'The Bear' by William Walton & 'A Dinner Engagement' by Lennox Berkeley
Opera Anywhere presents 2 comic operas
"Both pieces add up to an evening of light-hearted fun, which is well worth catching if you can." Oxford Times Review (full review)
The Bear (Paul Dehn adapted from Chekov)
Madam Popova has been mourning her late husband for some time, her manservant, Luka advises her that it's about time she got out of the house to perhaps meet a new man before she's too old. Popova has vowed to be in mourning for the rest of her life, even though it transpires that her late husband was mean and unfaithful.
One day Popova and Luka are disturbed by an insistent knocking on the door and Smirnov enters, he's a noisy, rude, vodka swilling landowner and demands immediate payment of an outstanding debt, incurred by Popova's late husband for Oats for his favourite horse, Toby. Popova is insistent that she can not settle the debt and Smirnov, equally stubborn, resolves to stay put until she relents, a dispute ensues culminating in Popova's challenge to a duel!...
A Dinner Engagement (Paul Dehn)
Lord and Lady Dunmow are in their kitchen making preparations for a dinner party, the grocer's boy comes to the back door with provisions but his demands for payment are dismissed. Mrs Kneebone arrives to help with the preparations apologising for coming to the front door rather than the back door because the front door is so small. It is apparent that the Dunmow's have hit upon hard times and can no longer afford regular servants, Lord Dunmow reminisces of a past time when he was 'Envoy Extraordinary' to Monteblanco.
Susan, the Dunmow's daughter is keen to help in the kitchen - but they insist that she should be making herself ready for the important guests; the Grand Duchess of Monteblanco and her son; HRH Prince Philippe. Susan re-appears in a temper with badly applied make up and a dress she hates, declaring she will not wear it to impress Prince Philippe. She rushes away as smoke trickles from the oven door and amidst the confusion the Grand Duchess and Prince Philippe arrive in the kitchen!........
Peter Cowdrey - Music Director
Peter won music scholarships to Winchester College and Trinity College, Cambridge, and studied composition with Oliver Knussen. He wrote an opera, Zeller, for Cambridge University Opera Society. After leaving Cambridge he helped to start the performing arts department at a University in Tonga where he developed an interest in world music. As composer his commissions include Land of the Prophets, for flute and strings, premiered in the Royal Albert Hall by Wissam Boustany, and A Garden amidst Flames, the result of a year long project working with Turkish Classical musicians, commissioned jointly by the Istanbul Festival and the British Council and performed in a Basilica in Istanbul. His works were featured in a three concert series in the Purcell Room in 1995. He is a member of the music theatre group Talking Trombones, for which he writes in collaboration with the poet Henry Shukman.
Future plans include an opera based on wine diaries by Michael Broadbent, to be performed by I Fagiolini in the Great Hall at Christies in London, and a new work for the Brodsky Quartet to tour in Australia. As a pianist Peter played Charles Ives’ first piano sonata on tour in South America. He has acted as Musical Director for Opera Festa, Opera Souffle and Opera Anywhere. Peter has been instrumental in the development of Opera Anywhere since its conception and has proved a firm favourite with audiences as an MD and accompanist for Opera Anywhere.
