For a company that is supposedly on the brink of collapse (though haven't we been hearing that for years now?), English National Opera's 2007-8 season shows remarkable artistic confidence and imagination. Every production without exception features at least one singer of international importance; and, in contrast to the Royal Opera's revival-heavy 2007-8 season, the menu at ENO features an outstanding series of new productions.
The season gets underway on 29 September 2007 with a much-needed new production of Carmen by film maker Sally Potter, set in modern times. New ENO Music Director Edward Gardner demonstrates his commitment to the company by conducting all performances; the cast is distinguished by mezzo-soprano Alice Coote's role debut as Carmen, tenor Julian Gavin as Don José, and ex-Royal Opera Young Artist Katie van Kooten making her ENO debut as Micaela.
Nicholas Hytner's beloved production of Mozart's Magic Flute receives its last-ever revival from 1 October. ENO has assembled a cast to be proud of: another ex-ROH Young Artist and Cardiff Singer of the World prize winner Andrew Kennedy is Tamino, while the most exciting casting comes in the form of Roderick Williams as Papageno and Brindley Sherratt as Sarastro. Martin André conducts.
Continuing his Monteverdi cycle for the company (which started last year with a widely admired Orfeo), director Chen Shi-Zheng returns to direct the composer's final opera, The Coronation of Poppea, from 18 October. The singers really are top-notch for this one: Robert Lloyd returns to ENO as Seneca, Christine Rice is Nerone, and Kate Royal plays Poppea, hot on the heels of her success in The Tempest at the ROH. Early music specialist Laurence Cummings conducts this highly-anticipated new production.
Verdi fans like me will be delighted to see the return of Aida to the Coliseum for its first new production in two decades. Let's hope that director Jo Davies and British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes can create something more lasting than the ROH's feeble Robert Wilson production. Gwynne Howell is the King, John Hudson is Radames and Claire Rutter is Aida herself, while Edward Gardner conducts all performances of what promises to be an extravagant production, from 8 November.
One of the world's finest opera directors, David McVicar, returns to the Coliseum to direct the next instalment in ENO's Britten cycle. The Turn of the Screw opens on 26 November and features a truly enthralling cast, including two of my favourite singers, Rebecca Evans as the Governess and Ann Murray as Mrs Grose. Timothy Robinson and Cheryl Barker complete the cast, which is conducted by Garry Walker.
The second revival of Anthony Minghella's already classic production of Puccini's Madam Butterfly opens on 31 January 2008, with Judith Howarth taking the title role. Gwyn Hughes Jones is Pinkerton while David Parry returns to conduct. Then Jonathan Miller's unique take on Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado is revived on 2 February with both familiar faces (Richard Angas and Richard Suart) and fresh new talent (Robert Murray).
The company's first-ever production of Donizetti's seminal work Lucia di Lammermoor opens on 16 February. Former Musical Director Paul Daniel returns to conduct, while ENO regular David Alden will direct. The casting is exciting: American soprano Anna Christy makes her British debut as Lucia, bel canto specialist Barry Banks is Edgardo, Mark Stone is Enrico and Clive Bayley returns as Raimondo.
Two productions of operas by living composers represent the start of an important new collaboration with the Young Vic. Avant-garde composer Olga Neuwirth's second opera, Lost Highway, receives its British premiere from 5 February, while Harrison Birtwistle's more familiar Punch and Judy will be conducted by Edward Gardner from 19 April.
From 24 April, the company presents a new production of The Merry Widow for Amanda Roocroft, who excelled in last year's Jenufa. Alfie Boe co-stars as Camille de Rosillon. Roocroft will return in the 2008-9 season in a new production of Britten's Peter Grimes, with Gerald Finley as Balstrode and Stuart Skelton as Grimes himself.
Perhaps the most exciting production of the year is David McVicar's version of Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier, previously seen at Scottish Opera but brought to the capital for the first time. The all-star cast includes Sarah Connolly as Octavian, Sir John Tomlinson as Ochs and Janice Watson as the Marschallin. Edward Gardner conducts.
To round off the season, Robert Carson's production of Bernstein's 1956 masterpiece Candide comes to the Coliseum after a critically-acclaimed unveiling in Paris. Toby Spence is in the title role. And Anthony Minghella will return to create a special version of Bach's St Matthew Passion in July 2008, with details to be announced.
The eleven new productions and three revivals will be sponsored by Sky Arts, which deserves special commendation for its six year, £5 million funding of this most beloved of British arts institutions.