LONDON, UK, May 24, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- "Concert Opera in London has a new champion" - Neil Fisher, The Times
London Lyric Opera returns again to Cadogan Hall and is proud to present a concert performance of Johann Strauss II classic Operetta, Die Fledermaus. Madeleine Lovell will conduct the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Chorus and a stunning cast of international soloists including Sarah Redgwick who will make her role debut as Rosalinde and veteran English actor, Bernard Horsfall, (Dr Who, James Bond, Gandhi, Braveheart etc) will play the gaoler Frosch.
Conducted by Madeleine Lovell, who at 30, is already carving out a major career in the UK, is celebrating her fourth concert engagement with the London Lyric Opera. Recently appointed Director of Music at Queen College Cambridge, a role specially created for her and received widespread critical acclaim for her conducting of LLOs Fidelio in February;
Madeleine Lovells instinctive and assured grasp of tempo and pacing energised every singer
" Hilary Finch, The Times, Fidelio, London Lyric Opera
"The young conductor Madeleine Lovell was polished and assured in her direction of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; the overture was robust and lyrical, the arias sensitively accompanied and the big dramatic climaxes powerfully realised." Ruth Elleson, Opera Today, Fidelio, London Lyric Opera
Internationally celebrated concert pianist, Leslie Howard, will play The Hungarian Fantasy S.123 (Fantasia on Hungarian Folk melodies; Fantasie ĂĽber ungarische Volksmelodien) for piano and orchestra, an arrangement of the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 14 written by Franz Liszt in 1852. This performance provides an exciting opportunity to hear Johann Strauss IIs most famous operetta with a rarely performed Fantasy by Liszt accompanied by a world-class orchestra in the beautiful surroundings of the Cadogan Hall, Chelsea.
Tuesday 16 June & Friday 19 June 2009 at 7pm
Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II
London Lyric Opera in Concert at Cadogan Hall
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Philharmonia Chorus
Madeleine Lovell conductor
Leslie Howard piano
Gabriel von Eisenstein - Charne Rochford
Rosalinde, his wife - Sarah Redgwick
Alfred, a singer, her lover - Garrie Davislim
Dr Falke, friend of Eisenstein - Simon Thorpe
Prince Orlofsky - Lise Christensen
Frank, governor of the prison - Jeffrey Black
Adele, Rosalindes maid - Ana James
Ida, her sister - Debra Morley
Dr Blind, Eisensteins lawyer - Nicky Spence
Frosch, a gaoler - Bernard Horsfall
Sung in the David Pountney/Leonard Hancock ENO translation
Featuring a pre-concert talk at 6.00pm
These performances are dedicated to the memory of Australian Soprano, Deborah Riedel (1958-2009)
A unique performance:
Played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the UKs most prestigious and admired orchestras.
World famous Philharmonia Chorus will form a choir of 68 voices led by Philharmonia Chorus new Music Director, Edward Caswell.
A rare performance of the Liszts Hungarian Fantasy S.123 by one of the worlds foremost and highly regarded Liszt specialists, Leslie Howard, with the RPO conducted by Madeleine Lovell.
Semi Staged with Dialogue coaching by Bernard Horsfall.
Special Guest Artist
Leslie Howard has earned an extraordinary claim to immortality, having accomplished a feat unequalled by any solo artist in recording history - his 97-CD survey (for Hyperion) of the complete piano music of Franz Liszt. Accomplished within 14 years it has earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. His performance of this virtuosic, Hungarian Fantasy is a prime example of LLO s desire to enhance opera in concert.
The Klemperer of the piano...Edward Greenfield on Leslie Howard, The Guardian
An exceptional cast:
We are thrilled to announce the casting of the young English soprano, Sarah Redgwick, who will be making her debut as Rosalinde. Current engagements include Violetta La traviata, Scottish Opera and Opera de Bauge.
Sarah Redgwick" a 100 watt light bulb of a voice. Marzelline, Fidelio, Opera Holland Park, The Times
Exciting young tenor, Charne Rochford, will sing the role of the unfaithful husband, Eisenstein.
"Charne Rochford impressed most a virile, fluent tenor." ETO. Norma, http://www.classicalsource.com
Baritone, Simon Thorpe, sings the role of Eisenstein friend, Falke. Current engagements include Belcore Lelisir damore, WNO; Rigoletto, Clonter Opera and Anckarström Un ballo in maschera, Cork Opera 2005
"Simon Thorpe was a sympathetic and smooth toned Sharpless" Madame Butterfly, OHP, The Guardian
Garrie Davislim who sang Tony in West Side Story at La Scala, graduate of the National Opera Studio and recently covered Acis in Acis and Galatea at ROH, will make a suitably seductive Alfred
"Garrie Davislim sang Rodolfo with pleasant fineness, soaring emphatically" La Boheme, Coburg Opera, Opernwelt
Jeffrey Black made his UK debut at the Glyndebourne Festival. He is singing the title role in Simon Boccanegra for Chelsea Opera Group in June and covering Falstaff for Glyndebourne in their current season.
"Jeffrey Black...a force to be reckoned with on the worlds Operatic stages. The Bulletin, Tannhäuser, Opera Australia
Former ROH Young Artist, Ana James will sing the role of Adele. Roles include Pamina, Die Zauberflöte and Frasquita, Carmen with GTO; Barbarina, Le Nozze di Figaro with ROH and Russian National Orchestra, Moscow.
"The role of Pamina perfectly characterised and performed by Ana James, beautifully sung with great texture and delicacy."Die Zauberflöte, GTO, Johnny Johnson, Music OMH, Dec 2008
Lise Christensen Born in Denmark, a graduate of the GSMD and National Opera Studio. Roles include the title role in Carmen, Mid-Wales Opera.
Lise Christensens Orlofsky, whose Nordic blonde hair gives this girl-sings-boy role an anarchic edge, is richly sung
and nimbly acted." Die Fledermaus, Scottish Opera, The Scotsman
We are delighted to welcome back (1st Prisoner Fidelio) Scottish tenor, Nicky Spence, singing Dr Blind. Future plans include a place at the National Opera Studio, Tom Rakewell The Rakes Progress for BYO and Jaquino Fidelio for Opera Holland Park. Universal Records signed him for his debut album 'My First Love' with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
English soprano, Debra Morley will be singing the role of Ida.
"Debra Morley sang a touching Gilda, the notes true and secure throughout the range" Purcell Room, Opera Magazine
Veteran English Actor, Bernard Horsfall is luxury casting as Frosch. His career has spanned over 50 years. Highlights include Dr Who, James Bond, Braveheart, Gandhi and Jewel in the Crown.
About our Sponsor: Wardour http://www.wardour.co.uk
Creativity and a passion for perfection is at the heart of what we do, says Martin MacConnol, CEO of Wardour, so we welcomed the opportunity to support a company whose drive for excellence in their artistic field matches ours. We are both constantly striving to improve communication with our audiences" the LLO with words and music, Wardour with words and design" so the work we do with the LLO complements our own perfectly.
About the London Lyric Opera:
LLO is a company with ambitions to fill a niche in the UK opera scene by producing high quality operatic concert performances with the forces required by the score. Founder, James Hancock, Principal Conductor, Lionel Friend and Guest Conductor, Madeleine Lovell are deeply committed that every performance will be an exciting and challenging concert experience. Presently our focus is the under performed German and English romantic repertory all to be performed from memory and with the dramatic intensity required by the text and music.
London's new concert opera company performing at London's finest concert venues. Our first season offered Song cycles with orchestra and two classic opera's of the German repertory with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Philharmonia Chorus. Fidelio with the world famous dramatic soprano, Elizabeth Connell singing Leonore and The flying Dutchman conducted by Lionel Friend. In June 2009 we have two performances of Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II with the RPO and Philharmonia Chorus conducted by Madeleine Lovell featuring a special guest appearance by critically acclaimed concert pianist Leslie Howard at Cadogan Hall.
Future plans include Weber's classic Der Freischuetz and Richard Strauss's, Ariadne auf Naxos in 2010.
For further information contact:
James Hancock, Founder, London Lyric Opera E. james@londonlyricopera.com
Violetta Tosic, Company Manager, E. violetta@londonlyricopera.com
http://www.londonlyricopera.com Proudly sponsored by Wardour http://www.wardour.co.uk
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