The last in 12 years of collaborations with designer Anthony Baker who moved on to directing himself, this was Francisco’s debut at the Royal Opera House. It featured the luxury of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in the pit, under Harry Bicket, Francisco’s main Handel collaborator. This production, though surprisingly disliked by the local press, was very successful with audiences and people in the business and even more surprisingly went on to be nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for best opera production of the year and for Bejun Mehta’s performance . It was fantastically received by the international press when it was performed in Spain, confirming Francisco’s special relationship with Handel pieces. The show suffered last minute cast changes and many technical issues during the initial London performances but was finally seen as intended, when revived in London and Valencia.
- Royal Opera House · London · October 2003
- Royal Opera House · London · February 2007
- Palau de les Arts · Valencia · February 2008
Creative Team
| Sets | Anthony Baker |
| Costumes | Anthony Baker |
| Choreography | Ana Yepes |
| Lighting | Wolfgang Goebbel |
| Conductor (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment) | Harry Bicket |
Cast
Alice Coote, Bejun Mehta, Barbara Bonney, Camilla Tilling, Jonathan Lemalu, David Lucas, Suzanne McNaughton, Adam Pudney, Silvia Tro Santa Fe, Lyubov Petrova, Cristian Senn, Kyle Ketelsen.
