Wexford Festival Opera launches this Friday
18.10.2011
This year’s Wexford Festival Opera, now in its 60th season, will run for 16 days, until Saturday, 5 November. As is traditional, this year’s three mainstage productions are rarely produced operas, although two of the three composers are well-known within the opera world and to Wexford’s loyal audiences.
Commenting on his seventh season as artistic director of Wexford Festival Opera, David Agler said: “As is our custom, the season will contain three operas which, in our opinion, are neglected and need to be heard and seen. First of the three operas is, ‘La cour de Célimène’, an opéra comique, by the composer Ambroise Thomas – a work, immensely successful in its day, now fallen by the wayside.
"We will also produce ‘Maria’, by the Polish composer Roman Statkowski, written in 1903. This magnificent composition is strangely ignored even in his native Poland. And in honour of our 60th season, we will make use of the most popular of Wexford’s composers, Gaetano Donizetti, and produce his 1839 melodrama Gianni di Parigi. This opera will be the 15th opera of Donizetti’s given at Wexford over the past six decades. Audiences will also be glad to know that there will be shortwork productions, lunchtime recitals and concerts.”
The three mainstage operas will run in four cycles of 12 evening performances in total, with the ever-popular gala concert featuring as an exclusive event on one of the evenings.
Addressing the recession, Agler said: “While the continued economic climate of Ireland no doubt has to be considered when programming the festival, I am still heartened by the spirit of the festival, now celebrating its 60th season, and formed at a time when Ireland was also at a financial disadvantage. It didn’t stop the founders then and it won’t stop us now.
"As a reminder and in commemoration of the community spirit that gave creation to this now world-famous festival, I am including a performance of the original speech given by Sir Compton MacKenzie to the Wexford Opera Study Circle in November 1950, when he first encouraged the members to stage their own opera productions in Wexford rather than just ‘study’ them.”
An Taoiseach Enda Kenney will officially launch the festival at the annual quay-front ceremony at 7pm this Friday, 21 October.
For full details of the programme and to purchase tickets, visit the website at www.wexfordopera.com.