UK premiere of Philip Glass’s The Perfect American, an opera about Walt Disney
World premiere of Michel van der Aa and Cloud Atlas writer David Mitchell’s Sunken Garden, an ‘occult-mystery film opera’
Verdi bicentenary begins in the UK with Peter Konwitschny’s new production of La traviata
The first full professional staging of Vaughan Williams’ The Pilgrim’s Progress since the Festival of Britain in 1951
Britten centenary celebrated with Deborah Warner and Edward Gardner teaming up for Death in Venice
British composer Ryan Wigglesworth joins ENO as Composer in Residence
ENO’s Artistic Director, John Berry said, ‘As we leave behind an artistically vibrant 2011, our sights are set on keeping ENO relevant and the exciting home for modern opera in London. Contemporary composers, outstanding international directors and British talent take the lead in what I am sure will be another absorbing and thought provoking year for the Company and our audience.’
ENO PREMIERES
The Perfect American (Philip Glass)
Philip Glass’s The Perfect American is his 24th opera. It is based on a partly fictionalised account of the final years of Walt Disney’s life and features Abraham Lincoln and Andy Warhol as well as Disney’s nemesis and disgruntled ex-employee Dantine. Glass describes the life of the creator of the iconic brand as ‘unimaginable, alarming and truly frightening’ and the opera is based on Peter Stephan Jungk’s novel Der König von Amerika. Phelim McDermott with Improbable return to ENO for their first new production since the London/New York hit Satyagraha. Dan Potra, costume designer for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games opening, and choreographer Ben Wright join the team to present this opera about the legendary figure. The role of Disney will be created by British baritone Christopher Purves following his huge success as Mephistopheles in Terry Gilliam’s Damnation of Faust for ENO. Video Design will be by 59 Productions. This production has been co-commissioned and co-produced with Teatro Real, Madrid.
Sunken Garden (Michel van der Aa)
New music and technology pioneer Michel van der Aa composes and directs and Cloud Atlas author David Mitchell writes the libretto for this highly original production which will receive its world premiere at the Barbican theatre. The piece explores the connection between the disappearances of a software engineer, a rich little girl and a neurotic film-maker. A 3D feature film, 2D film and video will integrate with live performance to create a unique staging of this tale of crime, hoax and dark truth. The production will also travel around the world including to Luminato Festival, Toronto, Opéra de Lyon – both lead co-commissioners and lead co-producers – and the Holland Festival.
ENO CELEBRATES MAJOR ANNIVERSARIES
Verdi bicentenary
Verdi’s 2013 bicentenary begins in style with ENO’s new production of La traviata – the first Verdi production of the year in the UK. A co-production with Opera Graz, this is directed by the iconoclastic German director Peter Konwitschny, making his long overdue UK debut. Konwitschny’s uncluttered and pared down interpretation brings the essential elements of the opera to the fore, creating an emotionally intimate experience for the audience.
Britten centenary
ENO is acknowledged worldwide as the home of Benjamin Britten’s operas with an outstanding track record of critically acclaimed award winning Britten opera productions in recent years. In recognition of ENO’s success and to promote Britten’s work, the Britten Pears Foundation granted ENO a major award in 2011. In Benjamin Britten's centenary year ENO starts the 2012/13 season with a rare outing to the BBC Proms - a concert performance of Peter Grimes featuring Stuart Skelton in the title role. At the end of the season ENO revives its outstanding production of Death in Venice directed by Deborah Warner, following successful performances at La Scala, Milan in 2011. The production, conducted by Edward Gardner, features an exciting UK role debut by tenor John Graham-Hall as Aschenbach. The production then travels in July 2013 to the Holland Festival, with Edward Gardner leading the ENO chorus, technical and production teams.
ENO COMPOSER IN RESIDENCE
Ryan Wigglesworth has established himself as one of the most gifted British composers to emerge in recent years. His orchestral song cycle for soprano Augenlieder won the vocal prize at the 2010 British Composer Awards, and his immense talent as a composer and conductor is admired at the world’s leading festivals and concert halls. Wigglesworth will develop his work as a composer and conductor with ENO over the next four years in a residency that will culminate in the world premiere of his first full length opera.
MAJOR DIRECTORS FROM ACROSS THE ARTS
Yoshi Oïda / Vaughan Williams - 50 years since the UK staging of The Pilgrim’s Progress
Director and actor Yoshi Oïda, who worked with Peter Brook at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, makes his ENO debut directing a new production of Vaughan Williams’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. This major new production supported by the Vaughan Williams Trust, celebrates an important British work not seen in a fully staged professional production since its premiere for the Festival of Britain in 1951. Yoshi Oïda is partnered by Carolyn Choa (Choreographer and Associate Director for Anthony Minghella’s Madam Butterfly), designer Tom Schenk and conductor Martyn Brabbins.
Rupert Goold
A landmark new production of Berg’s early twentieth-century masterpiece Wozzeck comes to ENO for the first time in twenty years. The production will be conducted by ENO Music Director Edward Gardner and directed by multi award winning director Rupert Goold (Turandot for ENO, Enron, and more recently Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice for the RSC) who opens his next London show The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in May and makes his first feature film this summer. Goold will be joined by two of the most outstanding designers currently working in London theatre, Miriam Buether and Nicky Gillibrand.
Michael Keegan-Dolan/Fabulous Beast
Dynamic choreographer/director Michael Keegan-Dolan and his groundbreaking Fabulous Beast company returns to ENO following his Olivier nominated and critically successful staging of The Rite of Spring with a new production of Handel’s Julius Caesar, ENO’s first production of the Handel masterpiece since 1979. Conducted by Christian Curnyn, it will feature a stunning cast including Lawrence Zazzo, Patricia Bardon and Anna Christy and dancers from Fabulous Beast.
Calixto Bieito
One of the most talked about directors working in theatre and opera today returns to the UK after eight years. Calixto Bieito will direct a new version of his acclaimed Barcelona production of Carmen. Ryan Wigglesworth, ENO Composer in Residence, will conduct an outstanding cast including Ruxandra Donose (Carmen), Adam Diegel (Don Jose) and ENO Harewood Artist Elizabeth Llewellyn (Micaëla).
Rufus Norris
Recently nominated for an Olivier Award for directing the critically acclaimed London Road at the National Theatre, Rufus Norris returns to ENO to direct his production of Don Giovanni, this time with Edward Gardner conducting. Norris’s other recent work includes Cabaret, Festen, Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Vernon God Little. Iain Paterson also returns to reprise the lead role in this most popular of Mozart’s operas.
OPERATIC RARITIES
Medea (Charpentier)
David McVicar directs the UK’s first staging of one of the greatest but largely unknown French baroque operas by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The celebrated British mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly and tenor Jeffrey Francis head a strong cast.
Julietta (Martinů)
The acclaimed opera director Richard Jones continues his close working relationship with ENO in a revised staging of one of Jones’s most brilliant and most famous European successes, Martinů’s Julietta following acclaim with Paris Opéra. The piece explores the Surrealist Movement of the 1930s and features a classic Jones cast including Peter Hoare, Andrew Shore and Susan Bickley. ENO Harewood Artist Julia Sporsén sings the title role and the production is conducted by Edward Gardner.
ENO HAREWOOD ARTISTS - a new generation of British artists take centre stage
ENO Harewood Artists will feature across the season in important roles, showing ENO’s commitment to giving British talent centre stage. The ENO Harewood Artists include:
Julia Sporsén (Julietta), Benedict Nelson (Rossini’s Figaro and the Evangelist), Ben Johnson (Don Ottavio and Alfredo), Katherine Broderick (Donna Anna and Berta), Elizabeth Llewellyn (First Lady and Micaëla), Duncan Rock (Papageno and Morales), Mary Bevan (Yum Yum), Catherine Young (Second Lady), Nicky Spence, Rhian Lois (Papagena, Nerine), Kate Valentine (Mimi) and George von Bergen (Obstinate, Herald, Lord Hategood).
ENO CHARLES MACKERRAS FELLOWSHIP FOR CONDUCTING
Gergely Madaras was recently announced as the inaugural recipient of the ENO Charles Mackerras Fellowship for an outstanding emerging talent in conducting. Madaras will assist and be mentored by Edward Gardner across the season.
BRITISH TALENT
ENO Music Director Edward Gardner conducts four major projects and leads a world-class orchestra and chorus.
Award-winning British directors Richard Jones, David McVicar, Rupert Goold, Phelim McDermott and Rufus Norris and Deborah Warner join ENO for the 2012/13 season. Leading British conductors include Martyn Brabbins, Nicholas Collon, Ryan Wigglesworth, Christian Curnyn and David Parry.
Internationally renowned British singers, all of whom sang with ENO early in their careers, return, including Sarah Connolly, Anthony Michaels-Moore, Ann Murray, Tom Randle, Andrew Shore, Roderick Williams, Iain Paterson, Sarah Tynan, Roland Wood and Brindley Sherratt.
ENO talent development programmes such as ENO Harewood Singers and ENO Opera Works continue to revolutionise the field of opportunity for young talented stars of the future.
ENO’s PRODUCTIONS TRAVEL THE WORLD
ENO’s work continues to be seen on the world stage through international partnerships including the Metropolitan Opera, New York; Bayerische Staatsoper; Oper Graz; Grand Théâtre de Genève; Holland Festival; Teatro Real, Madrid; Canadian Opera; Luminato Festival; Opéra de Lyon; Fabulous Beast; the Barbican, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires and many others.
BRILLIANT CLASSIC REVIVALS
ENO brings back much-loved and popular classics from the enduring and thrilling stable of Jonathan Miller: The Mikado, The Barber of Seville, and La bohème.
This season will be the last chance to see Nicholas Hytner’s acclaimed and popular production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
The ENO 2012/13 Season opens on the 13 September 2012