For The Love ... State Opera SA 2015 Season

State Opera SA’s final opera for 2014, Otello, has been a story about strong passion and deadly intrigue but SOSA’s 2015 season, themed ‘For the Love…’ will begin with the lighter side of love, Mozart’s timeless and fabulous Don Giovanni. Lesley Reed reports.

Staged ‘for the love of pleasure’, The Goran Jarvefelt production of Don Giovanni will feature sumptuous sets and wonderful costumes and is expected to delight opera newbies as well as seasoned opera-goers.

For the seductively mischievous production, Adelaide-born but UK-based baritone Grant Doyle will lead a star-studded cast that includes Douglas McNicol, Teresa La Rocco, Virgilio Marino and Sharon Prero.

In August and definitely ‘for the love of temptation’ there can be no better way to entice an audience than Gounod’s Faust, based on the famous Royal Opera House, Covent Garden production. The opera will feature a full ballet and towering sets.

A stellar group of South Australian and national opera stars feature in the production, including James Egglestone as Faust, Kate Ladner as Marguerite and Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Mephistopheles.

“The music is among the most beautiful that Gounod ever wrote,” said State Opera SA’s CEO and Artistic Director, Timothy Sexton.

Mister Sexton added, “During the season of Faust, audiences will also be treated to two performances of Verdi’s Requiem- a work of operatic genius which changed the face of choral music forever.”

Each 2015 production will be finely supported by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and State Opera Chorus.

As another 2015 initiative and launched to allow people to discover, rediscover or enhance their love of opera, SOSA will introduce new membership groups and events. The groupings will cater for different levels of opera knowledge and experience.

For those who are new to opera or are perhaps interested in rediscovering it, the ‘En Garde!’ membership group will allow people to socialise with cast members, ask questions in one-on-one environments, become familiar with opera stories and discover what happens before and after a live performance.

The ‘Avant Garde’ package will cater for those wanting to look at opera from different viewpoints. It involves exploring the elements of opera with the help of expert panels, via interactive Q & A-styled events.

‘The Friends’ group is for people who like to be active in the opera community, while the ‘Subscribers’ group is for those who are committed to State Opera SA’s season and wish to attend a maximum number of performances.

“It is vital we make opera as accessible to as many different interest groups as possible,” explained CEO and Artistic Director, Timothy Sexton. “Our productions are for everyone to enjoy.”

He added, “Why opera? I love the challenge to create rather than just recreate; the challenge to inspire and enthrall; the challenge to open unexplored vistas of artistic experience and introduce new audiences to the wonderful aural and visual world that is opera.”

With passion such as that of State Opera SA’s Timothy Sexton, it appears the company already lives up to its Season 2015 theme ‘For the Love…’

Season 2015 Bookings: Call 131 246 or visit www.bass.net.au

Subscriptions:On sale now.

Further information: www.saopera.sa.gov.au

Images: Lightly Salted Photography.