In preparation for a brand new production and tour of Handel’s ‘magic’ opera Amadigi, the English Touring Opera and its partner period orchestra the Old Street Band came together at Stone Nest in London’s West End to film a selection of arias.
Featuring Jenny Stafford, Harriet Eyley, Francesca Chiejina, Rebecca Afonwy-Jones and James Laing with the Old Street Band, conducted by Jonathan Peter Kenny.
The tour was initially planned for Spring 2021, but due to ongoing national lockdowns this has now moved to Autumn 2021. For full details of the tour, please visit www.englishtouringopera.org.uk
Ahead of our full programme of selected Amadigi arias, listen to a discussion between ETO Director James Conway and Handel biographer Jonathan Keates that looks into the context of Handel writing this 'magic' opera.
You can watch the full programme of arias for free on ETO at Home.
ETO will be ...
This is the first slightly nasty side you see of Melissa. She is revelling in someone else’s sorrow, in Amadigi's sorrow. She's taunting him and saying "this is your fault, you have taught me how to hurt someone, so I'm going to hurt you and I'm going to love it."
Jenny Stafford
Old Street Band ...
This the first time we see Melissa alone. Because of this, we really get to understand everything that she is. We get to see her strengths, vulnerability and anger. She's powerful and can get all of her minions to be with her at a snap of her fingers. But she's lonely, she doesn't have love or tr...
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