The first opera of 2011 at the Royal Opera House is Il barbiere di Siviglia, the barber of Seville, a deft comedy from the pen of Rossini. It is performed here by a young cast, endeavouring to capture the playfulness and witty touches of this Italian opera from 1816. The opening night falls on January 18 and the run includes nine performances.
February kicks off with Die Zauberflöte, Mozart’s Magic Flute. A Singspiel, an opera consisting of both sung and spoken dialogue, the Magic Flute dates from 1791 and is one of the most popular and regularly performed of all time. Mozart’s last opera opens on February 1 until February 24.
Anna Nicole is a brand new opera. Shining a spotlight onto the fascinating yet tragic life of Anna Nicole Smith, Mark-Anthony Turner’s work deals with a most-modern celebrity: a stripper who married an octogenarian billionaire, modelled for Playboy, was widowed and fought her husband’s family through the courts before dying young. The premiere takes place on February 17 and six performances run until March 4.
From a modern scandal to an ancient civilisation: Verdi’s classic Aida opens on March 11. This sumptuous story of love against the backdrop of slavery in ancient Egypt is presented here in a brand new staging by David McVicar. Aida opens on March 11 and runs for 11 performances through until April 15.
Next up is Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio. It tells the tale of a devoted wife rescuing her husband from captivity as a political prisoner, evoking those themes closest to Beethoven’s heart: heroism and freedom. The first night falls on March 29 and there will be five subsequent performances.
The Tsar’s Bride is a Russian opera from 1898 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. It is not particularly common in the West and so this is a good opportunity to see it. The tale of Ivan the Terrible and the tragedy of his third wife is opening on April 14 and running until May 2.
Throughout May, Jules Massenet’s French opera Werther will be featuring at the Royal Opera House. The tragic story of a young poet destined to die young is based on a novel by Geothe. Antonio Pappano will be conducting this delicate and emotional opera, opening on May 5 and running for five performances until May 21, including a matinee on the 8th.
A run of giants from the opera canon then begins with Macbeth, Verdi’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s darkest and most murderous of tragedies. The ambitious and ruthless husband and wife are played by Simon Keenlyside and Martina Serafin. Macbeth opens on May 24 with three dates in May and a further six in June, closing on June 18.
June sees the opening of the run of Tosca, one of the best loved operas of all time. Puccini’s tragedy will be performed with an all-star cast filling the roles of Tosca and her lover Cavaradossi as they strive to outwit the evil chief of police, Scarpia. The premiere is on June 7 and Tosca runs for ten performances until July 17.
Benjamin Britten’s much loved Peter Grimes is up next. An English 20th century masterpiece, Ben Heppner plays the titular character, a role for which he has won international acclaim. Five performances begin on June 21 and close on July 3, a matinee performance.
Madama Butterfly returns us to Puccini once again with this tale of love and betrayal, set amidst the evocative imagery and scenery of 19th century Japan. This run will be a revival of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s beautiful production of Madama Butterfly and will premiere on June 25, running until July 16.
The final opera of the season is Cendrillon, Jules Massenet’s telling of the Cinderella story. A fairytale opera, there is a hint of the magic of pantomime in the breeches role of Prince Charming – played by Alice Coote, alongside Joyce DiDonato as Cinderella herself. July 5 sees the debut of Cendrillon at the Royal Opera House. The season draws to a close on July 16 with a matinee performance.
Box office information for the Royal Opera House can be found here