Opera North

Who is Carmen? Is she really the exotic femme fatale of popular imagination, or is there more about her story that can be told? How could this be accomplished?In this special instalment of Thinking With Opera, recorded live at a seminar in the Howard Assembly Room at Opera North in February 2022, Professor Edward Venn looks at the many ways in which different operatic components come together to create meaning in Carmen.Focusing on Edward Dick's 2021 production for Opera North, he hears from creative personnel from across Opera North, singers, a director and a conductor, the Head of Costume and Access Manager, and American academic Susan McClary, Professor of Musicology at Case Western Reserve University.A DARE symposium in partnership with the University of Leeds, led by Professor Edward Venn from the School of Music, and supported by AHRC.

“What is the tension between this ugly ideology, the beauty of the music, and the agony of the man producing it?” The final podcast of our trilogy focusing on Wagner's epic last opera is a wide-ranging, unflinching discussion between the journalist, writer and filmmaker https://www.paulmason.org/ (Paul Mason) and Professor https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/languages/staff/46/professor-frank-finlay (Frank Finlay) of the University of Leeds. Paul traces the composer's changing philosophical viewpoints, from his early identification with the Young Hegelians and Ludwig Feuerbach, to the later influence of Arthur Schopenhauer and Buddhism on the themes of suffering and enlightenment through compassion in Parsifal, as well as the more baneful influence of the racial theorist Arthur de Gobineau. Wagner's antisemitism is discussed in the context of his works and the problems it presents for their audiences. Another tension – between the composer's anti-modernist, proto-fascist sympathies, and the radicalism in his music – is identified. Parsifal is put in the context of Wagner's oeuvre as a whole, in particular the Ring cycle and Die Meistersinger, illuminated throughout by Paul and Frank's deep but complex engagement with the works. Excerpts of the cast, Chorus and Orchestra of Opera North in rehearsals for the 2022 https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/parsifal-your-reaction/ (concert staging) of Parsifal are heard throughout. Thinking with Opera is produced by the DARE partnership between Opera North and the University of Leeds.

In the second of three episodes focusing on Wagner's epic final opera, New Yorker critic and author of https://www.therestisnoise.com/wagnerism/ (Wagnerism) and The https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/mar/15/music (Rest is Noise) https://www.therestisnoise.com/ (Alex Ross) and https://www.york.ac.uk/music/staff/academic/aine-sheil/ (Dr. Áine Sheil) of the University of York discuss gender, sexuality and ritual in Parsifal, and in Richard Wagner's work as a whole. The multi-faceted character of Kundry – ‘Wandering Jew', mother, seductress – is unpicked, and ambiguous readings of the brotherhood of the Grail Knights are offered. Parsifal's enduring mystery and power is seen through the disparate audiences for its early performances – from American debutantes sent to Bayreuth for their self-improvement, to gay men and women attracted by an atmosphere of acceptance unknown in the wider society of the time. Finally, there are close readings of the music itself: an echo from Wagner's 1868 opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, the ‘androgyny' of his scoring for orchestra, his experiments with instrumentation and tonality, and the astonishing ‘music of collapse' in the Grail Procession in Act III. Excerpts from Parsifal recorded at the dress rehearsal for Opera North's 2022 https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/parsifal-your-reaction/ (concert staging) are featured throughout. Introduced and chaired by Professor Frank Finlay of the University of Leeds. Thinking with Opera is produced by the DARE partnership between Opera North and the University of Leeds.

Welcome to Artistic Futures, a monthly podcast designed for anyone contemplating a career in the wonderful world of Opera. You will meet a range of artists who will share their passion and tell you more about their artistic journeys. It will also be full of useful tips and advice for the next generation of performers and creators. In this first episode, soprano Marie Claire Breen takes us on a trip to Scotland where she grew up and trained as an opera singer. She shares her passion for education and great audition tips too!

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and composer Gavin Bryars in expansive conversation about their respective art forms, and what happens when they are brought together. Chaired by Dr Kimberly Campanello, Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Leeds, it’s a wide-ranging and warm conversation, illuminated by good humour and the two artists’ evident delight in discovering each other’s work in more detail. They discuss the pleasures and perils of crossing between the two disciplines, with reference to specific works by themselves and others. Excerpts from their recordings are woven throughout, including tracks by Armitage’s post rock/ambient outfit LYR, and Bryars’ extraordinary, influential 1971 work Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.

How do music, plot, staging, action, dance and performance combine to produce meaning for an opera audience? Taking a close look at Thomas Adès's The Tempest, Professor Edward Venn of the University of Leeds and choreographer and director Aletta Collins – who choreographed the opera's premiere in 2004 – explore the conversation between different elements in opera. They also consider the notions of confinement and restricted movement in all three of Adès's operas: The Tempest, Powder Her Face (1995), and The Exterminating Angel (2016), which take on a new significance in the COVID-era. Musical excerpts Overture from The Tempest: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Thomas Adès, from the 2009 EMI release The Tempest ‘Five Fathoms Deep’ from The Tempest: Cyndia Sieden with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Thomas Adès, from the 2009 EMI release The Tempest Overture A Midsummer Night's Dream, London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado, from the 1985 Deutsche Grammophon release Mendelssohn: 5 Symphonies / 7 Overtures 'When I Am Laid In Earth' from rehearsals for Opera North’s 2013 production of Purcell's Dido & Aeneas. Pamela Helen Stephen with the Orchestra of Opera North conducted by Wyn Davies ‘Dov'è Minnie?’ from rehearsals for Opera North’s 2014 production of Puccini’s The Girl of the Golden West. Bonaventura Bottone as Nick, Robert Hayward as Jack Rance and the Orchestra and Chorus of Opera North conducted by Richard Farnes

Follow cellist and composer Abel Selaocoe and his collaborators through the rehearsal and recording of As You Are, his soundwalk for Leeds, which opened in December 2020. Experienced through headphones on a 40-minute walk through central Leeds, As You Are is a major new Opera North commission for the South African-born musician, and sees him joined by the Orchestra and Chorus of Opera North, and soloists from across Africa. Here Abel talks about his writing process, the many musical traditions from the African continent embedded within the piece, and his belief that music can open up a space for contemplation and refuge.

Turntablist and sound artist Nicole Raymond (DJ NikNak) and poet, playwright and literary activist Khadijah Ibrahiim uncover the roots of reggae, dub and sound system music in religion, ritual and culture, with the help of some classic songs, versions and dub plates from the Pressure Sounds catalogue. Woven throughout are excerpts from their collaboration during Opera North's Resonance workshop residencies in summer 2020, during which Nicole reworked recordings from Khadijah's audio archive, transforming them through collage, reverb, delay and scratching. From a Jamaican Rastafarian remembering Haile Selassie’s visit to the island to recordings of a Black British church choir, the finished series of sound works are rich in untold history and hidden culture. Opera North’s Resonance residency programme for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic artists is supported by PRS Foundation’s Talent Development Partner scheme. Original interviews and audio recordings made by Khadijah Ibrahiim during research funded by Arts Council England's Developing your Creative Practice programme.

The London-based vocalist, violinist and pianist’s piece is written for “that very special time of day that’s neither nighttime or daytime: that strange liminal, luminous place where the birds are singing and we’re on the precipice of something new”, she says. “The piece reflects all of the changes that we navigate with people close to us. There’s a tension between two keys, but there’s also a gentle pulsing all the way through which doesn’t change, and I suppose that’s the thing that you hold on to, a kind of rudder in these weird seas! I really hope that anybody listening to it will find beauty and consolation in it.” Walking Home is a series of sound journeys created during lockdown to be listened to on headphones whilst walking, for BBC Arts and Arts Council England’s Culture in Quarantine programme. Composed by Alice ZawadzkiVoice, violins, piano by Alice ZawadzkiElectric guitar and effects by Alex RothBass Moog by Alex KillpartrickRecorded, engineered and mixed by Alex KillpartrickMastered by Calum MalcolmProduced by Alice Zawadzki with additional production by Alex Killpartrick

In this sound walk, the accordionist, composer, and one-third of exploratory folk band Lau brings together field recordings, spoken word and the trumpet and tenor horn of Laura Jurd. “I’d been getting up earlier and earlier and enjoying that special period when it feels like there are very few people awake", he says. "I recorded a few walks at sunrise, one with my daughter, and the snippets of conversation that got caught became the starting point. I’d been yearning for ensemble music and I’d been very keen to find a project to do with Laura for a while – and the sound of the sun makes me think of brass”. Walking Home is a series of sound journeys created during lockdown, to be listened to on headphones whilst walking, for BBC Arts and Arts Council England’s Culture in Quarantine programme. Accordion, keyboards, words and ambient sound recordings by Martin Green Trumpet and tenor horn, improvisation by Laura Jurd Narration by Edie Green Mixed by Calum Malcolm Additional engineering by Cameron MalcolmBrass arrangements by Benjamin Woodgates

Born and raised in Damascus, Maya is a virtuoso of the qanun, the Arabic zither. “When I was approached to take part in Walking Home,” she says, “the first thing that came to my mind was walking in nature, and the different lines of thought and feelings that stream through me. "Because of that, there are different voices in this piece, all of which the qanun performs. I know a lot of people are going through a lot of grief at the moment, and I wanted this music to give them a whisper of hope”. Walking Home is a series of sound journeys created during lockdown, to be listened to on headphones whilst walking, for BBC Arts and Arts Council England’s Culture in Quarantine programme. Composed by Maya Youssef Mixed and mastered by Calum Malcolm

"I’ve spent the entirety of the lockdown alone in Berlin", says the Syrian-born Iraqi oud player and composer Khyam Allami. "Through it I’ve learned that we tend to forget how much our day to day interactions with people allow us to have a different perspective on what we do and how we think”. “I would like to encourage listeners to consider who you can see around you, and the environment that you’re experiencing, through the perspective of one of the other people that you have seen or encountered, on this short journey with me.” Walking Home is a series of sound journeys created to be listened to on headphones whilst walking. The five works were composed and recorded during lockdown for BBC Arts and Arts Council England’s Culture in Quarantine programme. Composed, performed, produced and mixed by Khyam Allami Mastered by Calum Malcolm

The South African cellist and composer’s lockdown base in the Peak District inspired this work, which is intended to accompany a walk at the day’s end. “The title comes from a Zulu saying meaning ‘Hold the sun, so it may not set’”, he explains. “In this piece of music the phrase takes on a new meaning and becomes a way to soothe your worries towards the end of the day: we often over-fill our day and feel overwhelmed, but instead we can live and work by embracing our instincts and knowing when we have done enough, or when there is a need for change.” Walking Home is a series of sound journeys created to be listened to on headphones whilst walking. The five works were composed and recorded during lockdown for BBC Arts and Arts Council England’s Culture in Quarantine programme. Composed and performed by Abel Selaocoe Poem: Duende’s Nature Dance (for Abel Selaocoe) by Eugene Skeef Mixing and mastering by Calum Malcolm

From Monteverdi to Monty Python, cross-dressing, gross-out humour and a preoccupation with the grotesque seems to offer a release from the constrictions of moral codes and social conventions. A familiar face on the Opera North stage, tenor Daniel Norman takes a trip into transgression in the company of Alan O'Leary, Professor of Film and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds. Drawing on the theories of philosopher and critic Mikhail Bakhtin, they discuss “the licence to misbehave” in opera, film and performance; the liberating effect of the Carnivalesque in the arts; and its unforeseen consequences. Warning: this podcast features frank discussion of bodily functions! Produced as part of the DARE partnership between Opera North and the University of Leeds

“In cinema you are a spectator; in opera you are present. I’m fascinated by the notion that we witness in opera: we have to endure.” Ranging from Ancient Greece to The Godfather, and focusing on the operas of Puccini and Verdi, the renowned art historian Professor Griselda Pollock discusses how violence is represented in painting, sculpture, film and literature, how it is performed in opera, and its implications. The first podcast in a series exploring the world of opera and its component parts, produced as part of the DARE partnership between Opera North and the University of Leeds. Excerpts from Opera North’s 2018 production of Madama Butterfly featuring Anne Sophie Duprels as Cio-Cio-San, Ann Taylor as Suzuki, Merūnas Vitulskis as Pinkerton and the Orchestra of Opera North conducted by Martin Pickard. Excerpt from Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo performed by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexander Rahbari, Naxos Records.

The Leeds-based sitarist and composer talks about bringing Indian classical music to the western symphony orchestra, ahead of the world premiere of his new sitar concerto, commissioned by Opera North. 

Director, Charles Edwards and Opera North's Editor, Stuart Leeks discuss Handel's mighty oratorio, Joshua, ahead of Opera North's new, fully-staged production at Leeds Grand Theatre

Opera North's Editor, Stuart Leeks interviews director, Tim Albery

Opera North's Editor, Stuart Leeks interviews Director, John Fulljames

Director Alessandro Talevi talks about how he shaped the concept for his production and reveals his favourite musical moments in the piece.

Stuart Leeks discusses the second part in Wagner's ring cycle with the conductor, and Opera North's Music Director, Richard Farnes.

Projects Director, Dominic Gray discusses exploring Carousel through a series of music, films, words and participation workshops.

Projects Director, Dominic Gray discusses the upcoming winter season in the Howard Assembly Room.

Conductor, James Holmes discusses Opera North's stunning new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's timeless musical, Carousel.

Director, Tim Albery discusses what is arguably Handel's finest opera.

Opera North's Editor, Stuart Leeks discusses the beauty and tragedy of Bellini's masterpiece with Director, Christopher Alden in the latest Opera North podcast.

The Independent's Ed Seckerson discusses the forthcoming year with Opera North's General Director, Richard Mantle and Music Director, Richard Farnes

The Independent's Ed Seckerson discusses the forthcoming year with Opera North's General Director, Richard Mantle and Music Director, Richard Farnes

Director Neil Bartlett discusses the wonderful extremes in Tchaikovsky's score, the differences between Pushkin's novel and Tchaikovsky's opera, the challenges of translating the libretto from Russian into English,  the differences between working with opera singers and actors,  his favourite musical moment, the look and feel of his production, the characters and why he loves opera.

Director, Neil Bartlett picks his favourite musical moment

Director, Neil Bartlett explores the characters in The Queen of Spades

Director, Neil Bartlett explains the look and feel of his production of The Queen of Spades.

Director, Neil Bartlett explains why he loves opera

Director, Neil Bartlett discusses the differences between working with opera singers and actors.

Director, Neil Bartlett explains the challenges of translating the libretto from Russian into English.

Director, Neil Bartlett explores the differences between Pushkin's novel and Tchaikovsky's opera.

Director Neil Bartlett discusses the wonderful extremes in Tchaikovsky's score.

Originally recorded in 2010: Director, Jo Davies and Conductor, John Wilson talk to writer and broadcaster Edward Seckerson about cunning disguises, dastardly deeds, and an abundance of cracking good tunes, in Opera North's first G&S production for 20 years.

Director, Tim Albery discusses why Madama Butterfly is one of the world's most popular operas and how his production aims to depict the tragic story.

Opera North's Editor, Stuart Leeks discusses the first part of Wagner's epic Ring cycle with Chorus and Orchestra Director and Concerts Director, Dougie Scarfe. From the beauty and majesty created by the sheer scale of a Wagnerian orchestra through to what performing an opera as a 'staged concert' actually means this podcast will prepare you to experience the first part of Opera North's four-year Ring cycle.

The Independent's Edward Seckerson discusses preparations for the first part of Opera North's 4-year Ring cycle with conductor, Richard Farnes and Michael Druiett who is playing the role of Wotan.