So the season drew to a triumphant close with the final performance of the brilliant production of Rigoletto and I feel that all future productions, anywhere, must be forced to do the ending in the way that Lindsay Posner staged it. No arguments. Verdi got it wrong. Not that everybody agrees of course. I had a long letter yesterday from a patron who was outraged that we had "updated" (his quote marks) the opera and had subverted the composer's original intentions. I am not sure that there is a record of Verdi demanding a particular kind of production but I pointed out that the opera was written 160 years ago and the play on which it is based twenty years earlier. The correspondent did, however, think the musical standards to be very good indeed. I consider it my duty to convert patrons from having this one dimensional view of how we should produce opera. I find it hard to imagine that they would want to see essentially the same production of Rigoletto every time but it would appear so.
It has been another amazing season; one that took all the twists and turns that we have come to expect and in the early part of the summer, one that was very much a struggle. As ever, the company pulled through. An average of 98% houses is testament to the magnificent support we get from patrons and now it is on to the next two...news on 2013 soon we hope.
There is a small film festival taking place this weekend and features "Some like it hot", "Cinema Paradiso" and a new film being given a special gala screening' "First Night" which tells the story of a group of amateurs creating a production of Cosi. You can get details on our website.
