on 11 July 2023

Monteverdi, L'Orfeo (Orpheus), SV318

Longborough Festival Opera

Robert Howarth, Conductor

Olivia Fuchs, Director

Nate Gibson, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Tim Mitchell, Lighting Designer

La Serenissima

Peter Gijsbertsen, Orfeo

Aoife Miskelly, Euridice

Siân Cameron, La speranza

Frances Gregory, Proserpina, La messaggiera

Julien Ségol, Plutone, Spirito 2

Freddie Tong, Caronte

Seumas Begg, Apollo, Pastore 2

Caroline Taylor, La musica

Rosie Lomas, Ninfa

Andrew Irwin, Pastore 1

Nicholas Morris, Pastore 3, Spirito 1

Rozanna Madylus, Mezzo-soprano

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

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

Fearlessly heroic: Siegfried gets the Longborough Ring back on track

Matthew Rye, 30th May

Longborough Festival Opera’s ongoing Ring cycle returns to its fully staged form with a triumphant new Siegfried.

****1

More reviews...

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.