Glorious Glyndebourne Rupert Christiansen previews the new season

Hipermestra

This seldom performed opera on a mythological theme by Francesco Cavalli, the great Venetian composer of the Baroque era, receives its first-ever British staging in a new production directed by Graham Vick and conducted by William Christie. The cast of distinguished Early Music specialists includes the exciting Hungarian soprano Emöke Baráth and Italian counter-tenor Raffaele Pe. May 20-July 8

La Traviata

Tom Cairns’ 2014 staging of Verdi’s moving tragedy of a repentant courtesan shunned by society returns in two series of performances: from May 21 to June 19, the conductor will be Richard Farnes and Violetta will be sung by Russian soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan; from August 1, Andrés OrozcoEstrada takes the baton over from Farnes, as Joyce El-Khoury assumes the role of Violetta, in which she recently triumphed at Covent Garden.

Hamlet

A highlight of this year’s season is a keenly anticipated new opera based on Shakespeare’s tragedy by the brilliant Australian composer Brett

Dean ( see interview, above), whose previous opera Bliss enjoyed global critical acclaim. The leading young British tenor Allan Clayton sings the melancholy prince, supported by a dazzling cast including Barbara Hannigan (Ophelia), Sarah Connolly (Gertrude) and Rodney Gilfry (Claudius). June 11- July 6

Ariadne auf Naxos

Richard Strauss and his librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s subtle and lyrical comedy has profound things to say about the tribulations of love. This extensively rethought revival of Katharina Thoma’s 2013 production features Lise Davidsen, the sensational winner of the prestigious Operalia competition in 2015, as the lovelorn Ariadne and Erin Morley in the scintillating Danielle de Niese as Norina in Don Pasquale, below; Ariadne auf Naxos, left coloratura role of the flighty Zerbinetta. June 25-July 27

Don Pasquale

Mariame Clément’s witty and elegant, yet faintly sinister, staging of Donizetti’s razor-sharp comedy has been one of Glyndebourne’s biggest hits. This summer it returns with a new cast led by Renato Girolami as the crusty old bachelor who decides to take a wife – and gets more than he bargained for. Rising star Giacomo Sagripanti conducts the mercurial score. July 13-August 23

La Clemenza di Tito

Glyndebourne’s dynamic young music director Robin Ticciati conducts Claus Guth’s new production of Mozart’s final opera – a classically beautiful tale of conflicts of love and loyalty set in Ancient Rome. The charismatic mezzosoprano Alice Coote sings the scheming Vitellia who leads the infatuated Sesto (Kate Lindsey) to attempt assassination of the Emperor. July 26August 26