T02136741812Sung in English and Italian. A tale of Monteverdi’s final years, intertwined with the most remarkable music from his three operas. Venice 1638, and the people are hungry for entertainment. Opera is in its infancy but its creator, Monteverdi, is approaching old age with fury and trepidation, his hankering for a prosperous retirement thwarted by dogmatic clergy, the inquisition, an overactive imagination, a prodigal son and his own crippling writer’s block. Highly-entertaining, Monteverdi’s Flying Circus delves into the psyche of this all-too-human yet extraordinary composer as he confronts his demons to create some of the most divine music ever written. By turn profoundly moving and hilarious, the production draws on music from all three of Monteverdi’s operas (L'Orfeo, Ulysses and Poppea) in a powerful and emotional re-telling of Monteverdi’s final years, magically crafted with a spectacular combination of music, circus, comedy and dance. Running time: 2hrsCompany Armonico Consort. Musical Director Christopher Monks. Director Anna Tolputt. Design Helen Stewart. Lighting Tom White. Performer Eliot Giuralarocca. Performer Anna Sandstrom. Performer Elizabeth Atkinson. Performer Philip Jones. Performer Gordon Adams. Performer John Furlong. Performer Alex Ashworth. Performer Oceane Peillet. Performer Jose Triguero. | |
13 Jul 11 to 21 Jul 11 | Buxton Opera House, Buxton :: V424 listing details L045036713 |
27 May 11 | Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds :: V76 listing details L59876943 |
25 May 11 | Lighthouse (previously known as Poole Arts Centre), Poole :: V910 listing details L1363868216 |
T092041256FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO in a world where men with beards did great things, a young venetian composer, Claudio Monteverdi was beavering away writing some of the world's first operas. The people were hungry for entertainment, and he was between a Baroque and a hard place. But with courage, skill, a wispy beard, wit and style, he pulled it off, writing some of the greatest music known to man. Four centuries later, Armonico Consort has taken some of the most beautiful melodies ever to have been created from all three of Monteverdi's classic operas - L'Orfeo - Ullyses - Poppea - and, in a feat never before attempted, will retell these great tales in just one evening. With a cast of world class singers, and in a highly entertaining evening of music, puppetry, circus, comedy, lighting and dance, 40 years of Monteverdi's operas are retold in a way you will never have experienced before. With the finest period instrumentalists, this is an evening for those passionate about Baroque opera and for those dabbling for the first time.Company Armonico Consort. | |
21 Oct 10 | Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury :: V0465778148 listing details L01104616422 |