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Details
Sheldonian Theatre
Broad Street
Oxford
Oxfordshire
OX1 3AZ
England
Programme
Jean-Philippe Rameau – Castor et Pollux
Performers
Hilary Cronin – soprano
Galina Averina – mezzo-soprano
Rory Carver – Tenor
Jack Lawrence Jones – baritone
Jenni Harper – soprano
Peter Harvey – Bass
Emily Gray – mezzo-soprano
Jonathan Williams – Conductor
Guido Martin-Brandis – Director
Harry Grigg – Tenor
The Opera Company
The Rameau project
The Rameau Project Orchestra
Programme Note
The Rameau Project and The Opera Company present an exciting new semi-staging of one of Rameau’s greatest operas in its original 1737 version never before heard in the UK
The story of Castor et Pollux with its themes of filial love & jealousy contains some of Rameau’s most beautiful arias as well as dramatic musical depictions of storms, demons, gods and the sensual delights of Elysium. With the music conducted and lovingly reconstructed by Rameau expert Jonathan Williams and with Guido Martin-Brandis’ bold semi-staging this will be an evening of drama, emotion and colour not to be missed!
A fantastic cast of young singers, including Hilary Cronin, recent Handel singing competition winner, is accompanied by a newly formed orchestra and choir whose members have been especially chosen for their expertise and devotion to the French style. All the colours and expression of Rameau’s score will be brought into brilliant focus with baroque instruments tuned at low French pitch (a whole tone lower than modern pitch) and a toolbox of exquisite French ornaments for singers and players alike.
