In opera, as in so much high-budget entertainment, expectation management is half the battle. With its massive Greek Revival mansion, approached through miles of rolling parkland, The Grange Festival has the grandest setting of any of the summer festivals; and that might have something to do with why the opera served up there has so
Garsington Opera in Oxfordshire opens this weekend, the epitome of what a refined country house music festival should be, with fine dining and glamorous picnics by the lake, magical gardens and first class opera productions. And this year's line-up of prestigious names is worthy of travelling the length and breadth of the country - and many do. The first production to open Garsington's 2023 season at their spectacular home on the Wormsley estate is the cherished Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia with actor-turned-director Christopher Luscombe making his Garsington directorial debut. Starring Katie Bray as Rosina and Richard Burkhard as Dr Bartolo, renowned designer Simon Higlett will capture early 1930s Seville, while The English Concert will be conducted by Garsington's Artistic Director Douglas Boyd. Tim Alberty directs the much anticipated new production of Mozart's Mitridate, re di Ponto, an intimate yet dramatic story resulting in a complex web of rivalry,