gmd sebastian weigle conducts new production of

September 16th 2016
GMD SEBASTIAN WEIGLE CONDUCTS NEW PRODUCTION OF FLOTOW'S MARTHA
WITH MARIA BENGTSSON IN THE TITLE ROLE AT OPER FRANKFURT
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to invite you to the opening night (or a later performance) of the third new
production in Oper Frankfurt's 2016/17 season:
Sunday October 16th 2016, at 18.00hrs in the Opera House
Premiere
MARTHA ODER DER MARKT ZU RICHMOND (MARTHA, OR RICHMOND MARKET)
Romantic comic opera in four acts
Libretto by W. Friedrich, based on a ballet by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges
Performed in German with German surtitles
Conductor: Sebastian Weigle
Director: Katharina Thoma
Stage Designer: Etienne Pluss
Costume Designer: Irina Bartels
Lighting Designer: Olaf Winter
Choreographer: Michael Schmieder
Chorus and Extra Female Chorus Master: Tilman Michael
Dramaturge: Konrad Kuhn
I do hope you might be able to cover this event.
For further information, ordering photographs and reserving your press tickets please
contact me on +49 (0)69 - 212 46 727. My fax number is +49 (0)69 - 212 37 164, or you
can reach me by email: [email protected].
With many thanks in advance for your cooperation and
best wishes
Holger Engelhardt
Pressereferent
Premiere
MARTHA ODER DER MARKT ZU RICHMOND (MARTHA, OR RICHMOND MARKET)
Romantic comic opera in four acts
Libretto by W. Friedrich, based on a ballet by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges
Performed in German with German surtitles
Conductor: Sebastian Weigle
Director: Katharina Thoma
Stage Designer: Etienne Pluss
Costume Designer: Irina Bartels
Lighting Designer: Olaf Winter
Choreographer: Michael Schmieder
Chorus and Extra Female Chorus Master: Tilman Michael
Dramaturge: Konrad Kuhn
Lady Harriet Durham: Maria Bengtsson
Nancy, Harriet's friend: Katharina Magiera
Lord Tristan Mickleford, Harriet's cousin: Barnaby Rea
Lyonel: AJ Glueckert
Plumkett: Björn Bürger
The Judge of Richmond: Franz Mayer
and others
Oper Frankfurt's Chorus, Extra Female Chorus and Extras
Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester
Scarcely anybody would remember the Mecklenburg born composer Friedrich von Flotow (1812-1883) if
Martha had not been a worldwide hit. Trained at the Conservatoire in Paris he was well acquainted, as is
evident, with the genre of opéra-comique so prevalent at the time. Today, however, it would be probably be
described as a German Spieloper. The World Premiere at the Kärtnertor Theater in Vienna on November
25th 1847 was not a great success, but it was quite a different matter when Franz Liszt rehearsed the
second production in Weimar, in 1848. Then the opera set off on its international triumphant march with its
catchy melodies, such as Martha's song of the „Letzte Rose / Last Rose” and, above all, Lyonel's
lamentation „Ach so fromm, ach so traut“ which – championed by Enrico Caruso as “M’apparì” – became a
firm fixture in the tenor repertoire. The last production of Flotow's opera in Frankfurt was staged in 1949.
England 1710: Lady Harriet Durham's high society life style does not make her feel completely fulfilled. Her
friend Nancy advises her to fall in love. The two women, in disguise, mingle among girls at Richmond Market
looking for work and, maybe, a husband. The tenant farmers Plumkett and Lyonel are impressed by them.
When they get home it soon becomes clear that the gentlemen have more serious intentions. The two
„maids“, who passed themselves off as „Martha“ and „Julia“, run away. After a few complications the two
couples become reunited. The internet has not made it easier to find „the right one“ and so people today can
still find relevance in this disguise comedy, a story with emotional depths.
The conductor is General Music Director Sebastian Weigle, who campaigned hard that the work be
performed here again. Katharina Thoma, a former director's assistant at Oper Frankfurt, is back to stage the
work after the success she enjoyed with Barber's Vanessa (2012/13) at the theatre on Willy-Brandt-Platz and
productions at Theater Dortmund, the Glyndebourne Festival and Royal Opera House Covent Garden in
London (Un ballo in maschera 2014/15). Maria Bengtsson (Martha), who has thrilled audiences in Frankfurt
as the Marschallin, Daphne and Donna Elvira, is one of the most renowned and internationally successful
sopranos of our times. All other roles are sung by Members of Oper Frankfurt's Ensemble, including two new
singers: tenor AJ Glueckert (Lyonel) from America and bass Barnaby Rea (Lord Tristan) from England,
who are joined by Katharina Magiera (Nancy) and Björn Bürger (Plumkett). And Oper Frankfurt welcomes
back Franz Mayer – who left the Ensemble this summer – as a guest, to sing the role of the Judge of
Richmond.
Premiere: Sunday October 16th 2016, at 18.00hrs in the Opera House
Further performances: October 22nd, 26th, 30th (15.30hrs; with free child minding for those aged
between 3 and 9), November 5th, 12th, 18th, (20.00hrs), 25th 2016
Unless otherwise stated, all performances begin at 19.30hrs
Tickets cost: € 15 to € 165 (with a 12.5% pre-booking fee when not purchased direct from the theatre)
Tickets can be obtained from the usual outlets, by telephone +49 (0)69 – 212 49 49 4 or online
www.oper-frankfurt.de.

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