My Melodrama
Indulge me momentarily as I set the scene for a midsummer’s night at Glyndebourne Festival. Picnic basket in hand, donning our (not mandatory but encouraged) black-tie, we step out of the car which has taken us through the winding lanes...
Catch while you still can
L’Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi is often called the first great opera, and for good reason. When he composed the score in 1607, Monteverdi deployed a massive orchestra for the first time, setting a blueprint that every composer from Mozart to Wagner would eventually follow. This production is directed by the celebrated South African artist William Kentridge, whose opera are distinct for their intricate combination of live and filmed elements, his own hand-drawn charcoal animations which are projected into the theatre, collages and multimedia layering.
Based on the ancient Greek myth, the story follows Orpheus, the son of Apollo, whose wedding day is cut short by the sudden death of his bride, Eurydice. Driven by a grief that refuses to accept the finality of the grave, Orpheus descends into the Underworld. Armed only with his lyre and the sheer beauty of his voice, he must charm the ferryman to cross the River Styx and persuade Pluto and Proserpina, the King and Queen of the Underworld, to release his beloved.
There is nothing quite like the Glyndebourne experience. Arriving in your black-tie best to picnic on the lawns during the interval, surrounded by the rolling hills of the South Downs… It’s the perfect summer evening and a magical escape.
Venue
Dates
From: June 14th, 2026
Until: July 25th, 2026
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