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Garsington
Opera
9th June - 8th July 2001
Garsington Manor is
one of those charmed places that never seem to be crowded - even when
close to 600 people are roaming its grounds - and which always contrive
to look beautiful even in the dullest weather (an asset of particular
value in rain-plagued Oxfordshire). Such is its genteel beauty, with
its venerable stone walls, trim hedges, secluded nooks, charming flower
garden and breathtaking views, that Garsington would be an idyllic
spot for a picnic even without any other enticements. But for one
short month each summer, other enticements there certainly are: for
the manor is the setting for an annual opera festival of international
repute, whose only real flaw is that it doesn't last for longer.
Saturday night saw the opening of Garsington Opera's thirteenth season.
In the few years since its conception, the festival has rapidly acquired
an enviable reputation, not just for the consistently high quality
of its music and the imaginativeness of its productions, but also
because of the commitment of Leonard Ingrams, owner of the manor and
Festival Chairman, to exploring more adventurous repertoire. Audiences
at Garsington this year will see the first ever UK performance of
Rossini's La Gazetta, a comic masterpiece all but forgotten since
its premiere in 1816, as well as being given a rare chance to see
Richard Strauss's 1923 Intermezzo.
Alongside these two, and opening this year's season, is an intelligent,
witty and sumptuously beautiful production of Mozart's Die Zauberflote,
designed by Rae Smith and directed by James Macdonald. Set in a country
house at the beginning of the 20th century, the production makes full,
visually stunning use of the walls of the house which surround the
stage: scenery which is set off perfectly with some glorious period
costume. The temporal setting also allows for the exploration of new
layers of meaning in the obscure Masonic ritual of the original, linking
the inevitable boys' club atmosphere with a whiff of British inter-war
country-house Nazism. The opening performance on Saturday night was
by turns hilariously comic and gravely sombre, with some outstanding
individual performances - especially engaging was Riccardo Novaro
who delighted all with his boundlessly energetic rendition of Papageno.
Another of the aims of Ingrams and his fellow festival organisers
is that Garsington Opera should foster outstanding young talent -
should provide a platform for those just beginning to make their name
on the world-wide opera stage. Often this pays off, bringing to the
festival performers whose accomplished technique is combined with
youthful exuberance: Julie Unwin (First Lady), Felicity Hammond (Pamina)
and Kevin Matthews (Armed Man) were three whose voices particularly
impressed on Saturday. Sometimes, however, the performers are betrayed
by their youth: Rufus Muller sang pleasantly enough as Tamino, but
seemed to have some difficulty in engaging the top of his voice.
Accompanying all performances is Garsington Opera's exemplary orchestra,
which plays with the sonorous yet delicate precision one would expect
from an ensemble which incorporates the renowned Guildhall Strings.
Combine the quality of the productions, the beauty of the surroundings,
the amenities (including a champagne tent and a restaurant that can
provide anything from a luxury picnic hamper to a full three-course
dinner), and the convenience of the location (the manor is barely
a 20 minute drive from Oxford), and it is easy to see why Garsington's
outdoor opera house is packed out for every performance. Those who
don't manage to secure tickets for this summer should bear in mind
that there is also a chamber music series, of just as high a quality,
at Garsington every spring. Yet another excuse to visit this idyllic
spot within a stone's throw of the city.
Matthew Rogers, 9 /
06 / 01
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