Grange Park Opera Season Brochure 2015

CONTENTS 4 Performance Calendar 6 La Boheme Puccini 8 Samson et Dalila Saint-Saëns 10 Fiddler on the Roof Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick 12 Eugene Onegin Tchaikovsky 14 Your Visit (including dining) & Under 30s 16 Custodians of Culture: suppor t Grange Park Opera 17 General Information 20 Ticket Prices & Seat Map 22 How to book 23 Booking Form 2015 24 Booking Notes

“Blissfully bucolic”

M e l a ni e Es k e n a z i

“The most romantic setting – the poetry of the buildings chimes perfectly with the beauty of the operas on stage” harper’s ba z a ar

W E LCO M E This season all semblance of politesse has gone by the board: we are shouting from the rooftops. World superstar Bryn Terfel is coming to sing at The Grange and it’s the hottest ticket of the opera season. Bryn is taking on the lead role of Tevye, the homespun philosopher-cum-milkman in Fiddler on the Roof, the musical that has become a classic in the repertoire.

So brace yourself for stellar performances in a barnstorming production with lavish sets, a bottle dance to end all bottle dances and a reaquaintance with some of the most heartfelt songs ever served up on Broadway. Start booking now.

But musicals aren’t everyone’s cup – even a musical with seven showstoppers delivered by Mr T. The 2015 season also has the much-loved La Boheme, the welcome return of Eugene Onegin – the sets are so beautiful, that in 2013 the audience actually clapped the scenery – and Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila, an opera with such a dramatic score, it can’t but help bring the house down.

Opera is by its very nature a transporting art form. And at Grange Park we aim to lift the spirits not just inside the theatre but outside as well. The rolling parkland, the neo-classical mansion – where our after-opera parties are held and which are open to all – and our long intervals (plenty of time allowed to gossip and compare notes) are all part of the experience.

We can’t wait to see you.

GRA N G E PAR K O P E RA A small jewel with big performances

DATE

Start Time

PERFORMANCE

gLYNDEBOURNE

Thu 4

5. 20

pm

FIDDLER

ON THE

ROOF

frI 5

5. 20

pm

FIDDLER

ON THE

ROOF

SAT 6

5. 20

pm

LA boheme

Carmen

thu 11

5. 20

pm

LA boheme

Poliuto

fri 12

5. 20

pm

FIDDLER

ON THE

ROOF

Carmen

ON THE

ROOF

Die Entführung

JUNE

Poliuto

sat 13

5. 20

pm

FIDDLER

sun 14

4. 20

pm

LA boheme

thu 18

5. 20

pm

FIDDLER

fri 19

5. 20

pm

LA boheme

Carmen

sat 20

5. 20

pm

Samson

et

Die Entführung

sun 21

4. 20

pm

FIDDLER

ON THE

wed 24

5. 20

pm

Samson

et

thu 25

5. 20

pm

FIDDLER

ON THE

ROOF

Carmen

fri 26

5. 20

pm

FIDDLER

ON THE

ROOF

Poliuto

sat 27

5. 20

pm

LA boheme

Die Entführung

sun 28

4. 20

pm

Samson

et

Carmen

thu 2

5. 20

pm

FIDDLER

ON THE

ROOF

Poliuto

fri 3

5. 20

pm

FIDDLER

ON THE

ROOF

Die Entführung

sat 4

5. 20

pm

Samson

et

Dalila

Carmen

thu 9

5. 20

pm

Samson

et

Dalila

Poliuto

fri 10

5. 20

pm

eugene onegin

The Rape of Lucretia

sat 11

5. 20

pm

LA boheme

Carmen

sun 12

4. 20

pm

eugene onegin

Poliuto

wed 15

5. 20

pm

eugene onegin

Poliuto

thu 16

5. 20

pm

Samson

Die Entführung

fri 17

5. 20

pm

LA boheme

sat 18

5. 20

pm

eugene onegin

ON THE

Poliuto

ROOF

Dalila ROOF

Dalila

Dalila

Poliuto

Poliuto Die Entführung

JULY

et

Dalila

The Rape of Lucretia

“The word ‘destination’ (when used as an adjective) was made to describe this magical place. This thought– provoking and visually clever and attractive production is a milestone for the company” ART S D E S K

D O N Q U I C H OT T E

M A S S E N E T ( 2014 F E S T I VAL)

L A BOHèME GIACOMO PUCCINI | Opera in four acts | First performed 1896, Turin Libretto by Luigi Illica & Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger The impoverished poet Rodolfo falls in love with seamstress Mimi. They live life to the full in their Parisian garret, but the course of love doesn’t always run smoothly. And in the end there’s a heartbreaking reckoning.

La Bohème is said to be the world’s favourite opera. Director Stephen Medcalf – something of a GPO audience favourite himself with Grange triumphs that include Onegin (2012), Capriccio (2010), Fanciulla (2008) – takes inspiration from the setting of the novel in the Latin Quarter of Paris circa 1840.

BOURNEMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

I have always carried with me a large bundle of melancholy. I have no reason for it, but so I am made.

G I ACO M O P U CC I N I

generously sponsored by ICAP Conductor Stephen Barlow sponsor Mr & Mrs Peter Nutting

Director Stephen Medcalf Designer Jamie Var tan Lighting Designer Paul Keogan

plc

Susana Gaspar Mimi

sponsor Anthony & Caroline Townsend her pink bonnet • sponsor Raymonde Jay

Gianluca Terranova Rodolfo

sponsor François Freyeisen & Shunichi Kubo Che gelida manina • sponsor George & Caroline Goulding O soave fanciulla • sponsor Jane & Paul Chase-Gardener

Kelebogile Pearl Besong Musetta Brett Polegato Marcello

sponsor Roger & Kate Holmes

Quirijn de Lang Schaunard sponsor Mr & Mrs Ernst Piech

Nicholas Crawley Colline

his overcoat • sponsor Sir Roger & Lady Gifford

S AM SO N E T DA LI L A Camille Saint-Saëns | Opera in three acts | First performed 1877, Weimar Libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire from the Old Testament: Judges 16 Utterly vulnerable to the wiles of Dalila, Samson is victim to her cunning – he spills the beans as to the source of his strength. While he sleeps with his head in her lap, the Philistines shear him of his seven braids of hair. At a pagan orgiastic frenzy Samson wreaks havoc and destruction.

Hailed as one of the glories of French opera Dalila, as Saint-Saëns called it, was heard in opera houses from Saigon to New York. His tunes have survived a century – some 96 films with soundtracks by the great man. But it will be one – Dalila’s aria “Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix” – that melts your heart.

BOURNEMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

He is mighty in battle, but in my arms, he is my trembling slave, helpless to resist me.

DAL I LA

supported by a syndicate led by David & AMANDA LEATHERS Conductor Gianluca Marciano Director Patrick Mason Designer Francis O’Connor Lighting Designer Paul Keogan

Carl Tanner Samson

sponsor of one half: Noreen Doyle sponsor of the other half: Kevin Egan & Judith Lawless Israël! romps ta chaîne • sponsor Johnny & Marie Veeder

Sara Fulgoni Dalila

sponsor Ruth Markland Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix • sponsor Nerissa Guest

Nicholas Folwell Abimelech Christophoros Stamboglis Old Hebrew Michel de Souza High Priest of Dagon sponsor Mrs Peter Cadbury

first philistine sponsor David & Simone Caukill A JEW sponsor Brian & Jennifer Ratner

F I D D LE R O N TH E ROO F Music by Jerry Bock | Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick | Book by Joseph Stein First performance 22 September 1964, New York (50 years ago) Based on Tevye the Dairyman (1894) by Sholem Aleichem Bryn Terfel, takes on the role of Reb Tevye, the milkman of a shtetl in pre-revolutionary Russia.

Tevye has five daughters, no money for their dowries, but one firm idea: to hang on to the traditions of his Jewish forebears. His daughters have other ideas – as do the Tsarist forces that begin to threaten not only the village but a whole way of life made up of centuries-old customs.

Fiddler was the first musical to clock up more than 3,000 performances. Sheldon and Bock tried to repeat their success with another Jewish musical The Rothschilds which had a long run but lost a ton of money.

BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA

People said we were brave to put on a ‘Jewish’ show. I spent three years in World War II in the army fighting Hitler . . . may be that was brave. This was just Broadway.

S H EL D O N H AR N I C K

EXCEPTIONAL support from THE clore duffield foundation with Harry Hyman (Nexus Group) and four anonymous donors

Conductor David Charles Abell Director/SET DESIGNER Antony McDonald COSTUME Designer Gabrielle Dalton CHOREOGRAPHER Lucy Burge Lighting Designer Lucy Car ter

BRYN TERFEL Reb Tevye, the milkman

sponsor James & Béatrice Lupton

GOLDE his long suffering wife Her head has a sponsor: Peter & Manina Dicks TZEITEL their daughter who loves the tailor sponsor Heike & Darcy Munro CHAVA another daughter who runs off with a Russian officer sponsor Gareth & Janet Davies YENTE the matchmaker sponsor Simon & Victoria Robey THE RABBI sponsor David Kershaw THE INNKEEPER sponsor Damon & Sandra de Laszlo THE BOTTLE DANCE sponsor Jeremy & Rosemary Farr THE CONSTABLE sponsor Adam & Lucy Constable

E UG E N E O N EGI N Pyotr ILYICH Tchaikovsky | Opera in three acts | First performed 1879, Moscow Libretto by the composer and Konstantin Shilovsky, based on Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse It’s his most famous opera for a reason: it has it all. Feckless flaneur Onegin breaks the heart of Tatyana – only to realise that it is he who is the victim of love. Wonderful tunes, tear-jerking moments, complete with the dazzling scene of the magnificent St Petersburg Ball.

The opera’s genesis was during the composer’s frenetic marriage and separation – after just 30 days spent with his wife under the same roof. Tchaikovsky flung himself at Pushkin’s verse. As he wrote to his brother, “You cannot imagine how crazy I am about this subject”. There is no doubt that the composer saw himself as Onegin; rejecting a woman whose love is overwhelming.

BOURNEMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

I carry you around on my brow like a wound that will never heal

Conductor Gianluca Marciano Director Stephen Medcalf Designer Francis O’Connor

Brett Polegato Onegin

sponsor John L Pember ton

Susan Gritton Tatyana

sponsor Francis & Nathalie Phillimore

CHOREOGRAPHER Lynne Hockney

Jung Soo Yun Lensky

Lighting Designer Paul Keogan

Rebecca Afonwy-Jones Olga sponsor Anonymous

Anne-Marie Owens Madam Larina

sponsor Sir David & Lady Plastow Waltz at her party • sponsor Stephen Gosztony & Sue Butcher

Rebecca de Pont Davies Filipyevna Stuart Kale Monsieur Triquet Alan Ewing Prince Gremin

His aria • sponsor Stephen Gosztony & Sue Butcher Polonaise at St Petersburg Ball • sponsor John & Carol Wates

“A sensitively intelligent staging of this most perfect of operas . . . Polegato’s warm, supple baritone makes this a complete characterisation . . . the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra finds the natural ebb and flow in Tchaikovsky’s score.” da i ly t e l e g r a ph

EU G EN E O N EG I N TC H A I KOV S K Y

YO UR VI S IT DINING The important bit… The long interval is (almost) as enjoyable as the opera itself.

There are decisions to be made about dining.

And it is best if they are made in advance.

NEWS FLASH From January, the various dining options may be booked on the website.

MR DEMONCEY’S DINING ROOMS The easiest option is to reserve a table in the rooms named after Aristide Demoncey, the charismatic head chef at The Grange in the 1890s. The tables are set within the splendour of the neoclassical mansion (tablecloths, gleaming cutlery, flowers, no expense spared…). Menus and booking details will be sent with your tickets.

RESERVE A PRIVATE PAVILION Bring your own gourmet picnic and eat it in a private Raj-style pavilion. We can provide tables and chairs, and, for a fee, a porter to carry your hamper from the car park. There are also comfortable tables in the Long Marquee, an enclosed tent.

PICNIC OUTDOORS There’s nothing like bagging the best spot on the grass and having your own Arcadian idyll. There are stylish tables and chairs that you are welcome to use – free.

Just make sure you get there first.

AFTERNOON TEA Take an Edwardian tea in the Library (china teacups, a pot of tea and a tiered stand of goodies). Or have tea in the Long Marquee. Excellent cakes and scones, too.

Pre–performance canapés and champagne are served under the magnificent Doric portico.

TICKETS FOR UNDER 30s People of all ages are captivated by opera. It is the most expensive art form (a 60 piece orchestra, a chorus of 30 or more, not to mention the technicians backstage dealing with scenery, costumes, lighting etc). But we don’t want ticket prices to be a barrier to younger people falling in love with opera.

They are, after all, the future.

So we have two special schemes: AGED 18-30 ? You can join the METEOR scheme at no extra cost. You can then buy seats for £35 on selected nights. Register free on the website.

ARE YOU AGED 14-22 ? Or a teacher or group leader? Then you may be eligible for MUSICAL CHAIRS. These are free seats on selected nights for younger people who otherwise could not come to the opera. They are subsidised by charitable trusts and ticket buyers. Complete the application form on the website.

C U S TO D IA N S O F C U LT UR E Every time someone buys a ticket, they are supporting Grange Park Opera. To everyone who comes to the festival, sees a performance and returns home happy – immense thanks. All our revenue is from either ticket sales or donations. Alas – your government taxes don’t come our way.

Opera, as we know, doesn’t come cheap.

Mounting a production with cut-price costumes, a cut-down orchestra, bargain basement singers . . . isn’t what Grange Park Opera is about. All its splendour comes at a price, which is greater than income from tickets and that is why donations are vital. We work hard to make donors feel part of the family – the Grange Park family.

We also nurture young artists, invite young audiences, introduce lesser-known operas – as well as improving everything that happens at the festival.

You are the custodians of culture.

Charlotte Pomroy charlotte@grangeparkopera.co.uk 01962 73 73 60

SPONSOR AN ARTIST You’ll notice in cast lists on the preceding pages that some of the singers and conductors have a sponsor.

We’ve made it easy. We send you a menu and if your chosen singer seems too pricey, you can go for a leg or just a head … or any body part . . . within reason. Then after the performance come onto the stage and meet the artist (all of him / her).

ANNUAL PERSONAL DONORS Around 1,000 people support with gifts of £200 – £1,100. Since the opera is surrounded

by Greek revival architecture, the groups are named after notable Greeks: Hippocrates, Archimedes, Plato. Donations cover a quarter of the costs of the operas.

SCHOLARSHIPS By contributing to the Scholarship Fund, you are helping exceptional post-post-graduate singers to continue singing lessons whilst they establish themselves.

CORPORATE SPONSORS & ADVERTISERS Starts at £2,000.

AMERICAN GIFTS US donors make tax-deductible donations.

TRUSTS & FOUNDATIONS Grange Park Opera seeks support for educational and outreach activities. Sister company Pimlico Opera works in prisons and primary schools. Do you know of a trust whose priorities coincide?

G E N E RA L I N F O RMATI O N WHEN TO ARRIVE Guests arrive from 3.30pm (Sunday 2.30pm). They take a walk on the terraces, eat some of their picnic, have tea in the library or a glass of champagne before the performance which begins at 5.20pm (Sunday 4.20pm).

DRESS Guests wear something stylish. Most of the audience wear black tie/long or short dress, but don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd: we encourage creativity.

PICNIC TABLES It is easy to reserve picnic furniture and there are many tables, chairs and benches on the terraces which are available on a first-come-first-served basis. If you bring your own furniture, it can only be used on the lower East Terrace. Please: no barbecues; no erected structures. We aim for elegance at all times.

MAKE A DAY OF IT Leave home earlier and savour nearby secrets and a pub lunch. See the wesbite for suggestions.

HOW TO GET HERE A map can be downloaded from the website and a printed version will be sent with your tickets.

From A31 / Alresford use postcode SO24 9TQ for the east entrance. From M3 use address New Lodge, Grange Park SO24 9TG for the west entrance. These are private houses.

Nearby are signs.

HELICOPTERS By arrangement 01962 73 73 60

ACCESS We ask that guests without good mobility are accompanied. When booking please indicate (a) whether or not you require wheelchair space (b) if you have other specific seating needs. The Grand Tier is not suitable for people with limited mobility. Guests may borrow a wheelchair from the Welcome Tent in the car park.

Mobility scooters cannot be used as there are slopes and vertiginous drops.

TRAINS, TAXIS & CAR SHARING The website has train time. There is a designated London–Basingstoke train and we encourage guests on that train to share taxis (25 mins.)

We will be encouraging guests to post their journeys on Taxi for Two taxifortwo.co.uk.

TIC K E T PRIC E S SEATS

FIDDLER ROOF

SATURDAY

OTHER

ON THE

Centre Stalls & Grand Tier BoxES

£250

£185

£170

Rear Stalls & Circle BoxES

£230

£170

£155

Front Stalls & SMALL BOXES

£200

£155

£140

Stools Upholstered, with back and foot rest

£120

£120

£110

Tier SIDES (75% – 90% view) Circle sides (80% – 100% view) ENDS OF ROW A & B (90-95% view)

£80

£80

£80

Standing

£80

£50

£40

SEAT WIDTHS If you are unable to sit comfor tably in a single seat please contact the Box Office to discuss your requirements.

Some of the loose seating in boxes provides greater flexibility. See website.

Stalls seats are positioned so as not to be directly behind the seat in front.

For fur ther information about par ticular seats, go to the website and hover over individual seats on the seating plan or call the Box Office 01962 73 73 73

S E AT MA P G R AN D TI E R

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H OW TO B OO K You may book by post, using the form opposite, or you may request tickets online.

Log in first at www.grangeparkopera.co.uk, then Book Tickets. This is a new facility.

BOX OFFICE 01962 73 73 73

1. Select the opera

ADDRESS 24 Broad Street, Alresford, SO24 9AQ

2. State your FIRST choice date 3. Note the price band 4. State your preferred price Some performances are very popular and sell fast, so please specify alternative dates and prices, numbering your preferences. We will assume that you would prefer a different price on your first choice date rather than your alternative dates. If this is not the case, please specify “change date before price” Make a note of your booking. To change your booking, ring us and then confirm the change by email or post.

First Allocation Requests received

by TUESDAY 13 JANUARY will be in the first allocation. Tickets will be mailed to you before the end of January with dining information.

Second Allocation Requests received

by TUESDAY 27 JANUARY will be in the second allocation. Tickets will be mailed to you before the end of February with dining information.

GENERAL BOOKING OPENS TUESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2015 at 10.30 am

EMAIL box@grangeparkopera.co.uk BOX OFFICE MANAGER Caroline Sheahan

OUT OF FESTIVAL OPENING HOURS Monday to Friday 9.30–5.30 Saturday & Sunday closed FESTIVAL OPENING HOURS Monday to Friday 9.30–5.30 Saturday & Sunday 9.30–2.00

B OO K I N G F O RM | 2 015 PLEASE READ THE NOTES OVERLEAF NAME

Send this form & an open cheque to

ADDRESS

Grange Park Opera 24 Broad Street Alresford SO24 9AQ

POSTCODE

Tick here if you would accept, if necessary

EMAIL

PAIRS

SINGLES

TELEPHONE DATE

LA

BOHEME

Samson

FIDDLER

et

Dalila

ON THE

ROOF

EUGENE ONEGIN

NO OF TICKETS

PRICE

OPTIONAL DATES & SPECIAL REQUESTS

MAXIMUM COST

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

MUSICAL CHAIRS I would like to make a contribution towards a free seat for a young person who otherwise could not come to the opera

£

Please send cheques payable to “Grange Park Opera” Leave words and figures blank and state below an upper limit equivalent to the maximum total value of tickets

£

Total value of tickets above

£

Cheques should ideally be from the UK taxpayer whose name appears above

B OO K I N G N OTE S An able-bodied person must accompany each guest without good mobility. The Grand Tier is not suitable as there are many stairs.

Tick if you require a wheelchair space in the Stalls Circle.

Tick if you are providing mobility assistance for a member of your party and/or they have special seating needs. Contact the office if you require further assistance.

CONFIRMATION OF YOUR BOOKING If we have your email address, we will notify you by email when we receive your booking.

GIFT AID DECLARATION for Grange Park Opera (charity no 1068046) There are Gift Aid regulations which are financially advantageous to charities without costing you any more. All donations are eligible if you pay an amount of income tax or capital gains tax equal to the tax we may reclaim on your donations. There is not a special form. We will assume that donations hereafter until further notice are eligible for Gift Aid unless you strike this out.

DATA PROTECTION All data supplied to Grange Park Opera by our customers will be handled by us in accordance with the customer’s instructions and under the terms of the Data Protection Act (1998) Tick here if you DO NOT wish to receive information about our news and events.

Tick here if you DO NOT wish to receive information from other arts organisations.

CONDITIONS OF SALE (i) If you are unable to use your tickets and we are unable to sell them, we will allow a member of staff to use them.

This avoids gaps in the theatre. (ii) Tickets may only be used by the purchaser and may not be sold on. (iii) Grange Park Opera is a charity. To make your ticket money work to our best advantage we have split the ticket prices into two parts: one part is a donation and the remainder is liable for VAT. The donation element is £30–£85. By doing this there is no additional cost to ticket buyers and more of your ticket money can go towards the operas. Gift Aid regulations mean we can also claim a further amount per ticket from HMRC. This practice is used by many charities.

Without the donation element, we are unable to cover the festival costs. We are legally bound, however, to point out that the donation element is optional. (iv) Latecomers will not be admitted to the auditorium and there will be no re-admission, unless there is a suitable pause. (v) The Management reserves the right to refuse admission to any ticket holder in reasonable circumstances including, without limitation, where the ticket holder breaches these Terms and Conditions, disrupts other audience members’ enjoyment or does anything that the Management considers to be unacceptable behaviour, taking health and safety, environmental and security concerns into account. (vi) The Management reserves the right to change or cancel the advertised programme and artists due to unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances outside their reasonable control. All ticket holders will be notified in advance of any changes, if practicably possible. Please note that we cannot guarantee that ticket holders will be informed of such cancellation before the date of the event.

RESALE OR EXCHANGE OF TICKETS (i) We cannot guarantee tickets will be resold. (ii) If a performance is sold out, we will endeavour to resell tickets on a first come, first served basis. (iii) Please contact the Box Office prior to returning tickets; please note that we must be in possession of the tickets before we can attempt to resell them. (iv) For successful resales there is a £2 charge per ticket and we will contact you to arrange a refund.

“Everything that needs to be said has been said but since no one was listening it has to be said again” A N D RE G I D E (18 69 –1951)