Cosi Fan Tutte Rehearsal
James, our Stage Manager, interviewed our singers and instrumentalists of the Cosi Fan Tutte Street opera in rehearsals this week…
What is your favourite opera or composer?
Tom Stoddart (Guglielmo): “Favourite composer, Mahler, who never wrote any operas or Tchaikovsky. And my favourite opera is Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky.”
Simon Gfeller (Ferrando): “Favourite composer I think Mozart. But it’s generally the opera I’m doing at the moment as I fall in love really quickly with what I’m doing.”
Philip Smith (Don Alfonso): “La Bohème by Puccini would be my favourite opera quickly followed by quite a lot of Britten”
Claire Wild (Fiordiligi): “One of my favourite operas is Don Giovanni actually, Mozart. But I love La Bohème as well.”
Felicity Buckland (Dorabella): “My favourite opera is L’enfant et les sortilèges by Ravel. Favourite composer depends on my mood, maybe possibly Sondheim”
Olivia Jarvis – Violin: “I guess my favourite would be Der Rosenkavalier”
Leo Geyer – Arranger/MD/Bassoon: “If I had to choose I’d probably go for Stravinsky because he kind of kick started so many different styles of music but then the character of his music is always crystal clear through all of it”
Bartosz Glowacki – Accordion: “I would say Górecki is my favourite composer and opera wise, Carmen”
Cosi Fan Tutte Rehearsal
How are you feeling about performing opera on the high street?
Olivia: “Excited, it’s different and it’s nice as it’s not so formal, there’s more interaction. Also the audience feel that they’re part of it rather than an us and them.”
Simon: “I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to come with a whole bunch of challenges but it will allow us as singers to really test out boundaries and allow us to be more flexible, adaptable and adjustable but will also help give us a greater sense of immediacy with the audience.”
Tom: “I’ve done things like it before, actually, but it’s always exciting to do stuff where anything can happen.”
Philip: “I’m intrigued to see how it’s all going to work and the reactions of the public, certainly in areas where people may have never heard opera before and how they’ll respond.”
Claire: “Excited! It’s quite terrifying as well about how people will react.”
Felicity: “I did it last year and I think it will be even more fun.”
Cosi Fan Tutte Rehearsals
What do you think your character would drink at the pub?
Tom (Guglielmo): “European beers probably, lagers probably.”
Simon (Ferrando): “He’s a bit of a high end banker so he’d probably drink some sort of a fancy scotch or a special gin.”
Philip (Don Alfonso): “Pints of whatever the best beer is but he’d probably also order champagne if he was trying to impress!”
Claire (Fiordiligi): “Fiordiligi would drink dry white wine.”
Felicity (Dorabella): “Either a G&T or a cocktail, whatever she thought was trendy!”
Cosi Fan Tutte Rehearsal
If we met you in the supermarket what would you have in your shopping basket?
Claire: “Anything that involved prosecco and lamb shanks. Booze is always in my shopping basket!”
Tom: “Crisps and dips is basically what I just eat and maybe chicken. Crisps, dips and chicken – terrible diet!”
Bartosz: “Hummus and probably some strawberries.”
Philip: “I buy so much I usually have a trolley…”
