Zemira and Azor – Bampton Classical Opera
Fairytale magic meets glorious music – fall under the spell of Zemira & Azor this summer! Grétry’s sparkling yet serious comedy, based on the much-loved story of Beauty and the Beast, won over countless hearts through the final decades of the 18th century, including that of Mozart. Now rarely performed, Bampton presents a unusual edition from Mannheim with added music by Niccolò Jommelli. Performances will be in a new lively English translation, semi-staged and costumed, with orchestra, at a delightful new Oxfordshire venue at Cokethorpe, south of Witney, as well as our regular venues in Westonbirt and London.
A virtuous and beautiful young woman, Zemira, takes her father’s place as a prisoner in the magical castle of the monstrous Azor, whose beastly form results from a spell cast by a malevolent fairy. Zemira is horrified when she first encounters Azor, but manages to see past his hideous exterior to his inner dignity and nobility. Can her simple love transform a beast?
Rachel Roper is performing the role of Lesbia.
Cokethorpe School, Witney, Oxfordshire OX27 7PU: Friday 17, Saturday 18 July (7pm)
Westonbirt School, Gloucestershire GL8 8QG: Monday 31 August (5pm)
Smith Square Hall, London SW1P 3HA: Friday 18 September (7pm)
