Welcome to the New Chamber Opera Studio Recital Series which is held on Fridays at 1.15 pm during term time in New College Ante-Chapel. The recital series has been running since 1994 and offers singers across the University and beyond the opportunity to perform a short programme in a relaxed atmosphere.
Week 2 – 26 January Theo Cawood Week 3 – 2 February Matilda Bates Week 4 – 9 February Maurice Cole Week 5 – 16 February John Morshead Week 6 – 23 February Felicity Howard Week 7 – 1 March Josh Dennis Week 8 – 8 March Vocal Ensemble Maxim Fielder, Ellie Stamp, Ischia Gooda, Daniel Atkinson
British (English) School; John Wheldon; Faculty of Music and Bate Collection of Musical Instruments; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/john-wheldon-221317
Will Anderson – Mercury, messenger of the gods John Johnston – Paris, a shepherd Jemima Price – Juno, goddess of marriage Joanna Barrett – Pallas, goddess of war Jessica Edgar – Venus, goddess of love
In 1700, a group of nobles put up a ‘Musick Prize’ by offering through the pages of the London Gazette of 18 March: First prize was 100 guineas, second 50, third 30, and fourth 20, and the task was to set a new libretto, a masque, The Judgment of Paris, written for the occasion by William Congreve. John Weldon was one of four known entrants, the others being John Eccles, Daniel Purcell and Gottfried Finger. The works were performed singly and then together on one evening when the competition was run; the Prize was won by Weldon, Organist of New College, Oxford, much to the chagrin of most involved, with vague accusations of incompetence and corruption circling around the decision.In the masque, Mercury appears to the Shepherd Paris with the Golden Apple of Discord and asks him to award it to the Goddess for whom he has the most regard. The goddesses – Juno, Pallas, and Venus – all sing to him, presenting a future in each of their respective spheres, worldly power, war, and beauty. Pallas, seduced by Venus, awards it to her.
18.00: Drinks in the Cloisters 18.30: Opera Act I 19.45: Picnic Interval in the Cloisters (approximately 75 minutes) 21.00: Opera Acts II and III 22.15: Curtain
June 26: (Preview) New Chamber Opera – Tickets from TicketSource June 29: New College Development Office – contact [email protected] for ticket information. June 30: Friends of Welsh National Opera – contact Bernadette Whittington, [email protected] or call 07813 907466 for ticket information. July 2: New Chamber Opera – Tickets available from TicketSource OXPIP Supporters – Tickets available from SheepApp July 3: Friends of the Oxford Botanic Gardens – Tickets available from the Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum July 5: New College Development Office – contact [email protected] for ticket information.
Cast
Rosina, a fisherwoman Aine Smith Baroness Irene, Count Errico’s aunt Lara Marie Müller Lisetta, the baroness’s maid Kate Semmens Count Errico, secret husband of Rosina Joseph Doody Marquis Ernesto, friend of Errico David Horton Masino, fisherman, Rosina’s brother Robert Forrest Villotto, a wealthy but doltish gentleman Thomas Niesser
Haydn’s riotous comedy, La vera Costanza, The True Constant, was one of the composer’s early works for the theatre at Eszterhaza, the summer palace of his patron, from 1762, Nikolaus I, Prince Esterhazy. The opera was first performed on 25 April 1779 and was later revived there in 1785. The version of the work we have today is a reconstruction for the 1785 revival; a fire destroyed the theatre in late 1779, and with it were lost the performing materials and scores for some of Haydn’s operas. The composer subsequently reconstructed a number of them – including the much-loved Il mondo della luna– from sketches and from memory.
Haydn’s opening storm sequence which begins in the overture, sees Baroness Irene, Ernesto, Lisetta, and Villotto rescued from a shipwreck by Rosina and Masino. Count Errico, whom she hopes to dissuade from marrying the fisherwoman Rosina. But – and not unusually for the 18th century – we discover that the Count has ALREADY married (and abandoned) Rosina, who has had a child by him. Neither the Count nor the Baroness and her retinue know of the child’s existence. The Baroness is promoting Villotto as a possible husband for Rosina, an impossibility that descends into farce, when the Count suddenly appears, threatening to kill his rival with a pistol. And so the opera proceeds, with Ernesto threatening Masino with a dagger, and other probable – and improbable – incidents!
New Chamber Opera
