Opera Scotland

Arlecchino 1960Glyndebourne Opera

Read more about the opera Arlecchino

When Glyndebourne first mounted this staging of Arlecchino in 1954 in Sussex they used it as a curtain-raiser for their production of Ariadne auf Naxos, which was an unusual combination, since Ariadne is not usually played in tandem with any other work. However the two operas are nearly contemporary, and both contain elements of Commedia dell' arte.

For the 1960 revival in Edinburgh they used it as the final item of a triple-bill which started with the charming Wolf-Ferrari trifle Susanna's Secret which also has elements of the old Commedia form. This was followed by the British premiere of the Poulenc/Cocteau monodrama La Voix Humaine, in a recreation of its original staging.

 

Glyndebourne Opera at the Edinburgh Festival 1960

On its final Festival visit, Glyndebourne brought three programmes - a proven favourite by Verdi, a rare example of bel canto and a varied triple bill of twentieth century one-acters.

The five operas were:  Bellini (I puritani);  Verdi (Falstaff);  Busoni (Arlecchino);  Wolf-Ferrari (Susanna's Secret);  Poulenc (La Voix Humaine).

The three week performance schedule was as follows:

First Week, w/c 22 August:   Mon 22 np;   Tue 23 Falstaff;   Wed 24 Puritani;   Thu 25 Falstaff;   Fri 26 Puritani;   Sat 27 Falstaff.

Second Week, w/c 29 August:   Mon 29 Falstaff;   Tue 30 Triple Bill;   Wed 31 Puritani;   Thu 1 Sep Triple Bill;   Fri 2 Falstaff;   Sat 3 Puritani.

Third Week, w/c 5 September:   Mon 5 Triple Bill,   Tue 6 Falstaff;   Wed 7 Triple Bill;  Thu 8 Puritani;  Fri 9 Falstaff;   Sat 10 Puritani.