While our first choice is always live opera, Melbourne audiences like to supplement their opera fix with cinema, in series like Opera at the Met. Sharmill Films is already well into its season of these films, but there’s plenty more to come.
Now the UK is widening the choice as the English National Opera (ENO) presents the Australian premiere season of ENO Screen in Australian capital and regional cities throughout 2015. What’s more, the series is bringing two fresh awards with it, says Katy Wright in the UK magazine Classical Music (13/4/15) …
“The embattled English National Opera has received a strong vote of confidence from the theatrical community by taking both opera categories at the 2015 Olivier Awards yesterday. In a star-studded ceremony at the Royal Opera House, director Richard Jones received the Outstanding Achievement In Opera award, while his production of The Mastersingers of Nuremberg was deemed Best New Opera Production.
“Jones’ staging of The Mastersingers was first developed for Welsh National Opera in 2010, opening at the London Coliseum in February 2015 to widespread critical acclaim. The director recently celebrated his 25th anniversary of working with ENO, with productions of Handel’s Rodelinda and Puccini’s The Girl of the Golden West (both 2014) among his recent work for the company.
“John Berry, ENO’s artistic director, said: ‘I’m thrilled for every single person who has contributed to ENO’s artistic successes over the last 12 months. Mastersingers, The Girl of the Golden West and Rodelinda were tremendous achievements of the very highest level and the ENO company should take great pride in the quality and consistency of their work. Bravo Richard Jones – what a year we’ve had together!’ ”
As for the Australian season it opens this weekend (April 18/19), with Monty Python legend Terry Gilliam unleashing his inexhaustible imagination on Berlioz’s dazzling opera Benvenuto Cellini, praised by The Guardian as “one of the 10 best classical music events of 2014”.
For an Australia-wide schedule of this and future films in the series go to http://potentialfilms.com/pages/6-ENO%20Screen%202015%20Cinemas
Information from the distributors of the ENO series, Sharmill films and Classical Music magazine.
