The Guildhall School, London start their operatic year celebrating the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth with Mansfield Park, a Chamber Opera in Two Acts by Jonathan Dove and Alasdair Middleton. This charming and poignant adaptation of her novel was commissioned by Heritage Opera in 2011.
When first reading Mansfield Park, Jonathan Dove felt immediately that it was an opera and when Heritage Opera, which tours opera in stately homes, approached Jonathan for a commission, he thought it would be the perfect work to be staged in a drawing room with 10 singers accompanied simply and strikingly with piano played in duet. From the first sung works by the whole company “Mansfield Park, Chapter One”, there is a strong narrative drive, impeccable vocal writing and wonderful ensembles that sparkle with style and wit. Since its first performance there have been numerous productions in both drawing rooms and small to medium size theatres, many with young artist schemes and music colleges. Guildhall School will give the London premiere of the ensemble version first performed at the Grange Festival in 2017.
With four performances opening on Monday February 24 this new production is directed by Martin Lloyd-Evans and conducted by Dominic Wheeler.
