Opera North presents Season of Secrets: a run of four operas at the Lowry this November. Performed on consecutive nights, each full length opera has a secret at its centre, and explores themes of mystery and the unspoken. Works include Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier (The Rose-Bearer), Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd and Puccini’s Il tabarro (The Cloak) and Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica).
Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier (The Rose-Bearer)
One of Strauss’s most famous works, this is a comic love story with many twists and turns. The Marschallin, an aristocratic woman, is having an affair with the much younger Octavian. But Sophie – who is being forced into marriage with an unlovable man – catches Octavian’s eye.
Wed 9 & Sat 12 Nov, The Lowry, The Quays, Pier 8, Salford, M50 3AZ, Tel: 0843 208 6000, 6.30pm, £19.50-£60, www.thelowry.com
Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd
Considered to be one of the greatest British operas, this atmospheric work centres on an aging navy Captain and the events he has kept for most of his life. He is tormented by guilt over the of the fate of a young sailor – the titular Billy Budd – who served aboard his ship many years earlier.
Thu 10 Nov, venue details as above, 7pm, £19.50 – £60, www.thelowry.com
Puccini’s ‘Il tabarro’ (The Cloak) and ‘Suor Angelica’ (Sister Angelica)
This double-bill of shorter, one-act operas will be performed on the same night. The evening begins with ‘Il tabarro’, an emotional thriller which centres on a husband who discovers his wife is having an affair. ‘Suor Angelica’, Puccini’s favourite of his own works, is the story of a young woman who is forced to live in a convent. Her illegitimate child has been hidden away to preserve a powerful family’s reputation.
Fri 11 Nov, venue details as above, 7pm, £19.50 – £60, www.thelowry.com
- Words:
- A. James Simpkin
- Published on:
- Tue 8 Nov 2016