TUESDAY May 16, 7:30 p.m. (finishing at approx 10:45 p.m.)
DIE ENTFÜHRUNG
AUS DEM SERAIL
A singspiel in three acts
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1863-1945)
Libretto by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner
First performed at the Vienna Burgtheater, 16 July 1782
Cast
Production
A 2015 production from the Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Direction by David McVicar
Set and Costume Design by Vicki Mortimer
Lighting design by Paule Constable
Choreography by Andrew George
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
conducted by Robin Ticciati
Synopsis
Act One: The palace of Pasha Selim on the Turkish coast
Belmonte has just landed intent on discovering the whereabouts of his beloved Konstanze. She has been captured by pirates and sold into slavery.
He questions Osmin about the inhabitants of the palace, but Osmin leaves angrily at the mention of Pedrillo’s name - for Pedrillo who was with Konstanze is now the palace gardener and the bane of Osmin’s life.
Pedrillo is delighted to see his master again and suggests that he introduce Belmonte to the Pasha as a famous architect to gain admittance to the palace and help them in their escape plans.
The Pasha has fallen in love with Konstanze, and gives her one more day to make up her mind whether to submit to his desires by consent or by force.
He welcomes Belmonte to the palace.
Act Two: The palace garden
Osmin has been unable to persuade Blonde to be agreeable to him; she sternly lectures him on her rights as an English woman and on the propriety of drinking tea. She tries to console her mistress, who has resolved to die rather than be unfaithful to Belmonte, and the Pasha is amazed at her strength of will.
Pedrillo takes the opportunity to tell Blonde that Belmonte and his ship are ready for an escape that night. He invites Osmin to sample some wine which has been drugged. Osmin is soon incapable of staying awake.
Belmonte is reunited with Konstanze - the two couples sing of their happiness but only after the ladies’ fidelity has been questioned and the men are able to convince them that they are no longer suspicious.
Act Three: That night
Pedrillo sings a serenade as a signal for the escape to begin. Konstanze and Blonde are being rescued by Belmonte and Pedrillo when Osmin wakes up and alerts the watch and has the fugitives apprehended.
The Pasha, disturbed by all the noise going on, then recognises Belmonte to be the son of his most hated enemy. He bitterly recalls how Belmonte’s father abducted the woman he loved and was the cause of many years of grief for him.
Osmin is outraged when the Pasha decides not to behave as his enemy would have done, but to set the lovers free.
Click here to watch the official Glyndebourne preview of this production
Brenden Gunnell (Pedrillo) and
Mari Eriksmoen (Blonde)
The Stage reviews this production:
A nigh-on perfect production
David McVicar returns to Glyndebourne with a nigh-on perfect production of Mozart’s comedy The Abduction from the Seraglio.
Dating from 1782, the opera deals with culture clash, pitting the attitudes of three Spaniards and an Englishwoman against those of the Turkish Pasha Selim and his henchman, Osmin. The work, though, is far from being a Christian rant against Muslims; indeed, the Pasha eventually shows a generosity of spirit that puts the Christians to shame.
These days, many directors are afraid to tackle these issues head-on, and it is entirely to McVicar’s credit that he is prepared to do so; on top of that he gives us a full edition of the dialogue, which contains vital information usually just left out. The resulting blend of uproarious comedy with deep seriousness is brilliantly achieved.
Extremely beautiful in themselves, and deploying ravishing colours, Vicki Mortimer’s sets and costumes offer an outstanding realisation of Mozart’s original setting of an eighteenth-century Turkish palace.
Individual performances, too, are excellent, with one or two special standouts. Edgaras Montvidas provides unstinting lyricism and handsome presence as Belmonte, determined to rescue Sally Matthews’ touchingly sung Konstanze from the Pasha’s harem. The purely spoken role of Selim himself is played by Franck Saurel – a former member of Cirque du Soleil who represents a real threat in that Konstanze is clearly (and understandably) attracted to him.
The comic servant couple of Pedrillo and his proud English girlfriend Blonde are skilfully sung and acted by Brenden Gunnell and Mari Eriksmoen respectively; she, in particular, is a scene-stealing spitfire. Best of all is Tobias Kehrer’s menacing Osmin, pouring out his bile in the richest of bass voices.
To bring the evening’s quality up to the maximum, Glyndebourne’s music director Robin Ticciati conducts the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in a performance that conveys all of the score’s amazing vitality and depth of feeling.
- George Hall in The Stage, 15 June 2015
Note: The first Glyndebourne performance was on 19 July 1935
NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, June 13, 7.30 pm
King Roger (Szymanowski)
King Roger premiered in Warsaw in 1926 and has lately seen a revival of interest. Exciting, often opulent music; from Covent Garden, 2015.