We are very excited to announce that our first fully-staged production, l'Ospedale, will take place at Wilton's Music Hall from 10th-21st November. This is the modern premiere of a work that has most likely not been heard since its premiere in around 1650.
The libretto is by the well-known 17th-century Italian poet, Antonio Abati, and the score of this 'dramma burlesco', or short comic opera, was dug up in the Marciana Library in Venice a few years ago. Tantalisingly, we don't know who the composer was, but the piece is put together with such a melodic gift and dramatic confidence that we could not resist bringing it to the stage.
Our stage director for this production, James Hurley (ETO, ENO, Opera North), writes, "l'Ospedale is a biting satire on patients, doctors, and medical practice, providing a unique and radical platform – or “voice” – to four characters, who exhibit various psychological and social disorders. A contemporary, immersive production, sewn into the heart of Wilton’s Music Hall, brings this provocative work to life amidst the purgatorial wasteland of a dilapidated modern hospital, where vulnerable patients await the arrival of an enigmatic doctor who they hope will restore their sanity – but at what cost? The opera is performed in the original Italian, with English captions."
Musical director: James Halliday
Stage director: James Hurley
Designer: Rachel Szmukler
Forestiero: Lucy Page
Povero: Nicholas Merryweather
Matto: Michal Czerniawski
Innamorato: Rebecca Moon
Cortigiano: Thomas Herford
Medico: Jonathan Sells
Tickets can be booked through the Wilton's Music Hall website here. We very much look forward to welcoming you into the mad and wonderful world of l'Ospedale.
For all press enquiries please contact Jo Carpenter Music PR Consultancy: jo@jocarpenter.com +44 7771 538 868
Image by Ugo Carmeni, ugocarmeni.com
Video trailer from our workshops at Aldeburgh Music:
l'Ospedale from Solomon's Knot on Vimeo.
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