Daily Archives: 21 November, 2013

Garsington Opera; Young Artists

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TWO YOUNG SINGERS WIN AWARDS 

Garsington Opera is delighted to announce the winners of two awards to support the development of young artists from the Company.   The 2013 Simon Sandbach Award  has been won by Jan Capinski and the Helen Clarke Award  by Alice Rose Privett.

J Capinsky

Jan Capinski said:  Garsington Opera has been a turning point in my career and development as a singer and I learnt so much singing in the chorus and understuding a principal role.  To be offered this prestigious award will enable me to continue my training both musically and dramatically. I am particularly delighted to be returning in 2014 not only to sing in the chorus but to perform in Fidelio as 2nd Prisoner and in the Young Artist revival of Hänsel und Gretel as the Father at West Green. Jan began his singing training at the Academy of Music in  Kraków (Poland), and went on to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where he graduated in July this year.

A R Privett

I am thrilled to receive this bursary said Alice Rose Privett.   I will soon be leaving full time education and this will enable me to really focus on polishing my audition arias and pay for the expensive process of getting to auditions in all corners of Europe. Last season I was lucky enough to sing Gretel at the  dress rehearsal, the major role I understudied.  I also sang in the chorus and will return in 2014 to do that and perform the role of the Cock in the Cunning Little Vixen.   Alice graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2011 and is now studying at the Royal Academy of Music.

ENO: Satyagraha

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satyagraha

London Coliseum 20 November 2013

Few modern operas have had three revivals within six years but ENO had no hesitation mounting a revival of Philip Glass Satyagraha. If anything, the work grows more impressive with familiarity, and the revival directors have certainly not lost any of its impact since the last time it was staged. Where the large puppets and the massively staged scenes caught the attention when first seen, it was the more reflective scenes that made a positive impression on this occasion. The simplicity of the Indian Opinion scene, with its swirling newsprint and a life lifting out of nothing was deeply moving, as was the gently authoritative burning of the identity cards.

Alan Oke returned as Gandhi, a part with which he is now almost synonymous, and his mellifluous tones convinced throughout. Sarah Pring made a strong impression as Mrs Alexander, one of the few scenes which had a direct narrative line. Phelim McDermott’s approach to the work seemed to some to be over-fussy when new in 2007 but it has aged well and lost none of its impact.

Musically Stuart Stratford held his forces together with skill, any tiny slips being rapidly mopped up in a score which has more pitfalls than a more conventional opera. The chorus were in fine form and are frequently required to create a sense of stillness and calm which is quite different from simply not moving – a feat which they brought off with aplomb.

There are five more performances – details from www.eno.org