Opera Australia 2014 Brochure Sydney by Opera Australia

sydney season 2014 Masters of seduction

Sir David McVicar and Teddy Tahu Rhodes create a new Don wild, unpredictable and a little bit dangerous

Bizetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Carmen will never be tamed

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

Lost love just beyond the horizon

Madama Butterfly floats onto Sydney Harbour

Welcome to Opera Australia 2014 At the heart of everything we do is you, our audience, and from the program you will find in this brochure, our intention to play to as many people as possible in as many places as possible is evident. Some of the operas we are presenting will be performed in diverse locations and different performing situations, such as our new production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute on the beach at Greenmount in South East Queensland. Other performances you will be able to enjoy in regional and remote towns throughout Australia and, of course, there is our extraordinary Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour; in 2014 it will be Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

We believe opera is for everyone.

This diverse programming is balanced by the core operatic repertoire we continue to present with the finest artists, both Australian and international, to our loyal audiences at the Sydney Opera House. Opera is an art form of extreme emotions, exceptional artists and life-changing experiences and everyone at Opera Australia is committed to ensuring that as many Australians and visitors as possible have the opportunity to enjoy these unique experiences wherever Opera Australia is playing. Please join us. I look forward very much to your company.

Lyndon Terracini Artistic Director Opera Australia

A few good reasons to subscribe When you book three or more operas you get lots of added extras, including priority booking, free exchanges, insider invitations, a 10% discount on all tickets and the chance to win a brand new Mazda6 2.5L Petrol Touring Sedan.

So we’re playing to more people in more places. Introducing more people to soaring melodies and almost athletic vocal abilities; to intricate costumes and unexpected locations. If you’ve seen a thousand operas, you’ll know there’s always something new to discover. This season there are new productions, new collaborations, singers making debuts and even an opera that’s never been performed on our stage. And if you’ve never been to the opera, this is the time to start. This season includes many of the world’s most popular operas and there is lots of useful information online to get you prepped and ready to go. 2014 is about showcasing the timeless beauty of opera. So whether you’ve seen one, or a thousand, let’s make 2014 a celebration of this incredible art form and share it with the world.

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Berlin, midwinter, 1934. A painter, a musician, a philosopher and a poet are having a night on the town. Café Momus is too pricey for them – they’ve nothing to weigh down those moth-eaten pockets. But why worry? The landlord is sorted, the bar tab can wait. They’re young and their lofty ideals will keep body and soul together. And then there’s love. Ah, love. That tingle of electricity as two hands meet. The fire in the eyes of the girl you want so badly. Love will keep us warm, won’t it? Find out, when Puccini’s bohemian boys wake up.

Back then, there were no arts councils, no grants, no HECS: Puccini’s penniless dreamers are the very picture of the original starving artist. But why do we glamourise this hand-tomouth way of life? Choosing the quill or the canvas over stability and respectability; renouncing all but a little daily bread to nourish the creative essence that burns within us? It certainly has a whiff of noble sacrifice about it, enduring hardship in the service of inspiration. Gale Edwards’ lavish production brings the garret dwellers to 1930s Berlin, a hub for young impoverished creatives contending with the high cost of round-the-clock hedonism in a city seething with glitzy excess. Little do they know that their art is bearing witness to the end of an era, and when that decadent bubble bursts they’ll have to step into the real world.

La bohème Puccini

Until then, it helps to have friends like Rodolfo, Marcello, Schaunard and Colline to keep the cheap wine and inspiration flowing. As for women, well, that’s another problem.

Conductor Andrea Licata Director Gale Edwards Set Designer Brian Thomson Costume Designer Julie Lynch Lighting Designer John Rayment Mimì Nicole Car (until 11 January) Natalie Aroyan Rodolfo Ji-Min Park Musetta Sharon Prero Marcello Giorgio Caoduro Colline Richard Anderson Schaunard Shane Lowrencev Benoit Graeme Macfarlane Alcindoro Tom Hamilton Parpignol Benjamin Rasheed Officer Clifford Plumpton Sergeant Malcolm Ede Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Opera Australia Chorus Opera Australia Children’s Chorus Evenings at 7:30pm January 4, 7, 9, 11, 16, 21 Saturday matinee at 1pm January 18 Running time: approx two hours and fifteen minutes including one twenty-minute interval. Performed in Italian with English surtitles.

4|5

The Magic Flute Mozart

For The Magic Flute, Mozart truly embraced his inner child and in Julie Taymor’s anything-ispossible production she reaches out to everyone’s inner child. A nine-metre serpent, towering polar bears and hundreds of props painstakingly hand-crafted bring a kaleidoscope of colour and whimsy to favourites like the stratospheric Queen of the Night’s Arias and Papageno’s cheery pipe song. The props department at Opera Australia is responsible for the manufacture of much of what you see on stage. While the production was first designed for New York’s Metropolitan Opera, the production you see here has been created a new, from the ground up, in Opera Australia’s set construction, props and wardrobe workshops. “There are small intimate hand puppets operated by the dancers very close around the performers, such as the silk-covered wireframed birds, all of them beautifully hand painted,” explains Mat Lawrence, head of props for the original build. “Then there’s the giant goose. It flies at about 4 metres off the ground. We use aluminium, carbon fibre and silk to make it as light as possible.”

If you go down to the woods today, you might find a pure-hearted prince and his feathered sidekick en route to rescue a damsel in distress; a queen atop her starry throne; mysterious temples, dancing bears and a levitating picnic. If in danger, just follow the sound of the flute. No, it’s not Disney – this is opera. Welcome to Mozart’s imagination-run-wild, in a playground on the path to enlightenment, brought to life with spellbinding costumes and effects from Julie Taymor, director of Broadway sensation Disney’s The Lion King.

Co-ordinating the construction was as full of challenges as Tamino’s quest to save Pamina: the set, costumes and props teams puzzled over how to make the ninemetre serpent’s turning circle as tight as possible, how to avoid injury to the dancers, and even how to fit the giant puppets in the wings when they were not in use. Above all, the Opera Australia build needed to be true to Julie Taymor’s unique aesthetic, a look which extends to every part of the show from costumes to props to hair and even make-up. “It’s a wonderful piece of theatre,” says resident director Matthew Barclay, “and it’s also a work of art in every dimension – costumes, puppetry, choreography, lighting and scenic design – they together create a magical storytelling world worthy of Mozart’s extraordinary musical imagination”.

Conductor Anthony Legge Director Matthew Barclay Originally directed by Julie Taymor Set Designer George Tsypin Costume Designer Julie Taymor Puppetry Designers Julie Taymor & Michael Curry Lighting Designer Gary Marder Original lighting design Donald Holder Choreographer Matthew Barclay Original choreography by Mark Dendy Translation by JD McClatchy Pamina Taryn Fiebig / Jane Ede Tamino John Longmuir / Jonathan Abernethy Papageno Andrew Jones / Samuel Dundas / Luke Gabbedy Queen of the Night Emma Pearson / Milica Ilic / Hannah Dahlenburg Sarastro Morris Robinson / Richard Anderson 1st Lady Jane Ede / Leah Thomas 2nd Lady Sian Pendry / Victoria Lambourn 3rd Lady Dominica Matthews Papagena Katherine Wiles Monostatos Kanen Breen Speaker Richard Anderson / Adrian Tamburini

Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Opera Australia Chorus Evenings at 7:30pm January 10, 18, 30 February 1, 4, 7, 14, 22, 26 March 1, 6, 8, 13, 14, 21, 24, 26 Saturday matinees at 1pm January 11, 25 February 1, 15, 22 Weekday matinees at 11am January 21 March 26 Sunday matinee at 2pm March 16 Special price for children for matinees on Saturday 11, Tuesday 21 and Saturday 25 January and Wednesday 26 March: all reserves $49 for under 16 year olds. Running time: approx two hours with one twenty-minute interval. Performed in English with surtitles. Performed by arrangement with The Metropolitan Opera, publisher and sole copyright holder.

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new production

Take two long-lost lovers – a gypsy and a prince. Add a quarrelling couple – a free spirit and a fool. And add another secret lover, just for good measure. Mix them with a masquerade ball, a dash of the seashore, some bikinis, mistaken identities, Naples, Turkey, dancing, deceit and delightful confusion, all splashed with the most charming operatic music around and you’ve got the recipe for a side-splitting romp with Rossini. Comedic king, Conal Coad, is the hapless Geronio, with Emma Matthews making her debut as Fiorilla. Making their Opera Australia debuts, Brazilian tenor Luciano Botelho and Italian bass-baritone Paolo Bordogna will play Narciso and Selim.

The

Conductor Andrea Molino Director Simon Phillips Set & Costume Designer Gabriela Tylesova Lighting Designer Nick Schlieper Fiorilla Emma Matthews NarcisoLuciano Botelho Geronio Conal Coad Selim Paolo Bordogna Prosdocimo Samuel Dundas Zaida Anna Dowsley Albazar Graeme Macfarlane Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Opera Australia Chorus Evenings at 7:30pm January 22, 25, 29, 31 February 5, 12 Saturday matinee at 1pm February 8 Running time: approx two and a half hours with one twenty-minute interval. Performed in Italian with English surtitles.

Turk in Italy Rossini (Il turco in Italia)

Colour, comedy and bikinis from the ’50s

Gioachino Rossini was only 21 when he wrote his smash hit, The Italian Girl in Algiers. It took him between 18 and 28 days, depending on who you believe. (He claimed 18.) The speed at which he wrote it shows in the pacy drama, which combines romance with exotic dress-ups and plenty of laughs. It was such a success that the young and ambitious composer could not help himself: he had to write a sequel. So it was that in 1814, just a year later, The Turk in Italy opened at La Scala, Milan. The premise was similar: take two pairs of lovers, mix them up and introduce a

clash of cultures for added colour. What is amazing about the work, however, is that, unlike most movie sequels, it is genuinely different to its predecessor, packed full of invention, musically and dramatically. Anthony Legge, Associate Music Director, says “in The Turk in Italy, Rossini puts a whole new spin on the mixed-up lovers scenario. We start out with a poet, Prosdocimo, looking for inspiration for his new opera.” “In walks a band of gypsies, then a ship full of Turkish sailors. Suddenly, he has all the inspiration he needs!”

“The result is vintage Rossini: a laugh a minute, but with several highly sophisticated ensembles which push the boundaries of what can be done on stage. That’s why it is hard to do, and that’s why we’re doing it. Great music, great drama and a great challenge.” To make this tricky piece work, Opera Australia has assembled a cracking comic opera team, including Emma Matthews, Conal Coad and Paolo Bordogna, with Simon Phillips directing and the award-winning Gabriela Tylesova designing sets and costumes. According to Simon Phillips, The Turk in Italy will be “just about as much fun as you can have in an opera house”.

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Carmen Bizet

Dark, beautiful and a little bit dangerous, the vivacious gypsy girl Carmen has been captivating hearts for nearly 150 years. Every so often, a mezzo-soprano emerges who can do more than just sing the role – she can inhabit it. It takes a certain fire, a certain physicality, and a certain throatiness to really sell the feisty Carmen to an audience. As she draws Escamillo and Don José to her flame, the audience needs to cheer for this provocative woman from the wrong side of the tracks.

Spanish mezzo Nancy Fabiola Herrera is emerging as the Carmen-of-the-moment. With dark hair, a Latin temperament and an alluring physicality on stage, Herrera is in demand around the world to sing Bizet’s lead, travelling from the Metropolitan Opera in New York to the Deutsche Oper Berlin to the Sydney Opera House in 2014.

Anthony Legge (7, 9 March) Director Francesca Zambello Revival Director Matthew Barclay Set & Costume Designer Tanya McCallin Lighting Designer Paule Constable Choreographer Arthur Pita

She shares the role with Milijana Nikolic, who performed Carmen so spectacularly at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour last year.

Carmen Nancy Fabiola Herrera (until 21 February) Milijana Nikolic Don José Dmytro Popov (until 21 February) Bradley Daley Escamillo Michael Honeyman

Conductor Antony Walker (until 21 February) Benjamin Northey (from 25 February except 7, 9 March)

(until 21 February)

Shane Lowrencev Micaëla Sharon Prero (until 21 February) Daria Masiero (from 25 February until 15 March)

You ask me when I will love you. I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe never. No matter how well you know an animal, no matter how well you read its moves, it is still an animal: wild, unpredictable and dangerous. A bit like love and fate. A bit like Carmen. The ultimate femme fatale is back to stamp her feet, toss her hair and dance. Will she love Don José? Maybe. Will you fall for her sultry Habanera? Definitely.

– Carmen

Natalie Aroyan Frasquita Jane Ede Mercédès Tania Ferris Remendado Sam Roberts-Smith Dancairo Luke Gabbedy Moralès Christopher Hillier Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Opera Australia Chorus Opera Australia Children’s Chorus Evenings at 7:30pm February 3, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 19, 21, 25, 27 March 5, 7, 12, 18, 20, 25, 27, 29 Saturday matinees at 1pm March 1, 15, 22 Sunday matinee at 2pm March 9 Running time: approx two hours and fifty minutes including one twenty-minute interval. Performed in French with English surtitles. This production of Carmen is based on the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Norwegian National Opera co-production first performed at Covent Garden in 2006.

new production

Tchaikovsky didn’t want this to be a grand opera. It needs to have a very direct communication with the audience. And if I can’t make the audience cry, if I can’t make the audience be in love again, then I’ve somehow failed. Kasper Holten

Onegin is not about kings or princes or faraway magic and gods. It’s about real people. About something with which we can really identify. And that, for me, gives Onegin a very special yet fragile quality.

Kasper Holten is a selfconfessed opera nerd. Smitten by Carmen at nine, he spent his youth building opera houses from Lego, and by the age of twelve had mounted his first Ring Cycle, featuring a distinguished cast of puppets and complete with surtitles. Now Holten, who turns 40 this year, holds one of the key positions in the world of opera: artistic director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Tchaikovsky

Eugene Onegin

Holten’s first offering at the Royal Opera is Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, a co-production with the Teatro Regio, Turin and Opera Australia. It is an opera he feels passionate about:

Conductor Guillaume Tourniaire Director Kasper Holten Rehearsal Director Bárbara Lluch Set Designer Mia Stensgaard Costume Designer Katrina Lindsay Lighting Designer Wolfgang Goebbel Video Design 59 Productions Choreographer Signe Fabricius Rehearsal Choreographer Miles Hoare

Eugene Onegin is an exploration of memory, of the aching nostalgia for what might have been. This production creates layers of reminiscence and regret using some ingenious stage devices which have challenged and delighted audiences. Whatever you make of his unique approach, Holten’s directorial debut with Opera Australia brings a devastingly handsome production to our shores, and a devastatingly handsome cast including Nicole Car as Tatyana, Konstantin Gorny as Prince Gremin and, in his Australian debut, Slovak baritone Dalibor Jenis as Onegin.

Tatyana Nicole Car Onegin Dalibor Jenis Lensky James Egglestone Olga Sian Pendry Gremin Konstantin Gorny Mme Larina Dominica Matthews Filippyevna Jacqueline Dark Monsieur Triquet Kanen Breen Zaretsky Adrian Tamburini Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Opera Australia Chorus

A day in summer, a night in suspense. A letter unanswered, a quarrel between friends. A bullet. Eugene Onegin is the journey from what could be to what might have been. In between lies the tragedy. Danish director Kasper Holten’s intriguing new production portrays Tatyana and Onegin as two dreamers whose lives drift and dance around each other, at the mercy of capricious breezes. How is it that a youthful crush becomes a matter of life and death?

Evenings at 7:30pm February 28 March 4, 11, 15, 19, 22, 28 Saturday matinee at 1pm March 8 Running time: approx two hours and forty minutes with one twenty-minute interval. Performed in Russian with English surtitles. Co-production with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London and Fondazione Teatro Regio, Turin.

12 | 13

Silken arias and fragile butterfly wings float on the water

Madama Butterfly Puccini

What is opera to you? The rush of adrenalin as a soprano or tenor’s voice soars, the roar of the chorus, the larger-than-life costumes and scenery, the moving stories, or just the whole sense of occasion? Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is all this, and more, so come down to the water’s edge and let the story begin. We’re on a naval base somewhere on the Pacific rim. A young officer acquires a bride to keep him company during his tour of duty. It’s clearly a financial transaction rather than a love match but on their wedding night the stars come out, their eyes meet and magic happens. We dare you to hear Cio-Cio-San and Pinkerton’s exquisite love duet and remain unmoved, especially when it takes place against the backdrop of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The stars will be there, for real. Magic too?

new production

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour

There’s a moment in March when several hundred people collectively hold their breath on the harbourfront. It’s when two enormous cranes lift a 40-tonne stage from 10 barges onto 16 pylons buried deep in the ocean floor. “The highest risk is in that moment,” explains Louisa Robertson, whose job title could well be “chief-problem solver” for Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. Now in her third year as executive producer for the annual event, Robertson has encountered nearly every obstacle imaginable when it comes to mounting an opera on Sydney’s most spectacular – and unpredictable – stage.

Conductor Brian Castles-Onion Director Alex Ollé Assistant Director Susana Gómez Set Designer Alfons Flores Costume Designer Lluc Castells Lighting Designer Alexander Koppelmann

These range from the trivial – “Trees are always a challenge. They grow, and suddenly your design doesn’t fit!” – to the seemingly insurmountable. “Each new design offers its own challenges. We had one crane in 2012, then for Carmen in 2013 the designer wanted two. We had to reinforce everything.” More than 700 people turn their hands to the project before a single note is heard over the Botanic Gardens. It takes 8,000 hours of manual labour to build the stage and the elaborate underworld of the orchestra pit and dressing rooms beneath the stage. Making the costumes takes another 10,000 hours. The inventory of batteries, light globes, nuts, bolts and screws adds up to mindboggling numbers. It is a truly gargantuan effort, Robertson says. “There are a lot of firsts on site from a technological and design perspective.” They range from the spectacular – fireworks and chandeliers – to the mundane: “The toilets won an Event award for Best Innovation!”

Strategic Partner

Principal Partner

Opera Australia Principal Partner

Opera Australia Government Partners

Cio-Cio-San Hiromi Omura/ Hyeseoung Kwon Suzuki Anna Yun Pinkerton Georgy Vasiliev/ Andeka Gorrotxategi Sharpless Michael Honeyman / Barry Ryan Goro Graeme Macfarlane Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Opera Australia Chorus Evenings at 7:30pm Tuesday – Sunday March 21 – April 11 Fleet Steps The Royal Botanic Garden Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney Site opens for pre-performance drinks and dining at 5pm Performed in Italian with English surtitles. Running time: approx two hours and forty minutes with one interval of thirty-five minutes. Pre-Performance Dinner $250 Three-course dinner with drinks overlooking Sydney Harbour. Interval Drinks $50 Drinks and canapés in the exclusive Platinum Club. Harbourmaster Program Support us by becoming a Harbourmaster with a tax-deductible donation of $500. As a Harbourmaster, you will play a vital role in the realisation of this enormous cultural project. Make your donation when you book your tickets.

Venue

14 | 15

new production

The fires are burning merrily in the Duke’s palace as beautiful people at magnificent candlelit dinners party on into the night. Meanwhile, in the streets of Mantua, shadows tread softly. Words pass between hooded figures, their meaning drowned out by the sounds of drunken revelry. Are they whispering sweet nothings, or bitter secrets? Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference in the gloom. Verdi’s dark tale glitters with passion and suspense in this glamorous new production. Tell your jokes, lock up your daughter and trust nobody.

Verdi The moment he wrote it, Verdi knew he had a hit on his hands. So much so that for the first performance of Rigoletto he rehearsed the Duke’s famous aria, ‘La donna è mobile’, in secret to avoid giving away what was to prove one of the catchiest tunes in opera. ‘La donna è mobile’ is just one of many fabulous arias in Rigoletto and to serve it well requires exceptional singers. Verdi is about voice, voice and more voice and Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini is detemined to let Australian audiences hear the finest on the world stage.

The cast for this new production of Rigoletto is a gathering from around the world. As the swaggering Duke, Mexican tenor Diego Torre and Italian Gianluca Terranova, who performed this role at La Scala and the Arena di Verona. As Gilda, an Australian star, Emma Matthews. And taking the momentous step into one of Verdi’s most important baritone roles, two singers who have enjoyed immense success in Australia and around the world, Giorgio Caoduro and José Carbó.

Not every singer is discovered on the world stage or developed through the Opera Australia ensemble, however. David Parkin was discovered on television, when he won the role of Sparafucile on Operatunity Oz. It doesn’t really matter what path leads an artist to this demanding repertoire, nothing beats the thrill of hearing great Verdi singing.

Conductor Renato Palumbo (until 31 July) Anthony Legge Director Roger Hodgman Set Designer Richard Roberts Costume Designer Tracy Grant Lord Lighting Designer Matt Scott

Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra

Winter Season Gala Fundraiser

Opera Australia Chorus

Rigoletto Giorgio Caoduro (until 19 July) José Carbó Duke of Mantua Gianluca Terranova (until 19 July) Diego Torre Gilda Emma Matthews Monterone Shane Lowrencev Sparafucile David Parkin Maddalena Sian Pendry Marullo Luke Gabbedy Borsa David Corcoran Ceprano Samuel Dundas Giovanna Dominica Matthews

Sunday matinee at 2pm August 24

To celebrate the opening of the Winter Season of Opera, you are invited to join the Rigoletto artists and creative team at a cocktail party in the Sydney Opera House Northern Foyer following the opening night performance on 26 June. Tickets for the party are $220 per person. Your support will enable us to continue to present opera of the highest quality across Australia.

Evenings at 7:30pm June 26, 28 July 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 17, 23, 31 August 2, 6, 14, 16, 22 Saturday matinees at 1pm July 19, 26 August 9

Running time: approx two hours and thirty minutes with one twenty-minute interval. Performed in Italian with English surtitles.

The plays of Shakespeare have inspired many an opera, but the problem always remains: how do you improve upon a masterpiece? In the case of Otello, Verdi and his librettist, Arrigo Boito, made a radical revision of the original play, cutting two acts, changing the location and adding operatic flourishes, including a chilling ‘Credo’ for Iago. You could argue that it is not Shakespeare, but it is certainly a masterpiece. What Verdi cuts from Shakespeare’s verse, he more than replaces in music: rather than describing Iago in words, his melodies expose his powers of persuasion; no-one could doubt the sincerity of Desdemona when they hear her exquisite ‘Willow Song’; and Verdi has a key advantage over Shakespeare in that he can have multiple characters speaking at once.

Verdi

OTELLO

The choices are clear on the battlefield. Back home, however, when the cannons fall silent and the skies are clear, a soldier is no match for a master politician. Otello is the hero and Desdemona is the lover, but Iago is the puppetmaster in this vivid re-telling of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy. Three outstanding singers go head-to-head in this bold production, created by German director Harry Kupfer: Italian baritone Marco Vratogna as Iago, Tamar Iveri and Nicole Car as Desdemona and, direct from triumphs at New York’s Metropolitan Opera and La Scala, Milan, New Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill as Otello.

This is why we come to opera. So that we can hear Desdemona asking forgiveness, Otello lost in thought, Iago meddling and Emilia lamenting the quarrel simultaneously, their hopes and fears all woven together in one thrilling ensemble. So that we can experience through music the emotions that words alone cannot describe.

Conductor Christian Badea Director Harry Kupfer Revival Director Roger Press Set Designer Hans Schavernoch Costume Designer Yan Tax Lighting Designer Toby Sewell Otello Simon O’Neill Desdemona Tamar Iveri (until 22 July) Nicole Car Iago Marco Vratogna Cassio James Egglestone Emilia Jacqueline Dark Roderigo Michael Honeyman Montano Richard Anderson Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Opera Australia Chorus Evenings at 7:30pm July 5, 9, 16, 19, 22, 29 Saturday matinees at 1pm July 12 August 2 Running time: approx two hours and forty minutes with one twenty-minute interval. Performed in Italian with English surtitles.

Black or white. Good or evil. Life or death.

18 | 19

new production

Conductor Jonathan Darlington Director David McVicar Set &Costume Designer Robert Jones Lighting Designer David Finn Choreographer Andrew George Don Giovanni Teddy Tahu Rhodes Leporello Shane Lowrencev Donna Anna Elvira Fatykhova Don Ottavio John Longmuir Zerlina Taryn Fiebig Masetto Richard Anderson Commendatore Jud Arthur Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Opera Australia Chorus Evenings at 7.30pm July 25, 30 August 1, 5, 7, 9, 12, 20, 26, 28 Saturday matinees at 1pm August 16, 23, 30

Don The serial seducer is on the loose again, in a new production from one of the most provocative minds in opera today, Sir David McVicar. Teddy Tahu Rhodes’ Don is mad, he’s bad, he’s dangerous but, damn him to hell, his serenades are just divine.

Before Don Giovanni opens his mouth, before the curtain has even gone up, Mozart has us jumping out of our skins with an earth-shattering D Minor chord from the pit: the sound of the gates of hell juddering open. Opera’s lecherous anti-hero has already been condemned – the work was originally subtitled “the libertine punished”, after all. But how do we judge the notorious ladies’ man today? Is he a sex addict, or just a rich, randy player whose diversions have become an inexorable way of life? Are fire and brimstone really his just desserts? And in any case, isn’t he losing his touch? Although his

Running time: approx three hours with one twenty-minute interval. Performed in Italian with English surtitles.

Giovanni Mozart

list of conquests extends beyond a staggering 2,000 names, we never see him complete his ritual seduction – even if we hear some very persuasive serenades along the way. Sir David McVicar teases out the psychological drama of these questions in a highly anticipated new production and Australian debut from the leading opera director of his generation: a fearless iconoclast and a bit of a rogue himself. And in the role he was born to sing, Teddy Tahu Rhodes’ powerful magnetism, dark-hued voice and imposing physique make being bad seem oh so good. The Don has met his match.

Director Simon Phillips’ much-loved production of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love is set in an Australian country town circa 1915. “If you’re doing a comic opera it’s useful to get it as close to a contemporary world as you legitimately can,” he says, “because that affords you the possibility of laughs of recognition as well as situation.” So how does the story of Elixir pan out down under? There’s Adina, the squatter’s daughter who wants to play the field before settling down. There’s Nemorino, the lovestruck labourer who loves reading romantic poetry in his spare time. There’s Belcore,

Once a jolly doctor rode into a country town Handing out potions and pills for a fee And he sang as the soldiers and gentle folk all gathered round Who’ll come a-wooing Adina with me? Italian opera meets the Australian outback when Donizetti’s tongue-incheek, heart-on-sleeve tale of a shy boy and a bold girl returns in this cheeky production directed by Simon Phillips.

the English officer who fancies having a fine young lady on his arm. Then there’s the travelling larrikin, Dulcamara, who offers to solve everyone’s problems with a drop of the good stuff.

Best of all, a knockout cast – Rachelle Durkin, Aldo Di Toro, Samuel Dundas and Conal Coad – means that Donizetti’s music shines as brightly as ever under the Antipodean skies.

As Phillips points out, the regiment of soldiers and all the talk of conscription mean that a modern adaptation would have jarred, but setting the story in Australia in 1915 provides a rich vein of comic material to add to the mix. It also inspired set designer Michael Scott-Mitchell and costume designer Gabriela Tylesova to come up with one of Opera Australia’s favourite entrances when our heroine, Adina, rides into town on a corrugated iron horse.

“It’s bright, it’s bucolic, and it’ll be a barrel of laughs.” says Philips.

Donizetti (L’elisir d’amore)

Conductor Guillaume Tourniaire

Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra

(until 27 August)

Opera Australia Chorus

Tahu Matheson Director Simon Phillips Set Designer Michael Scott-Mitchell Costume Designer Gabriela Tylesova Lighting Designer Nick Schlieper Adina Rachelle Durkin Nemorino Aldo Di Toro Belcore Samuel Dundas Dulcamara Conal Coad Giannetta Katherine Wiles

Evenings at 7:30pm August 11, 13, 15, 19, 21, 23, 27, 29 Sunday matinee at 2pm August 31 Running time: approx two hours and twenty minutes with one twenty-minute interval. Performed in Italian with English surtitles.

Shall we dance? On a bright cloud of music shall we fly? Shall we dance? Shall we then say goodnight and mean goodbye? Shall we indulge our love for the genius of Rodgers and Hammerstein with one of their most celebrated masterpieces, The King and I? Shall we? Yes. It is 1861. Anna Leonowens, a young English widow, has been engaged to teach the many children and wives of the ruler of Siam. When she and her son arrive at the Royal Palace they do not know what to expect.

This King and I is an unstoppable smash The Daily Express, UK

It is with great pride that Opera Australia and John Frost bring this world-famous production back home for its first-ever season at the Sydney Opera House. This now legendary production of The King and I won the triple crown of awards: The Tony, the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle for Best Musical Revival. Further Tony and Drama Desk awards included Best Scenic Design and Best Costume Design, and a Laurence Olivier Award nomination. Whilst the sumptuous costumes and gilded sets have travelled the world, it all started in Australia, with a dream to create a version which was not just a remake of the iconic 1956 film, but a real consideration of this clash of cultures and meeting of minds. Christopher Renshaw was the perfect choice of director and together with Brian Thomson he travelled to Thailand, where they discovered a deep affection for the rich and nuanced culture of Siam. Australian costume designer Roger Kirk joined and an award-winning creative team was born. When Richard Rodgers’ daughter, Mary Rodgers, saw it, she declared it the best King and I she had ever experienced. “I was dazzled,” she enthused. “I actually thought that Chris had changed and improved some lines. But he hadn’t changed anything. He’d just found how to emphasise certain things.”

A King and I for the 21st century

The production premiered at the Adelaide Festival Theatre in 1991, followed by a highly successful Australian tour. The show reopened at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway in 1996, followed by a US tour, then transferred to the London Palladium in 2000, where it played for nearly two years before embarking on a UK tour. Audiences were thrilled by the period costumes – including Anna’s enormous crinoline skirts – and by the lavish, meticulously researched sets. With these insights, an exotic fairytale becomes spiced with real culture and real human emotion. Don’t miss this dazzling display of the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I Music by Richard Rodgers Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II based on “Anna and theKing of Siam” by Margaret Landon Director Christopher Renshaw Original Choreography by Jerome Robbins Choreographer Susan Kikuchi Scenic Designer Brian Thomson Costume Designer Roger Kirk Lighting Designer Nigel Levings Music Director Peter Casey Orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett Dance & Instrumental Music Arranged by Trude Rittmann This production of The King and I is based on the John Frost and Adelaide Festival Centre production first performed on 11 June, 1991 10 September – 1 November Evenings at 7:30pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 1pm Sunday matinees at 3pm You are invited to celebrate the opening of The King and I at a Gala Performance on 10 September. Prices include your ticket to the performance and the post-performance party at the Sydney Opera House.

The New York Post 24 | 25

NYE at the Sydney Opera House

The Opera Gala New Year’s Eve. The night when Sydney puts on the bling, kicks up its heels and shows the world what a gorgeous thing it is, as a festival of fire explodes across the midnight sky. Ringside seats to the greatest show on earth are hard to come by, but we’ve saved some great ones, and you’re invited. Join the stars of Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House for a smorgasbord of operatic deliciousness as we count down the hours to midnight. It’s guaranteed to end with a bang!

New Year’s Eve Package options Add pre-performance dinner and/ or the Midnight Party when you book your tickets for The Opera Gala or La bohème Gala. 31 December 2013 8:00pm Concert Hall Sydney Opera House Conductor Andrew Greene

Featuring Emma Matthews Milijana Nikolic Andrew Jones Paolo Bordogna Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra

La bohème Gala

Midnight Party $269 Canapés, drinks and live entertainment from 10:30pm in the Northern Foyers. Platinum Package $1,100-$1,180 Pre-performance dinner, the very best Premium seats at the performance of your choice, and the Midnight Party.

The last night of 2013 is the first night of La bohème. If ever there was a night to dress up, this is it. With VIP access you’ll leave the crowds behind as you enter the Sydney Opera House, then settle back for an evening with Rodolfo, Mimì, Marcello and Musetta in Gale Edwards’ decadent and dazzling production. Then, with a heart full of song, stroll out onto the Opera House balcony to see the fireworks the whole world watches.

Pre-Performance Dinner $359 Three-course dinner matched with premium wines and beverages in the Northern Foyer of the Concert Hall from 5:30pm.

Platinum package with the New Year’s Eve Gala Concert $1,100 Platinum package with the La bohème Gala $1,180 Subscribers may include New Year’s Eve in their subscription and receive a 10% or 20% discount on the performance ticket. See page 35-36 for subscriber prices. 31 December 2013 7:45pm Joan Sutherland Theatre Sydney Opera House Conductor Andrea Licata Director Gale Edwards Set Designer Brian Thomson Costume Designer Julie Lynch Lighting Designer John Rayment

Mimì Nicole Car Rodolfo Ji-Min Park Musetta Sharon Prero Marcello Giorgio Caoduro Colline Richard Anderson Schaunard Shane Lowrence Benoit Graeme Macfarlane Alcindoro Adrian Tamburini Parpignol Benjamin Rasheed Officer Clifford Plumpton Sergeant Malcolm Ede Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra Opera Australia Chorus Opera Australia Children’s Chorus

The view from the Midnight Party.

26 | 27

Sydney Festival presents

Australian Exclusive Sasha Waltz & Guests

…Beautiful, fantastical

Renowned for her boundless visual imagination, Berlin choreographer Sasha Waltz has come together with celebrated baroque orchestra Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin to present her first opera: a majestic reimagining of one of the world’s great romantic tragedies, Dido & Aeneas. Henry Purcell’s 17th century masterwork is the myth of a queen, a soldier and the illicit love that tore them apart. Waltz’s version transports the audience into a wondrous underwater realm, where submerged dancers glide gracefully around a glass aquarium that fills the stage. From these watery depths, Waltz breathes new life into an enduring love story, carrying it to spectacular heights.

The Guardian

Dido & Aeneas Choreographer & Director Sasha Waltz Music Henry Purcell Musical production & reconstruction Attilio Cremonesi Conductor Christopher Moulds Stage Designer Thomas Schenk & Sasha Waltz Costume Designer Christine Birkle Lighting Designer Thilo Reuther

Dido Aurore Ugolin (Song) Yael Schnell (Dance) Michal Mualem (Dance) Aeneas Reuben Willcox (Song) Virgis Puodziunas (Dance) Orchestra Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin Choir Vocalconsort Berlin

a choreographic opera Evenings at 8pm 16, 17, 20 & 21 January Evenings at 5pm 19 January Sydney Lyric 100 minutes with no interval Exclusive to Opera Australia subscribers Get access to the best seats and a 10% discount on all price reserves. Only available when booked with an Opera Australia subscription. Offer ends 6pm, Monday 16 December.

Sydneysiders know how to have fun at the opera, whether it’s at the world’s most iconic theatre, on the harbour ooh-ing and ahh-ing at fireworks bursting over a waterborne stage, or at that beloved Sydney tradition, Opera in the Domain. Every year we head to the park in our thousands to hear our brightest stars, under the stars and anyone who claims opera is an elitist art form should look at the size of the crowd at this cultural, communal celebration.

Saturday 1 February at 8pm The Domain A range of food and beverages is available in the Domain from early afternoon to the end of the evening , or you can bring your own picnic. For the comfort of the audience high chairs and beach umbrellas are not allowed and, to protect the lawns, plastic sheeting and ice are not permitted on the grass.

It’s time to crack a beer with the barber of Seville; toast La Traviata, and share some pavlova with Pagliacci and experience a midsummer night’s dream that brings opera to the people. Dress up – or not – it’s your night to enjoy powerful, impassioned voices soaring over a full orchestra in opera’s most celebrated arias and duets. Good times.

The most famous arias, under the stars — free!

Mazda Opera in the Domain Presenting Partner

Venue Supporter

Performance Partner

28 | 29

Gold Coast Queensland Mozart The Magic Flute

Sometimes it feels like a crime to go indoors when the skies are clear, even for a night at the opera. That’s why we’re taking the opera out of the theatre and onto the beach. Picture a giant sandcastle on the beach at Coolangatta, families enjoying a picnic, children playing as the sun goes down, and miraculously beautiful music. And there you have a uniquely Australian production of one of the world’s favourite operas, Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

This new production is directed by Michael Gow and stars some of Opera Australia’s finest singers alongside a chorus drawn from community choirs and the Gold Coast’s own surf life saving clubs. Together, they will battle the serpent, put a spell on the guards and rescue the princess, before sending you home, with stars in your eyes, sand in your shoes and songs in your heart. Now that’s opera, Australia!

Director Michael Gow Set and Costume Designer Robert Kemp Lighting Designer Matt Scott Sound Designer Norwest Productions, Brisbane

Season 2014 Calendar

Greenmount Beach Coolangatta, Gold Coast (in front of the Greenmount Surf Club) Evenings at 6:30pm May 9, 10, 11

MON

TUE 30

Strategic Partners

Founding Partner

Opening Night Special event * Performance will be filmed

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

31 Bohème Gala 7.45pm Opera Gala 8.00pm

MON

TUE

Performed in English

Presenting Partners

Don G — Don Giovanni Elixir — The Elixir of Love Domain — Opera in the Domain King & I — The King and I

January

Running time: approx two hours and twenty minutes including one thirty-minute interval.

A range of food and beverages is available at the venue from 5pm. For the comfort of our patrons only low chairs will be permitted. Strictly no BYO alcohol. Alcohol will be available for purchase on site. Spread out your towel on the sand and picnic under the stars.

Opera on the Beach

Bohème — La bohème Flute — The Magic Flute Turk — The Turk in Italy Carmen — Carmen Onegin — Eugene Onegin Butterfly — Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, Madama Butterfly Rigoletto — Rigoletto Otello — Otello

December

Pamina Natalie Aroyan Tamino Jonathan Abernethy Queen of the Night Milica Ilic Sarastro Conal Coad

Opera Australia in partnership with Bleach* Festival, City of The Gold Coast and Tourism & Events Queensland present

key

Bohème 7.30pm

Flute 11am Bohème 7.30pm

Turk 7.30pm

*Turk 7.30pm

Bohème 7.30pm

Flute 7.30pm

*Turk 7.30pm

Bohème 7.30pm

Flute 1.00pm Bohème 7.30pm

Bohème 1.00pm Flute 7.30pm

Flute 1.00pm Turk 7.30pm

February MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT Flute 1.00pm Flute 7.30pm Domain 8.00pm

Carmen 7.30pm

Major Partner

Flute 7.30pm

Carmen 7.30pm

Turk 7.30pm

Carmen 7.30pm

Flute 7.30pm

Carmen 7.30pm

Flute 7.30pm

Carmen 7.30pm

Onegin 7.30pm

Turk 1.00pm Carmen 7.30pm

Flute 1.00pm Carmen 7.30pm

Flute 1.00pm Flute 7.30pm

SUN 1

30 | 31

March

August

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

SUN

1 Carmen 1.00pm Flute 7.30pm 3

Flute 7.30pm

Onegin 7.30pm

Carmen 7.30pm

Carmen 7.30pm Butterfly 7.30pm

Carmen 7.30pm

Onegin 7.30pm

Flute 11am Flute 7.30pm Butterfly7.30pm

Flute 7.30pm

Carmen 7.30pm

Carmen 7.30pm Butterfly 7.30pm

Carmen 7.30pm

Flute 7.30pm

Flute 7.30pm Butterfly 7.30pm

Onegin 7.30pm Butterfly 7.30pm

Onegin 1.00pm Flute 7.30pm

Carmen 1.00pm Onegin 7.30pm

Carmen 1.00pm Onegin 7.30pm Butterfly 7.30pm Carmen 7.30pm Butterfly 7.30pm

MON

TUE

Carmen 2pm

Flute 2pm

Butterfly 7.30pm

Elixir 7.30pm

*Don G 7.30pm

Don G 7.30pm

Elixir 7.30pm

Don G 7.30pm

MON

TUE *Butterfly 7.30pm

Butterfly 7.30pm

WED 1

Butterfly 7.30pm

THU 2

*Butterfly 7.30pm

Butterfly 7.30pm

FRI 3

Butterfly 7.30pm

SAT

Rigoletto 7.30pm

*Elixir 7.30pm

Don G 7.30pm

Elixir 7.30pm

Butterfly 7.30pm

TUE

WED

THU

June 23

July 1

Rigoletto 7.30pm

FRI

SAT

Rigoletto 7.30pm

SUN

*Don G 7.30pm

Rigoletto 7.30pm

Elixir 7.30pm

Don G 7.30pm

*Elixir 7.30pm

Rigoletto 7.30pm

Elixir 7.30pm

Otello 1.00pm Rigoletto 7.30pm

Rigoletto 1.00pm Don G 7.30pm

Don G 1.00pm Rigoletto 7.30pm

Don G 1.00pm Elixir 7.30pm

Don G 1.00pm

SUN 2

Rigoletto 2pm

Elixir 2pm

Rigoletto 7.30pm

Otello 7.30pm

Rigoletto 7.30pm

Don G 7.30pm

Rigoletto 7.30pm

Don G 7.30pm

Otello 7.30pm

Otello 1.00pm Rigoletto 7.30pm

Rigoletto 1.00pm Otello 7.30pm

Rigoletto 1.00pm

King & I 1.00pm

King & I 7.30pm Gala Night

King & I 1.00pm King & I 7.30pm

THU 10

FRI 11

King & I 7.30pm

SAT 12

King & I 1.00pm King & I 7.30pm

SUN 13

King & I 3pm

October/November

MON Rigoletto 7.30pm

WED 9

SUN

June/July

TUE 8

SAT

September MON

FRI Don G 7.30pm

April

MON

THU

WED

TUE

WED

THU

October 1 King & I 1.00pm King & I 7.30pm

King & I 1.00pm

* King & I 1.00pm

King & I 1.00pm King & I 7.30pm

* King & I 1.00pm King & I 7.30pm

King & I 7.30pm

FRI 2

King & I 7.30pm

SAT 3

King & I 1.00pm King & I 7.30pm

SUN 4

November 1 King & I 1.00pm King & I 7.30pm

King & I 3pm

32 | 33

Subscribe and save

Now is the time you plan your entertainment for the year. Choose three or more performances from this brochure and receive a significant discount, the best seats and a range of exclusive subscriber benefits. Priority Booking

Subscribers are guaranteed the best available seats, with subscriptions on sale long before tickets go on sale to the general public. Discounts

Book three or more operas and save 10%; book 6 or more and save 20%. You also receive 10% discount on additional tickets throughout the season, great for gifts and visitors. Pay in instalments

If you would prefer not to pay all at once, you can pay in four easy instalments. See page 40 for more information about instalments.

Free Exchanges

If plans change, subscribers can exchange tickets for another date or another opera at no cost up to two working days before a performance. (NB not available for Dido and Aeneas, Opera on the Beach or Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – Madama Butterfly.) To exchange tickets, call (02) 9318 8200 and one of our Customer Service Representatives will talk you through returning your original tickets and reserving new tickets and advise of any upgrade costs. Insider knowledge

As a subscriber, you’ll receive invitations to exclusive subscriber events and be the first to know about all our other special events. Subscriber Benefits Program

Your subscriber card opens the door to discounts and other special Opera Australia subscriber offers from our range of hotel, restaurant and retail outlet partners, as well as from various arts organisations. Visit opera.org.au/subscriber_benefits throughout the year to view offers.

Prices These are the ticket prices per performance when buying in a package of 3 to 5 operas and are valid until Friday 22 November 2013. The more operas you add to your package the greater the saving. See overleaf for subscriber prices for Opera on the Beach and Dido & Aeneas.

3 to 5 Performances Save 10% on ticket prices

operas

Adult ($) Concession ($) Child ($)

Mondays – Fridays & Sundays P

266 239 133

199 179 99

149 134 74

99 89 49

Saturdays D

62 62 49

284 256 142

220 198 110

150 135 75

108 97 54

Restricted view

68 68 54

A child price of $49 is available in all reserves for matinees of The Magic Flute on Saturday 11, Tuesday 21, Saturday 25 January and Wednesday 26 March.

The King & I

Adult ($) Concession / Child ($)

WEDNESDAY – Friday evenings P

167 167

121 112

80 80

Weekends C

62 62

171 -

125 -

89 -

Restricted view

62 -

A child price of $116 is available for A Reserve at weekend matinees.

Win a Mazda6

WEEKDAY MATINEES

It’s Driving Re-energised. There’s never been a car like it, because All-New Mazda6 is a world-first. It takes the joy of driving to new heights, with exhilarating handling and performance, and new petrol and diesel engines that increase both power and torque – and all of this from even less fuel. Add a new chassis and exciting safety technologies, and you have the safest, most advanced Mazda ever.

Get your subscription or renewal to us by 5pm Friday 20 September 2013 and you could be driving away in a brand new Mazda6 2.5L Petrol Touring Sedan.

GALA NIGHT 10 September

Adult ($)

130

112

267

221

180

162

Concession / Child ($)

130

103

handa Opera on Sydney Harbour Adult ($) Concession / Child ($)

Mondays – Thursdays & Sundays P

269 242

160 144

117 105

89 80

71 64

297 267

179 161

130 117

99 89

80 72

215

405

340

296

250

New Year’s Eve Events

Adult ($)

fridays & Saturdays

the opera gala P

332

296

260

la bohÈme gala Restricted view

Restricted view

215

Terms & conditions The prize pack includes all on-road charges, 12 months registration and stamp duty. For full competition terms and conditions visit opera.org.au Authorised under NSW Permit No: LTPS/13/04393 . Vic Permit No: 13/1570. ACT Permit No: ACT TP 13/02120. SA Permit No: T13/1098

34 | 35

These are the ticket prices per performance when buying in a package of 6 or more operas and are valid until Friday 22 November 2013.

6+ Performances Subsciptions 6+

Mondays– Fridays & Sundays P

235 212 118

180 150 90

132 119 66

88 79 44

Saturdays D

55 55 44

250 225 125

195 176 98

140 126 70

96 86 49

Restricted view

60 60 49

WEDNESDAY – Friday evenings P

148 148

109 101

72 72

Classic tales of love and loss, performed with a depth of emotion that conveys more than a story. If you love opera, you’ll love this package to death.

Weekends C

56 56

151 –

113 –

80 –

Restricted view

56 –

A child price of $104 is available for A Reserve at weekend matinees.

WEEKDAY MATINEES

115 115

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – Madama Butterfly

4 Operas at a 20% discount

La bohème  Madama Butterfly – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour  The King and I  The Elixir of Love

101 93

GALA NIGHT 10 September

72 64

48 48

248 –

209 –

mondays – thursdays & sundays

172 –

Big emotion. Bigger voices. This is opera at its most spectacular. Enjoy all your favourite arias in one toetappingly perfect package.

156 –

Fridays & Saturdays

Adult ($)

239

144

264

159

116

Concession / Child ($)

212

130

239

143

105

New Year’s Eve

the opera gala P

295

263

230

la bohÈme gala C

190

360

303

263

223

Restricted view

Carmen Eugene Onegin  Madama Butterfly – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour  Rigoletto  Don Giovanni

Restricted view

190

La bohème  Carmen  The Magic Flute  Madama Butterfly – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour  Rigoletto  Don Giovanni

Special Events Subscribers enjoy priority booking for a range of Opera Australia Special Events.

Opera on the Beach

To secure great seats and take advantage of these exclusive Subscriber prices, simply add these events to your ticket order.

–

Adult ($)

–

Concession / Child ($)

–

179

143

Dido & Aeneas Adult ($)

Restricted view

P 940 848 472

A 720 600 360

B 528 476 264

C 352 316 176

D 220 220 176

Seats will vary for each performance, and cannot be renewed from one year to the next. You may exchange your tickets into another performance, but an upgrade fee will apply.

Youth Series La bohème The Turk in Italy Eugene Onegin Carmen The Magic Flute

The Turk in Italy  Eugene Onegin  Madama Butterfly – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour  Rigoletto  Don Giovanni

A Grand Sydney Getaway

Subscriber Prices

Pensioner/Student ($) Child ($)

Wednesday 19 February Friday 21 March Wednesday 2 July Thursday 21 August

3 to 6 Operas at the special price of $60 per opera

Classics with a twist This package is made up of entirely new productions. And if you’ve never seen an opera, you’ll still get a kick out of these extraordinary performances.

Carmen The Magic Flute Rigoletto The Elixir of Love

Adult ($)

The Hit List

Adult ($)

Mazda Introduction to Opera

Matters of Life, Love and Death

The King & I

Adult ($) Concession / Child ($)

With so many performances to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones to book. To get you started, we’ve put together a few suggestions.

Whisk the one you love off their feet with this whirlwind of passion, drama, romance and wit. And there’ll be plenty of memorable tunes to hum all the way home.

child price of $49 is available in all reserves for A matinees of The Magic Flute on Saturday 11, Tuesday 21, Saturday 25 January and Wednesday 26 March.

Adult ($) Concession / Child ($)

New to Opera?

Date Night

Save 20% on ticket prices

Adult ($) Concession ($) Child ($)

Packages

If you’re looking for an Madama Butterfly – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, excuse to take in a few Friday 21 March 7:30pm. cultural highlights in the Carmen, Saturday 22 March 1pm. big city, look no further. Eugene Onegin, Saturday This package puts together 22 March 7:30pm Don Giovanni, Saturday a selection of some of this 23 August 1pm. The Elixir of season’s best performances Love, Saturday 23 August that can be savoured over 7:30pm. Rigoletto, Sunday the course of a weekend. 24 August 2pm.

Otello Rigoletto Don Giovanni The Elixir of Love

Number of operas Youth Price ($)

Thursday 16 January Tuesday 21 January Wednesday 29 January Friday 31 January Tuesday 4 March Wednesday 19 March Tuesday 18 March Thursday 20 March Friday 21 March Wednesday 26 March Wednesday 9 July Wednesday 16 July Thursday 10 July Thursday 14 August Friday 1 August Thursday 7 August Wednesday 13 August Friday 15 August 3 180

4 240

5 300

6 360

You may choose between a minimum of three and a maximum of six operas in your package. Seats will vary for each performance. You must be 30 years of age or under on 1 January 2014. Each subscription application must be accompanied by a photocopied proof of age. Tickets may be exchanged into an alternative Youth Subscription performance.

36 | 37

Opera begins with you Opera is a complex and wonderful art form. The combination of the power of the drama, the passion of the music and the beauty and inspiration of the human voice is irresistible and inspiring. It has been my life’s work. What an incredible privilege. That’s why I’m honoured to act as Opera Australia’s Patron-inChief and why I’d be delighted if you could help nurture the next generation of Australian opera singers by supporting our Moffatt Oxenbould Young Artist Program. I’m passionate about this program. It nurtures talented and promising young artists and provides them with the opportunity to perform in mainstage productions,

take part in workshops and masterclasses with leading singers, and be mentored by our experienced artists. They are salaried artists, which means they can learn their craft whilst still earning a living. This financial support is vital in the life of a singer commencing their career. It gives security and freedom to focus on what they do best – sing! My own experience proves this. At the beginning of my career, I was fortunate to have been accepted as a salaried principal soprano at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. It was my first job. I was able to learn my craft as a young company member, performing small roles and understudying larger roles, honing my language skills, refining my singing, observing the great artists around me and learning from them whilst still being financially secure.

Become a Patron As a Patron of Opera Australia, you’ll enjoy a range of exclusive benefits, including:

I really feel that these years of development were invaluable to my growth as an artist.

—— Invitations to dress rehearsals, Insight evenings, behind-thescenes tours and special events; —— Access to premium seats, even at late notice; —— A personal ticketing service provided by our Patron Manager, with free ticket exchanges up to 24 hours before a performance; —— Access to the Qantas Interval Lounge; —— The opportunity to support the professional development of individual artists (Artist and Ambassador Patrons); —— Recognition of your outstanding support in our annual report, season programs, website, banner and more.

So this is where I’m asking for your help. Box office revenue only covers a portion of Opera Australia’s costs, which is why our Young Artist Program depends on the support and kindness of people like you. I sincerely hope you may feel inclined to support this important program. Look upon it as an investment in our future. I know we will be able to keep developing the highest calibre of opera artists, present productions of the highest standard, give more Australians the opportunity to experience opera and sustain this beautiful art form into the future. I’d be so delighted if you could feel inspired to join our wonderful family of supporters today.

The Patron program helps us keep bringing world-class opera to audiences throughout the country – as well as help fund the creation of new Australian works and Oz Opera regional and schools programs. To find out more about becoming a Patron of Opera Australia, please contact Ailsa Eckel on (02) 9318 8333 or ailsa.eckel@opera.org.au.

With warmest wishes,

Yvonne Kenny AM Patron-in-Chief Opera Australia

Opera Australia Young Artists (left to right) Natalie Aroyan Jonathan Abernethy and Anna Dowsley Donations of $2 and over are tax-deductible. Donations of $1500 and over entitle you to Patron status and a range of benefits that enhances your opera experience.

Become a super subscriber

As a Super Subscriber, for a tax-deductible donation of $150, you’ll receive an invitation to your choice of: —— A dress rehearsal; —— Behind-the-scenes set visit; —— Guided tour of the production workshops and rehearsal studios at the Opera Centre in Sydney. Add your Super Subscription when you order your subscription. 38 | 39

How to book Subscribing is easy

Fill out the order form or go to opera.org.au and book online, where all of the calculations are done for you. Fill in your personal details

Please include your email address so we can confirm that your payment has been processed. Fill in the details of the packages you wish to purchase

Please indicate which productions you wish to see and your preferred dates, price reserve and seating section. For any concessions, including Pensioner, Student and Youth subscribers, please include a photocopy of your concession ID and be able to present this if requested at performances. A limited number of seats have restricted viewing of surtitles. Please indicate on your booking form if you require seats with a surtitle view. Fill in any additional purchases you would like to make

When subscribing, you can also order tickets to additional Opera Australia events. Opera Australia encourages subscribers to invest in Australia’s cultural future by donating to the Young Artist Program. Donations are tax-deductible. If you wish to pay in four equal instalments, simply tick the box provided on the order form

Subscriptions can be paid in four instalments. Instalments are only available to subscribers paying by credit card. The first payment will be processed on receipt of your booking. The remaining 3 instalments

Subscription

will be charged to the same card on: Wednesday 20 November 2013, Wednesday 15 January 2014, Wednesday 5 March 2014. Instalments incur a $40 fee per order, which will be spread equally over the 4 payments. If you wish to pay by instalments, your Subscription Form must be received by Friday 20 September 2014 and must include two winter performances. Please note that instalment payments are only available for subscription packages. Any additional tickets or donations will be charged in full with your first payment. Fill in your payment details

Calculate the total amount payable. Payment can be made by credit card or cheque. Concessions

All ticket holders are bound by Opera Australia’s Terms and Conditions of Sale. Tickets sold to Opera Australia performances are subject to Opera Australia’s conditions of sale and to the requirements of the venues at which our performances are presented. There are no refunds available, except as specified in the Entertainment Code of Fair Practice. Full terms and conditions, along with Opera Australia’s privacy policy, can be found at opera.org.au . Or contact Opera Australia Ticket Services in Sydney on 02 9318 8200 or Melbourne on 03 9685 3700.

Section 1 – Contact details Name (Mr/Mrs/Ms/Dr) Address Phone Email

Choose three or more productions from the list below by indicating how many people are coming, and by nominating your date preferences, reserve and total value in the space provided. If any of your party wish to attend a different combination of performances, they will need to submit their own form. But, you’re welcome to send them in together and we will seat you beside each other for the performances you’re attending together. Subscribe to 3, 4 or 5 productions and save 10% (see prices on page 35). Subscribe to 6 or more productions and save 20% (see prices on page 36).

Concession pricing is available to —— Full pensioners (Australian) —— Full-time students (Australian) —— Children aged 16 years and under

Section 2 – Choose a subscription

Wheelchair access

SUBSCRIPTION SEASON PRODUCTION

PREFERRED DATE

ALTERNATIVE DATE

The Opera Gala

31/12/13

If you require a wheelchair space and access please call Opera Australia on (02) 9318 8200. ONLINE Complete your subscription online at

# Adult

opera.org.au

La bohème

Opera Australia Reply Paid 291 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 BY PHONE Call Opera Australia Ticket Services on (02) 9318 8200 IN PERSON Opera Australia Ticket Services: The Opera Centre 480 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

The Magic Flute

# concession

# Youth

# Child

Reserve

$TOTAL

BY MAIL Post your completed form to:

Opera Australia has established a procedure for the processing of subscription applications; Donors to the Patron Program will be seated first, then all other renewing subscribers, followed by new subscribers and then all Youth subscribers. Within each category, seating will be allocated in the date order in which applications are received. Your cheque or money order will be banked, or credit card will be debited, on receipt of your application to establish your priority within Opera Australia’s ticketing system. Subscribers will receive their tickets within 8-10 weeks of booking. Allocation of tickets is subject to availability. If we are unable to satisfy your request we will contact you to discuss alternatives and provide a refund if required. Subscription ticket exchanges can be made from Monday 21 October 2013 and up to two working days before a performance. Exchanges are subject to availability and can only be processed through Opera Australia.

mat/eve

The Turk in Italy Carmen Eugene Onegin Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour Madama Butterfly

Terms & conditions

Details in this brochure are correct at the time of publication. Opera Australia reserves the right to vary, substitute or withdraw advertised programs, artists and seating arrangements, and to vary prices.

PO Box 291 Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 T 02 9318 8200

on sale dates

Rigoletto

23 August Subscriptions, New Year’s Eve and Opera on the Beach on sale.

Otello

23 September Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour and all Sydney Opera House performances up until 25 January on sale.

Don Giovanni

28 October The King and I on sale. 25 November All other operas on sale.

The Elixir of Love The King and I

SUBSCRIPTION TOTAL

Section 3 – Seating Preferences I/we prefer to sit in the:

Stalls

Circle

I/we require a view of the surtitles:

Yes

Loges

$ Best available 40 | 41

Principal Partner

Section 4 – Additional tickets to the subscription season SUBSCRIPTION SEASON PRODUCTION

DATE

Adult

PENS / STU

Child

RESERVE

$TOTAL

Hero Partner ADDITIONAL TICKETS TOTAL

Child

$TOTAL

Section 5 – Priority access to special events EVENT

DATE

Adult

RESERVE

NYE Pre-Show Dinner

31/12/13

$359pp

NYE Midnight Party

31/12/13

$269pp

Gold Partners

Dido & Aeneas – Sydney Festival Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour Pre-Show Dinner

$250pp

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour Interval Drinks

$50pp

Silver Partners

Opera on the Beach Coolangatta, Queensland Rigoletto Opening Night Fundraising Cocktail Party

26/6/14

$220pp

Supporting Partners

Section 6 –Support Opera Australia with a tax-deductible donation (See page 38-39) Become a Super Subscriber: $150 per person

Make a donation to the Young Artists Program

Become a Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour Harbourmaster: $500

Section 7 – Payment information

QUAY GRAND SYDNEY HARBOUR

Please charge the following credit card in full (no fees apply)

Grand TOTAL

I would like to pay in 4 equal instalments for a fee of $10 per instalment*

CARD NUMBER CARD TYPE NAME ON CARD

Mastercard

VISA

AMEX

DINERS

Performance Partner

Government Partners Exp

SIGNATURE * Instalments are charged to your credit card as follows: on receipt of your form, 20 November 2013, 15 January 2014 and 5 March 2014. If a payment fails on the scheduled date, manual attempts will be made to recover that amount, which will incur an administration fee of $25.

Opera Australia is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

Opera Australia is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW.

Opera Australia is supported by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria.

Performances feature the Opera Australia Chorus and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra.

42 | 43

opera.org.au