VIVALDI MEETS WERTHER: FOUR SEASONS Comes to Opera In The City Festival

VIVALDI MEETS WERTHER: FOUR SEASONS has its UK Premiere on 27, 29 & 30 August at Opera in the City Festival, Bridewell Theatre (London EC4Y 8EQ).

Werther's tragic love story told through Antonio Vivaldi's violin concert The Four Seasons in this multidisciplinary project, starring violinist Alda Dizdari and actor Samuel Lawrence.

Different art forms reframe and reimagine one another to form an original vision of two traditional works: united by their sense of drama, characterisation and feeling. With interactions between actor and violinist, this production develops the drama inherent in Vivaldi's music into a bold new reading of these two well-loved narratives: where the dramatic movements of Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons interweave with Goethe's text to bring its haunting story to life: words and music communicate with each other and take turns in telling this passionate love story. In unison they paint a picture of Werther's troubled mind and his journey through the seasons.

In Spring Werther arrives at the countryside, where he ecstatically enjoys nature and a new-found freedom. Soon after he meets Lotte and falls in love, delighting in a Summer of romance and passion. But Autumn brings the arrival of Lotte's fiancee Albert, and the boy's mood turns sombre. Alone in the unforgiving cold of Winter, Werther is unable to cope with this unrequited love.

Director Pamela Schermann revisits her project which previously had been performed in Vienna/Austria in 2013, and directs its first UK performance. She says "by combining Vivaldi's well-known violin concert 'The Four Seasons' with Werther's story, we add a strong narrative which attracts new audiences to classical music, and offers a new interpretation to those familiar with the original."

This production stars renowned violinist Alda Dizdari (Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, BBC3 Radio, UK wide and international concert tours), as 'Lotte' and actor Samuel Lawrence (Theatre Royal Bath, Theatre503, Tobacco Factory, National Tours) as 'Werther'. Schermann's recent credits include Cry Havoc (Park Theatre) and the award-nominated production of Rimsky-Korsakov's Mozart & Salieri (Arcola Theatre, UK Tour). Set and costume design by Yole Lambrecht (Rose Playhouse, BADA, Bridewell Theatre, Ovalhouse).

Vivaldi meets Werther: Four Seasons is part of Opera in the City Festival, London's new summer opera festival from 20 August - 7 September at Bridewell Theatre, which champions new works, reimaginations and UK premieres by the most exciting British and International Artists. Further highlights include the contemporary fashion opera WEAR by Scottish composer Alastair White, the forgotten classic Caccia Lontana by Croatian-Italian composer Antonio Smareglia and R'Otello, an opera between rugby and Jazz.

Tickets: £18 - £26 (plus booking fee), booking: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/opera-in-the-city

Web: www.opera-in-the-city.com

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