Opera Scotland

Italiana in Algeri 2009Scottish Opera

Read more about the opera Italian Girl in Algiers

This novel staging of The Italian Girl will be remembered for its use of green screen technology allowing for the introduction of unusual backdrops, including a buffo duet on waterskis. Completely frivolous and an absolute delight. Arbroath-born Karen Cargill had the perfect voice for Isabella, including the fruity contralto tones, and was clearly as much at ease with the comedy as the other singers. There no vocal weaknesses - Lindoro's high-lying line held no terrors for Thomas Walker, while Tiziano Bracci was a delightful Mustafà.

 

2009/10 season of Scottish Opera

Scottish Opera's 2009/10 season contained four full main-stage productions plus one small-scall-tour. The two works the company had never touched before were the young Rossini's frothy Italian Girl in Algiers and Leoš Janáček'a Adventures of Mr Brouček. The two revivals were an ultra-traditional Elisir d'amore and an ultra-modern Bohème. There was also  a piano-accompanied tour of a second Janáček piece, Kátya Kabanová.

There were some additional elements, however, including a third programme of new short chamber pieces under the 5:15 umbrella. There was also a 'Scenes & Arias' tour by four  young singers and a pianist, the old Essential Scottish Opera format now revised as Opera Highlights. There was a new 'Interactive Opera for 3 to 6 Year Olds', entitled Auntie Janet Saves The Planet. Two well-contrasted co-productions also featured. Music Theatre Wales brought a new chamber piece by Eleanor Alberga, Letters of a Love Betrayed, while the RSAMD joined forces with the orchestra and technical staff of Scottish Opera to mount the Scottish premiere of Prokofiev's wonderful Tolstoy adaptation War and Peace.