Flight (1998) |
An Opera in Three Acts | 135 minutes
Libretto by April de Angelis 2S.3M.CT.T.2Bar. B Soli 2(I+2=Picc).2(II=CA).2(II=BCl).2(II=CBsn) - 2.2.2.1 - Timp - 3Perc - Pf(Cel) - Hp - Str (8.6.4.4.3 min) Languages available: English, German OverviewJonathan Dove’s breakthrough work, Flight, was commissioned by Glyndebourne and premiered there in 1998 with further performances in 1999 and 2005. The question from the then General Director, Anthony Whitworth-Jones, was whether Jonathan Dove could create ‘A Marriage of Figaro for the 1990s’. And the answer was a superb original modern-day operatic comedy which has found universal popularity, with many different productions and over 150 performances to date across the world.
With a libretto by leading British playwright April de Angelis, the opera has both laugh-out-loud and more serious moments as the story of the refugee who lives in the airport – inspired by the true-life story of an Iranian refugee who lived at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, for 18 years – unfolds around the different characters who find themselves delayed in the terminal. Written for an ensemble cast of 10 singers, this opera, with its dynamic airport setting and scintillating orchestral writing – including the thrilling aeroplane take-off – continues to have a compelling immediacy. Commissioned by Glyndebourne
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Banner image: Austin Lyric Opera © Mark Matson
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