The Garsington Experience

A special occasion for like-minded individuals and couples to share one of Britain’s finest summer opera experiences and enjoy one the season’s premier productions. This is a fully hosted event ensuring a warm welcome, engaging conversation and an enriching time for everyone. Our private party will all be seated together in the auditorium and we have a large picnic table reserved on the upper terrace. Our table is undercover in case of inclement weather but with a wide sweeping view overlooking the champagne terrace and lake.

Ariadne auf Naxos

Richard Strauss

Following the success of Garsingtons 2021 production of Der Rosenkavalier, Bruno Ravella returns to direct another Strauss masterpiece, Ariadne auf Naxos, Mark Wigglesworth reunites with the Philharmonia, Giles Cadle brings the island of Naxos to life with his transportive design and the Prima Donna (Ariadne), star-soprano Natalya Romaniw leads a formidable cast including Young Woo Kim as Bacchus and Jennifer France as Zerbinetta through this opera of two halves where comedy and music combine.

An opera and a comedy commissioned by a wealthy man in Vienna are performed simultaneously so his firework display can proceed on the very same evening. As a result, the story of Ariadne, abandoned by Theseus on the island of Naxos and despairing of her lost love, is interrupted repeatedly by the comedians, keen to help and to advise her that the best way to cure a broken heart is to find another lover.

Sung in German with English surtitles.

Cast

Ariadne – Natalya Romaniw

Bacchus – Young Woo Kim

Zerbinetta – Jennifer France

The composer – Polly Leech

His music master – William Dazeley

The dancing master – John Graham-Hall

Harlequin – Marcus Farnsworth

Brighella – Innocent Masuku

Truffaldino – Ossian Huskinson

Scaramuccio – Richard Pinkstone

Naiad – Claire Lees

Dryad – Siân Griffiths

Echo – Harriet Eyley

The Major-Domo – Graham Clark

Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Mark Wigglesworth

Find out more about Garsington here

Find out about The Glyndebourne Experience – Semele by Handel, 28 July 2023 here

Images – Mike Hoban