2009 Programme
Martha
Friedrich von Flotow
Following the success of The Pearl Fishers last year Northampton Festival Opera will be staging a new production of Flotow’s opera Martha. This is a co-production with Opera South.
Although composed by a German, Martha is a very English opera which is set in Richmond in the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign. It is full of sumptuous melodies including two famous arias – The Last Rose of Summer, which is in most lyric sopranos repertoire and the tenor showpiece M’Appari.
It will be directed by Tom Hawkes, who has directed most of NFO’s previous productions, and conducted by Tom Higgins, musical director of Opera South and will be sung in the new English translation by Guy Davenport.
Prior to each performance there will be a pre-performance talk about the background to the opera and the production. The talk will start one hour before curtain-up and will last about 25 minutes.
Running time 2 hours 30 minutes approx.
Gala Opera Concert
NFO will be giving a Gala Opera Concert in the Harborough Theatre, Market Harborough on Saturday 14 March 2009. The guest soloist will be the international soprano Alison Roddy. The programme will consist of arias, ensembles and choruses from well-known operas and operettas. The accompanist for the concert will be Robert Challinor, the NFO Concert Director.
Running time 2 hours approx.
