Taking in arias and ensembles from the best known operas, as well as new work, the Opera Highlights tour has this week started winding its way around Scotland.
STV has taken a look behind the scenes of the Scottish Opera production, with the performers in rehearsals for the show. So what should audiences expect?
Director Pia Furtado told us: “Opera Highlights is a medley show, so it’s a series of some of the greatest arias, and some unknown gems from the operatic repertoire.
“It’s been woven into a two-act show, and it’s going to be touring around Scotland over the next month.”
A cast of four talented young singers is bringing the eclectic programme to life in venues from Jedburgh to Mull, Arran to Lochinver, Glenrothes to Musselburgh, Largs to Musselburgh and back again.
They are baritone Marcus Farnsworth (with Riccardo Simonetti singing for the final six performances), soprano Anita Watson, mezzo-soprano Rosie Aldridge and tenor Robert Anthony Gardiner, with Susannah Wapshott on piano.
Rosie told us: “The concept is that we’re a group of travelling players, and we’re going through all sorts of repertoire, from French to Italian, to Gilbert and Sullivan, so there’s something for everyone. We’re creating a story around our travel as a troupe.”
Included are pieces from Bizet’s Carmen, Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, as well as a sprinkling of lesser-known works from the likes of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sadko and Britten’s Paul Bunyan. There is also brand new work by Scottish Opera’s composer in residence Gareth Williams.
When asked if there’s any personal highlights for herself, Rosie said: “There’s lots of favourites, so it’s hard for me to choose, but I’m doing a fantastic Rossini aria from Tancredi, which is really powerful and dramatic, where I actually play a man – it’s a trouser role.
“And there’s lots of wonderful favourites, there’s things from Carmen, The Pearl Fishers Duet, lots of things that people will recognise as well as new stuff that will be interesting for opera lovers.”
Of Opera Highlights, Pia said: “What you get is a sense of how broad the world of opera is, and how there really is something for everybody.”
Opera Highlights started in Livingstone last night, and continues for the following dates:
- Thursday 2 February – Broughton Village Hall
- Saturday 4 February – Jedburgh Town Hall
- Tuesday 7 February – Lochside Theatre, Castle Douglas
- Thursday 9 February – St Columba’s Parish Church
- Saturday 11 February – Brodick Town Hall, Isle of Arran
- Tuesday 14 February – Glenuig Hall
- Thursday 16 February – Victory Hall, Benderloch
- Saturday 18 February – Mull Theatre
- Tuesday 21 February – Gairloch Community Hall
- Thursday 23 February – Lochinver Village Hall
- Saturday 25 February – Glenmoriston Millennium Hall, Invermoriston
- Tuesday 28 February – Midmar Village Hall
- Thursday 1 March – Rothes Halls, Glenrothes
- Saturday 3 March – Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh
For further details and information about tickets and other performances, visit www.scottishopera.org.uk.
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