Bampton Classical Opera at Sinfonia Smith Square
Friday 18 September 7pm
André Grétry, Beauty and the Beast (Zemira and Azor)
Conductor - Andrew Griffiths
Director - Jeremy Gray
orchestra - CHROMA
Fairytale magic meets glorious music – 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.
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?