Oberon

“In Sussex, opera’s grassroots are refreshingly vibrant. I left grinning from ear to ear”.           Charlotte Valori – Bachtrack

“A fascinating and important revival: New Sussex Opera, enterprising as always, have revived Oberon in a fine staging by Harry Fehr”
Tim Ashley – The Guardian

“The chorus is wonderfully hearty… Nicholas Jenkins conducts with evident affection… The orchestra attacks Weber’s marvellously inventive orchestral writing with irresistible bravado”. Rupert Christiansen – The Telegraph

**** “NSO makes a speciality of such abstruse things and again made a triumph at Cadogan Hall”     Robert Thicknesse – Opera Now

Carl Maria von Weber

Romantic opera in three acts
Libretto by James Robinson Planché

November 2014
Lewes Town Hall
Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne
Cadogan Hall, London SW1

NSO Chorus
St Paul’s Sinfonia
conductor Nicholas Jenkins
director Harry Fehr
lighting designer Charlie Lucas
choreographer Victoria Newlyn

Oberon Adam Tunnicliffe
Puck Sîan Griffiths
Sir Huon of Bordeaux Adrian Dwyer
Sherasmin Damian Thantrey
Reiza Sally Silver
Fatima Carolyn Dobbin
Five Fairies
Bea Monaco, Nisha McIntyre-Burnie,
Michael Dlamini, Rachel Farago,
Rachel Shouksmith

Footnotes

Harry Fehr’s inspired production of Weber’s rarely performed last opera had us wondering why it’s not done more often. Beyond the famous overture and the soprano aria ‘Ocean Thy Mighty Monster’ it is largely unknown. The libretto, written in English by a pantomime librettist, is Weber’s answer to the Magic Flute – including a series of missions for the hero to accomplish and a magical horn.

We rewrote the ungainly dialogue into a series of briefer narrations spoken by the chorus, who were on stage throughout the entire show as drably-dressed fairies who changed into different costumes in full view of the audience to take on various roles. Fehr dealt ingeniously with ambitious stage effects, with lighting suggesting a shipwreck and a choreographed swirling around of chairs by the entire  chorus to depict a storm at sea.

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