Charlotte Antingham Frustration, frivolity and humour were all brilliantly served with a ready spontaneity that, with the chamber orchestras crisp playing, made this a delightful hors doeuvres for the darker humour of the evenings main event. The spare orchestration, full of scurrying chromatics, often glistening string writing and crisply atmospheric percussion, including piano, was potentially attractive and melodic, though its variety was mostly lost in the ROH auditorium. You can contact him from. Both the score and the individual performances Composer Judith Weir tells the story to her latest opera Miss Fortune at a recent Insights event at the Royal Opera House. Popularly known as the Musician of United Kingdom. Archie Buchanan 4 booking fee per online/phone transaction. In collaboration with director . The once-rich little heroine, dogged by cruel Fate,. Steven van der Linden Alice Warburton Giulia Lussoso Richard Jones' production is visually all over the place, but in a good way. The most recent opera is Miss Fortune, premiered at Bregenz in . To those who ask what material like this is doing in an opera house, I can only reply that this story allowed me to write both opera and folk music at the same time, to invent work songs for modern jobs like dry cleaning, and to find present-day uses for beautiful operatic forms, such as the aubade, or dawn song which Hassan sings while tending his kebab van. Joshua Saunders Kosuke Shirai She was an oboe player, performing with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and studied composition with John Tavener during her schooldays. Age 14-25? Weir was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1995 Birthday Honours for services to music. Last year's Bregenz staging, the work's world premiere, was an opportunity to take strong action. Despite the more than merely polite cheers which greeted the final curtain, and which might have persuaded her that, just possibly, she had a success on her hands, within hours Weir was beaten black and blue by a scrum of negative opinion. Former Culture Secretary says he would 'rather be thrown into a pit of scorpions' than listen to one of Judith Weir's operas; . Ema Cunha She has written orchestral music for the BBC Symphony, Boston Symphony and Minnesota Orchestras. But I personally have been feeling thoroughly revived after GSMD's energy-giving version of my 2011 opera "Miss Fortune" which opened at the beginning of March. For more access information, please visit ourAccessibilitysection. [7] She was appointed for a decade. Alaric Green The opera reworks a Sicilian folktale as a contemporary parable. I decided to use the tale as a basis for a new opera. We might use this to show you more relevant content, We might use this to let you know about interesting events to attend near you, We might use this to address you personally in our newsletters. Miss Fortune in name and deed. The much-publicised breakdancers of Chen Shi-Zengs efficient but actually rudimentary staging only serve to highlight how irrelevant Weirs musical language is to her conception. The orchestral music also seemed much bolder and more colourful under Dominic Wheeler's direction, and in the hands of GSMD's vivid student orchestra. Judith Weir must be considered one of the most successful Britishoperacomposers since Britten, Get priority booking for outstanding performances & access to exclusive events, 2023 Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS, See the CVs for Guildhall School Final Year Production Arts students, Production Arts teaching staff and technicians can be found on our website. Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. So, turning convention on its head, weve a fatalistic riches-to-rags tale transposed from a Sicilian original and relocated in time and place to take account of the financial ills and social unrest of the here and now. Composed 2000. Pedro Marques Chester Music #MUSCH61126. Find the perfect Judith Weir stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Fate - Andrew Watts. Whilst there is nothing especially laudable . And the greatest irony of all - Miss Fortune wins the lottery. Bass clarinet Miss Fortune is Birtish composer Judith Weir's first operatic composisition in the last 17 years. Born: 11 May 1954, United Kingdom Died: NA Country most active: United Kingdom Also known as: NA Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. Jos Hita Garca* Andr Soares A. Despite the layoff since summer, the staging soon exuded a dance-like motion we hadn't seen before. I registered a faint sense that my opera plot was already out on the street, but I didn't think all the detail it contained the violent destruction of property, the collapse of the middle class would soon become true as well. Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. a reference to Mozart's great scene where people on a beach are menaced by a sea monster. In some ways I feel I've seen the piece for the first time, in a staging (by Martin Lloyd-Evans) which very closely expressed my intentions when I first imagined it. [13], The American premiere of Miss Fortune was originally planned in 2011 by the Santa Fe Opera to be a part of its 2014 season, but it was announced in the summer of 2012 that the opera was to be replaced by the North American premiere of Huang Ruo's Dr. Sun Yat-sen.[22]. Miss Fortune. or you can purchase and download online, The music of Judith Weir is published by Chester Music Ltd and Novello & Co Ltd, part of Wise Music Group. Stamatia Tsaroucha . Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. Booking fees are per transaction and not per ticket. Ivelina Ivanova But at least all other elements of this colourful staging coalesced into something that intermittently held my attention. Josh Law Issy Jordan Violetta Suvini* Also known as Achterbahn (rollercoaster), this apt allegory on fate - and the control we have over our own lives - delivers a timely update on the Italian folk tale Sfortuna. 1 / Symphonic Dances Philadelphia Orchestra/Nzet-Sguin, GRAMOPHONE Review: Nielsen Symphonies 1 & 3, 4 & 5 Danish National Symphony Orchestra/Luisi, GRAMOPHONE Review: Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements, Symphony in C etc. Julia Bermingham, Staff Costume Supervisors Biography Weir was born in Cambridge, England, to Scottish parents. Jamie Hulme Guildhall School of Music & Drama Not something you often come across in opera. Presented byGuildhall School of Music & Drama. Jack Garner-Greene What you think of Miss Fortunes music will depend very much on personal tastes: I found it music to admire rather than to love. In 2014-15 there were releases of The Vanishing Bridegroom (NMC) and Storm (BBC Singers/Signum). During this time she began to write a series of operas (including, As resident composer with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in the 1990s, she wrote several works for orchestra and chorus (including, In recent years, Judith Weir has considerably expanded her choral catalogue, with regular performance by choirs worldwide of music such as her Christmas carol. Charlie Broad 2010-2023 Bachtrack Ltd. All rights reserved. Galleries. Lady Fortune Amy Holyland (28 Feb & 4 Mar), Laura Fleur (2 & 7 Mar) Mae Weir wedi ysgrifennu sawl opera llwyddiannus, gan gynnwys The Black Spider (1985), A Night at the Chinese Opera (1987), Blond Eckbert (1994) a Miss Fortune (2011). Register now, On sale to Guildhall Circle members Mon 29 Nov 10am. In January 2008, over fifty of her works were performed during 'Telling The Tale', a three-day retrospective of her music, hosted by the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre, London. Hassan - Noah Stewart Miss Fortune in name and deed. A few quotes from suddenly redundant bankers made it into the libretto ("I'm going to clear my desk"; "I'll never find another job") but soon I and my opera were pondering the wider mystery of how random the universe is, and how it often seems there's nothing we can do about it. The evening began with a compelling staging of Menottis frothy score, a romantic two-hander with music somewhere between Broadway and Italian verismo and first performed in the UK at the Aldwych Theatre in 1948. Tina (Miss Fortune) - Emma Bell. In July 2014 Judith Weir was appointed to the 395-year old royal post of Master of the Queens Music, in succession to Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Find Judith Weir stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Sad because Weir's folk inspired fables have won many friends, sad because she is a composerly composer whose luminous orchestral backdrops and singable vocal lines display an honest talent that never hides behind overworked technique. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Albery's production allows the opera to speak for itself, although sluggish pacing in the pit detract from the musical merits of this revival. She held the post of Composer in Association for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 1995 to 1998. At least that was Weirs intention - to be relevant and in touch. London The most recent opera is Miss Fortune, premiered at Bregenz in 2011, and then staged at the Royal . In 2014-15 there were releases of The Vanishing Bridegroom (NMC) and Storm (BBC Singers/Signum). Written specifically for performance on American television in 1947, Gian Carlo MenottisoperaThe Telephoneis a romantic comedy in one act, written for just two singers and a hand-picked chamber ensemble of instrumentalists. Digory Price Judith Weir Miss FortuneLord Fortune Jacob Harrison, Lady Fortune Amy Holyland, Tina Erin Gwyn Rossington, Fate Kieron-Connor Valentine, Hassan Florian Panzieri, Donna Laura Fleur, Simon Jack Holton; Director Martin Lloyd-Evans, Conductor Dominic Wheeler, Designer Anna Reid, Lighting Anthony Doran, GSMD Orchestra. For Guildhall School performances please use the Guildhall School entrance on Silk Street. Despite the lively productions and well-defined characterisations, I was disappointed by the poor diction and overbearing orchestral support in Miss Fortune. Miss Fortune in name and deed. A recording of this production will be available to watch online for free after the performances. 7 Bayerisches Staatsorchester/Petrenko, NOTES FROM LOCKDOWN: Nigel Lilley in Conversation, GRAMOPHONE Review: Mahler Symphony No. Above all, I felt justified in having written the opera in the first place. But with few exceptions Weir has created cardboard characters that neither claim our attention nor engage our sympathy. This product includes GeoLite2 data created by MaxMind, available from, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Semyon Bychkov leads a musically superior, To add a comment, please sign in or register. Commissioned byBregenzFestival and the RoyalOperaHouse and premiered in 2011,Miss Fortuneis a contemporary re-telling of a Sicilian folk story. Get discounted access to unmissable art, See more art, music, film and theatre for less, Log in to access bookings, re-print pdf tickets, update email preferences and check out faster. Antonio Daz Fernndez Even Fate (countertenor Andrew Watts), with his "cloud" of street dancers, is no more than a mildly creepy stalker. The opera reworks a Sicilian folktale as a contemporary parable. My reworking begins with a financial crash and ends with an unlikely lottery win yet I didn't set out to write a piece about contemporary events. ), full of truisms and clunky metaphors" and "about as streetwise as a visitor from Venus". The Vanishing Bridegroom and Miss Fortune. It has been a hyperactive week for hubris, schadenfreude and any other not quite correctly used foreign words you care to scatter. Plan your journey and find more route information in Your Visit or book your car parking space in advance. Queasy chromatic scales rising and falling in the trombones is as close as we get to the dark happenings on the street. He is a musical omnivore interested in almost all types of music, but with a particular love of Italian opera. She teaches at Cardiff University. This new co-production receives its UK premiere in March 2012. Silly and naive. The kebab shop and the breakdancers are great, but Tom Pyes sets have much more: giant, mirror-smooth geometric structures are brightly lit in primary colours and turned by video effects into a shifting industrial landscape, all set against a plain screen background lit with vividly coloured gradients. What a waste of talent and resources. She was a visiting distinguished research professor in composition at Cardiff University from 2006 to 2009. Biography. Sad to say but Judith Weir's sixth opera is an embarrassment. On 30 June 2014, The Guardian stated that her appointment as Master of the Queen's Music,[5] succeeding Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (whose term of office expired in March 2014), would be announced;[6] this was officially confirmed on 21 July. Voices & Orchestra. Iza Fordham Its probably not a good idea to come to Miss Fortune looking either for deep meaning or for authentic folktale. Each time her luck seems to take a turn for the better, she is beset by another misfortune until eventually, through a magical stroke of luck, she gains the hand of a prince, in town to collect his laundry. [12], Weir's musical language is fairly conservative, with a "knack of making simple musical ideas appear freshly mysterious". I hope that does not mean more trapeziums, please. One of these days someone might actually commission one of the many young composers at the sharp end of musical theatre creative song writers with their finger on the pulse of contemporary living. How come that trumpet B-flat sounded so great in the Austrian Alps, but in London was clearly a wrong note? This is a libretto which vacillates between the banal and the unintentionally comedic (or is that irony?) . Do you remember your first pieces? Nina Lim Judith Weir. Theres usually plenty of hype surrounding a newly written opera performed at Covent Garden, but the carefully placed stories about Judith Weirs Miss Fortune are on the improbable end of the scale, featuring a flying kebab shop and a team of breakdancers. Judith Weir's music has been widely recorded, particularly on the NMC and Delphian labels; and is published by Chester Music and Novello & Co. After this she spent several years working in schools and adult education in rural southern England; followed by a period based in Scotland, teaching at Glasgow University and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Throughout the opera, in an impressive piece of singing, counter-tenor Andrew Watts sings a discordant overlay over the other music, reminding everyone that he is all-powerful and capricious. What drew you to composition? Two days after this premiere, the Royal Opera House announced the 2012/2013 new season and defended contemporary work as adventure, not measured by normal standards of success. Susan Jane Matthews, organ1929 Skinner OrganSt. The clarity of the costume design made the characters instantly knowable, too: a stroppy teenager, a lady from a launderette, a positive-thinking businessman these types look the same anywhere. Aoife Moran . See the CVs for Guildhall School Final Year Production Arts students. Memoirs of an Accidental Film Artist. No fee when tickets are booked in person. Secondly and crucially, Weir turns Fate into a very real and live person. Each time her luck seems to take a turn for the better, she is beset by another misfortune until eventually, through a magical stroke of luck, she gains the hand of a prince, in town to collect his laundry. was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. In 2008, as I began writing, I walked past a sandwich board bearing the headline: "Blind panic as shares crash." Dominic Stokes* By the end of the act, I was finding it all rather wearing, and theres little in the way of flowing vocal lines to lift the heart. Expressive of face and voice this champagne-quaffing pair fulfilled their roles with suitable vulgarity. Weir was appointed a CBE in 1995 Composer Judith Weir CBE is to become the first female Master of the Queen's Music. The most recent opera is Miss Fortune, premiered at Bregenz in 2011, and then staged at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in 2012. Emma Bell, singing the title role perched five metres up on a rocky plinth, only now revealed that she was scared of heights. Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. 28 pages. The work was made in co-operation with Margaret Williams. Members do not pay booking fees. Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. In a stunning setting and scenery to rival these beautiful surroundings, Miss Fortune, the work of British composer Judith Weir, retraces the twisted steps of its bewildered female protagonist. What a waste of talent and resources. A strong ROH2 schedule includes premieres by Scott Walker, Huw Watkins and Stuart MacRae in a season that will offer "fresh and interesting angles on the art form". Views: 5 180. Select from premium Judith Weir of the highest quality. Tina's wealthy family lose all their possessions overnight and she is thrown into a life of poverty. Yn ogystal, mae'n gyfansoddwr o ddarnau cerddorfaol a lleisiol, gan gynnwys Concerto i'r Piano (1997), The Welcome Arrival of Rain (2001), ac In the Land of Uz (2017). slogan. Next year, George Benjamin's commission Written on Skin will enter the fray and Harrison Birtwistle's The Minotaur a tale of loneliness with a furious but poetic score which was unquestionably a success is revived. My first pieces were at secondary school. Night AT the Chinese Opera (A) (1987) Operas. Judith Weir CBE HonFRSE (born 11 May 1954) is a British composer serving as Master of the King's Music. As Miss Fortune sings of entering the "shadows" and "dark streets" of the real world, she's set upon by six representatives of this rough shadowy place, a gang of bopping black thugs, who go on to destroy the factory she's working for and torch a kebab van she finds herself taking shelter in. Gabriel Francis-Dehqani, Double Bass Now in her 50s, she is too experienced, too knowledgable about the bloodied history of most operatic endeavour to have expected to get off lightly. Donna, proprietor of a laundry Laura Fleur (28 Feb & 4 Mar), Amy Holyland (2 & 7 Mar) RGT Birthdays today This is a past event. Barbican Beat Erro Dez, Horn Judith Weir Net Worth & Basic source of earning is being a successful British Musician. Miss Fortune Operas. Julian Hepple. Photograph: Tristram Kenton, as it a plane, a boat or a train? Longfei Wang* Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. . Judith Weir Biography Recordings Related Composers Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. BBC Philharmonic/David, GRAMOPHONE Review: Shostakovich Symphony No 10, Mahler Symphony No 10 Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra/van Zweden, GRAMOPHONE Review: Mahler Symphony No. Ami-Louise Johnsson Judith Weir. Photo:Judith Weir. Never should the final authority be taken away from the composer, but a question might stimulate a rethink. Judith Weir was appointed Master of The Queen's Music, in succession to Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, in July 2014; and in January 2015 became Associate Composer . Asked to fall to the ground in terror at news of an approaching financial disaster, they ask, "Like in Idomeneo?" Honours for her work include the Critics Circle, South Bank Show, Ivor Novello and Elise L Stoeger awards, a CBE and The Queens Medal for Music. Silk Street . Shana Moron-Caravel WEI. Right next to it was the ubiquitous fingers-crossed Lottery sign with its jaunty "Play here!" Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. Select from premium Judith Weir of the highest quality. This was followed by a further three full-length operas The Vanishing Bridegroom (1990), Blond Eckbert (1994), the latter commissioned by the English National Opera[14] and Miss Fortune (Achterbahn) (2011). But when the once wealthy Tina (a self-consciously red-headed but vocally resolute Emma Bell) turns on Fate (a wasted Andrew Watts) and halfway through this short and pointless evening enquires: Was it you who turned my life upside down? we know weve come precisely nowhere very fast. R. 70. Much of her music has been recorded, and is available on the NMC, Delphian and Signum labels. Everything about Miss Fortune is benign and comfortable even Tom Pyes eye-catching geometric designs are thoroughly alienating, a garment sweatshop spotless and sanitised like the Royal Opera have re-deployed the spinning chorus from their last production of The Flying Dutchman. Bogdan Skrypka A first performance of a new opera is the start of a precipitous journey. Had Kieron-Connor Valentines Fate been more malevolent his encounters with Erin Gwyn Rossingtons Tina would have had more emotional impact. Thereafter, she encounters various low wage earners sweatshop workers (a chorus of seamstresses), a fast-food vendor (Florian Panzieri) and a laundrette owner (Laura Fleur). One of these days someone might actually commission one of the many young composers at the sharp end of musical theatre - creative song writers with their finger on the pulse of contemporary living. Indeed it has. Hugo Haag, Cello Paula Guerra . Sad because Weirs folk inspired fables have won many friends, sad because she is a composerly composer whose luminous orchestral backdrops and singable vocal lines display an honest talent that never hides behind overworked technique. Location Weir is far from incapable of working on a large canvas, but Miss Fortune is surely a chamber opera. She was an oboe player, performing with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and studied composition with John Tavener during her schooldays. What doesnt change, at least in the 53 minute first act, is her accenting: the music is continually using devices to ratchet up the tension - chromatics, diminished and augmented chords. Mario Gutirrez Gorria, Viola Allegra Totaro-Wainwright, Assistant Scenic Artists The helicopter view: Opera Europa's Nicholas Payne, At the helm of the aircraft carrier: The Royal Opera's Oliver Mears, Raising the curtain: Jacquelyn Stucker on building momentum and opera's digital challenge, Meeting the Maestro: in conversation with Fabio Luisi, Spring and summer in Prague: your musical guide, Koen entrances the Rudolfinum with Martin miniatures, Lucid in music and narrative: ENO and Richard Jones, David is a co-founder of Bachtrack. YouTube Encyclopedic. [15] Weir's commissioned works most notably include woman.life.song (2000) for Jessye Norman and We are Shadows (1999) for Simon Rattle. Georgia Lloyd* 2.1.1 Miss Fortune (Achterbahn) 2.2 Other key works; 3 Selected recordings; 4 External links; 5 References Biography. But I personally have been feeling thoroughly revived after GSMD's energy-giving version of my 2011 opera "Miss Fortune" which opened at the beginning of March. Ben Upthegrove Jonathan Eyers (28 Feb & 4 Mar), Jack Holton (2 & 7 Mar), Lord Fortune Jacob Harrison SELECTED WORKS BY shows" JUDITH WEIR "Weir is a creature of the theatre and it FINANCIAL TIMES. A new production of an earlier opera is always welcome news, to its composer at least, and it doesn't feel right to term these "revivals" - implying that resuscitation or even raising from the dead has been necessary. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. [16], The first public performance of Weir's arrangement of "God Save the Queen" was performed at the reburial of King Richard III at Leicester Cathedral on 26 March 2015. Please note you may need to update your password. Amongst her priorities in this role are the support of school music teachers, of amateur orchestras and choirs, and of rural festivals. Judith Weir explains why her latest work a parable about the financial crisis had to have them, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Straitened times Emma Bell and Anne-Marie Owens in Miss Fortune. Her struggles are closely shadowed by Fate sung by counter-tenor Kieron-Connor Valentine. Tiago Costa [8] In May 2015, Weir won The Ivors Classical Music Award at the Ivor Novello Awards. Meanwhile, the cast plunged into the nitty-gritty ("Four steps to the left, take the glass from Kathryn, turn "). A full list of Production Arts teaching staff and technicians can be found on our website. Judith Weir Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. full of truisms and clunky metaphors and for all its images of deprivation and violent disorder is about as streetwise as a visitor from Venus. I loved the witty set (designer. MISS FORTUNE is a contemporary re-telling of a Sicilian folk story. But I personally have been feeling thoroughly revived after. Miss Fortune in name and deed. Our heroine is clad in a bright red dress - the Chinese colour for luck - which makes her a constant point of focus through the action. In: Press release from The Santa Fe Opera, 22 August 2012. Lord Fortune - Alan Ewing. Natalie Alfille-Cook She has also created new music for many community groups and schools, including Burntwood School Wandsworth, Aberdeen Art Gallery, St Marys Church Dover and Greenacre School, Barnsley. Dominic Wheeler conductorMartin Lloyd-Evans directorAnna Reid designerAnthony Doran lighting designerJoseph Beesley assistant conductorRachel Wise assistant director/movement, Lucy England Segomotso Shupinyaneng (28 Feb & 4 Mar), Ellie Neate (2 & 7 Mar) woman.life.song. Hassan, a kebab seller Florian Panzieri (28 Feb & 4 Mar), Innocent Masuku (2 & 7 Mar) Guildhall Schools Opera department presents a double bill of operatic works exploring romantic love, fate and fortune. The four days of programmes ended with a first performance of her new commission, CONCRETE, a choral motet. Last edited on 20 February 2023, at 10:43, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, "Queen's new composer Judith Weir hails 'boss', "The wonderful Judith Weir With a Barbican weekend devoted to her music, the composer Judith Weir is being feted as never before", "Queen had 'immensely detailed knowledge' of music, says royal composer", "Judith Weir to be appointed first female master of Queen's music", "News Judith Weir appointed Master of the Queen's Music Music Sales Classical", "Judith Weir: the female music master with royal seal of approval", "The Ivors 2015 Winners, Ivor Novello Awards, Judith Weir", "Ms Judith Weir HonFRSE The Royal Society of Edinburgh", "Andrew Lloyd Webber piece among new coronation music", "Judith Weir Armida (2005) Music Sales Classical", "Musical Work rises from the concrete Barbican", "The State Funeral and Committal Service for Her Majesty The Queen", "The Black Spider review Weir's opera is ghastly gothic treat", https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?q=judith+weir+scipio%27s+dream#top, "A ringing coda: the music at the Queen's funeral was both solemn and sublime", Judith Weir on the British Music Collection, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Judith_Weir&oldid=1140504219, The Prelude (20182019, flute, violin, viola, cello), This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 10:43.
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