Opera Holland Park – Messa di Gloria Giacomo Puccini – 7:30pm
Ahead of his return to Opera Holland Park as Canio in Pagliacci, tenor David Butt Philip joins baritone Ross Ramgobin, conductor John Andrews, the Opera Holland Park chorus and City of London Sinfonia in a special performance of Puccini’s Messa di Gloria.
The concert will take place in the glorious surrounding of Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Square, on 22 February 2024 and launches an exciting series of events by Opera Holland Park to mark the centenary of Puccini’s death, including a revival of Stephen Barlow’s sensational 2008 staging of Tosca, and three semi-staged performances of Puccini’s early romance, Edgar.
Scored for tenor and baritone soloists, choir and orchestra, the Messa di Gloria blends the solemnity of the Italian choral tradition with expressive melodies and motifs that would later reappear in operas from Edgar and Le Villi to Manon Lescaut and Suor Angelica.
Six years after the first performance of Verdi’s Messa da requiem in Milan, Puccini, the young composer who would soon be hailed as Verdi’s natural successor, completed a setting of the Mass that melded his heritage as the scion of generations of professional church musicians with the first flourishing of his instincts for sung drama
The evening will open with a selection of music from throughout Puccini’s life, including rare and well-known arias from Opera Holland Park’s principal singers, and the composer’s only string quartet, Crisantemi.
Continuing the company’s mission to increase its performances throughout the calendar year, this is a rare opportunity to hear Puccini’s first major work in the context of his later creations, and in the sublime setting and soaring acoustics of Holy Trinity, Sloane Square.
John Andrews
Conductor
David Butt Philip
Tenor
Ross Ramgobin
Baritone
Dominic Ellis Peckham
Chorus Master
Anna Patalong
Soprano
Alison Langer
Soprano
Eleanor Broomfield
Soprano
Phillip Costovski
Tenor
Joseph Buckmaster
Tenor
Upcoming Events
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Mozart’s Da Ponte Operas: Reinventing the Operatic Voice 11:00 – 13:00
The astounding partnership between Mozart and Da Ponte produced Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi Fan Tutte, featuring many of opera's most complex and memorable roles. Experience the music and meet the characters in this enthralling recital series.
28 Oct Sincerity on Trial
Dropped into comic operas with seria voices, Mozart's tenors don't get the straightforward luxury of being either comic or serious — Don Ottavio and Ferrando can be both noble and laughed at in the same breath. This recital explores the gorgeous, soaring music sung by men the drama refuses to let you trust. What happens when Mozart puts his heartfelt heroes on trial? With tenor, Robert Forrest, and pianist, Lucy Colquhoun.
A Taste of Heaven – 6pm
The Holy Trinity Consort presents a French-Swiss celebration - written in secret and hidden in a drawer for forty years, Frank Martin's Mass for Double Choir is now treasured as one of the twentieth century's great choral discoveries. After the interval, Fauré's sublime Requiem: music of consolation, from the radiant Pie Jesu to the whispered farewell of In Paradisum. We are delighted to welcome Läderach as our partner for the evening, and premium-ticket holders will enjoy an exclusive tasting of their exquisite Swiss chocolate. Candlelight, chocolate and glorious music - an evening to savour at Holy Trinity.