Oliver Mears' new production of Britten's chamber opera is a visceral reflection on tyranny and sexual violence. Age 14-25? Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Everything about Miss Fortune is benign and comfortable even Tom Pyes eye-catching geometric designs are thoroughly alienating, a garment sweatshop spotless and sanitised like the Royal Opera have re-deployed the spinning chorus from their last production of The Flying Dutchman. She studied with . The most recent opera is Miss Fortune, premiered at Bregenz in . Judith Weir CBE is a British composer and Master of the Queen's Music. I was aiming to write an urban folk tale that reminded me of everyday life, colliding with the grandeur of opera. He is a musical omnivore interested in almost all types of music, but with a particular love of Italian opera. Her opera Miss Fortune opened at the Royal Opera House in March. Where Weirs orchestral writing is full and rich, the vocal parts are for the most part agile and harsh. or you can purchase and download online, The music of Judith Weir is published by Chester Music Ltd and Novello & Co Ltd, part of Wise Music Group. Having now heard the piece, and looked through the score, I would have asked: "Did you intend so many of the vocal lines to have a predominantly descending pattern, giving an impression of aural droop? Plan your journey and find more route information in Your Visit or book your car parking space in advance. RGT Birthdays today ), full of truisms and clunky metaphors" and "about as streetwise as a visitor from Venus". Vanessa Lingham, Stage Management Supervisor Silver Tassie Operas. . Judith Weir, Miss Fortune, Royal Opera, 12 March 2012 (British premiere) A member of Soul Mavericks Images: Royal Opera/Bill Cooper: Royal Opera House. If you dont harbour too many expectations of a thought-provoking story, its worth going to see for the staging alone. A new production of an earlier opera is always welcome news, to its composer at least, and it doesn't feel right to term these "revivals" - implying that resuscitation or even raising from the dead has been necessary. The darker side of the "alienating effects of modern urban life" (as designer Anna Reid's programme note summarises both operas) are explored in Judith Weir's Miss Fortune (2011) based on a Sicilian folk story and dramatising a serious reversal of fortune and circumstances as its punning title implies, through the personified figure of fate. Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. Dominic Wheeler conductorMartin Lloyd-Evans directorAnna Reid designerAnthony Doran lighting designerJoseph Beesley assistant conductorRachel Wise assistant director/movement, Lucy England Segomotso Shupinyaneng (28 Feb & 4 Mar), Ellie Neate (2 & 7 Mar) This is a libretto which vacillates between the banal and the unintentionally comedic (or is that irony?) Where these singers find the energy isn't clear: this week, they are also being wood nymphs, Spanish aristocrats and Italian peasants, in several other operas. Its not standard opera house instrumentation - even with a grand piano and much percussion, relatively small string and woodwind sections leave a fair amount of space in the usually crammed orchestra pit. Everything about Miss Fortune is benign and comfortable - even Tom Pyes eye-catching geometric designs are thoroughly alienating, a garment sweatshop spotless and sanitised like the Royal Opera have re-deployed the spinning chorus from their last production of The Flying Dutchman. Please note you may need to update your password. was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. Called Miss Fortune, the story is about money, fate and fortune. Giulia Lussoso 10 Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse/Sokhiev, GRAMOPHONE Review: Sounds of America Jon Manasse, Park Avenue Chamber Orchestra/Bernard, GRAMOPHONE Review: Rachmaninov Symphony No. She was an oboe player, performing with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and studied composition with John Tavener during her schooldays. Appointed in 2014 by Queen Elizabeth II, Weir is the first woman to hold this office.[2]. When the curtain rose on the UK premiere of Judith Weir's. Popularly known as the Musician of United Kingdom. Ami-Louise Johnsson Pedro Marques Emily Nellis, Stage Crew [4] She received the Lincoln Center's Stoeger Prize in 1997, the South Bank Show music award in 2001 and the Incorporated Society of Musicians' Distinguished Musician Award in 2010. Much of her music has been recorded, and is available on the NMC, Delphian and Signum labels. Josephine Lockwood She was an oboe player, performing with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and studied composition with John Tavener during her schooldays. Molly Hands, Assistant Carpenters Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. The most recent opera is Miss Fortune, premiered at Bregenz in 2011, and then staged at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in 2012. Miss Fortune (band), an American band Miss Fortune (album), a 2002 album by Allison Moorer Miss Fortune, an opera composed by Judith Weir "Miss Fortune", an episode of Ghost Whisperer "Miss Fortune", a song from the album Distance Inbetween by The Coral Miss Fortune, a character from the video game League of Legends See also [ edit] The spare orchestration, full of scurrying chromatics, often glistening string writing and crisply atmospheric percussion, including piano, was potentially attractive and melodic, though its variety was mostly lost in the ROH auditorium. The role in Bregenz was taken up by the Prague Philharmonic Chorus, who gave touching performances while mastering illogical-looking English spellings like "rough" and "tough". Nina Lim Paul's Episcopal Church, Burlingame, CaliforniaThe Tree of Peace is by the contemporary English composer Judi. First things first: Chen Shi-Zhengs production, created for the works premire at Bregenz Festival last year, is one of the most visually stunning opera productions I have ever seen. Amongst her priorities in this role are the support of school music teachers, of amateur orchestras and choirs, and of rural festivals. Subscribe to our newsletters to hear about upcoming events. What drew me was finding something that would bring my performing friends together. Miss Fortune in name and deed. Reonel Rafols It was a concept that worked well on paper, but the contrasting styles and libretti of Gian Carlo Menotti and Judith Weir one charming and unpretentious, the other angular and banal felt mismatched musically and made for an uneven night. Whilst there is nothing especially laudable . Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. When her life's course turns from bad to worse, she makes a date with Fate. Now in her 50s, she is too experienced, too knowledgable about the bloodied history of most operatic endeavour to have expected to get off lightly. Georgia Lloyd* [13] Gerhard R. Koch, writing in the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper on 25 July, had these observations: Miss Fortune moved to London in March 2012, garnering at least two negative reviews. 559. Daniel RobinsonAnja Urban. Despite the more than merely polite cheers which greeted the final curtain, and which might have persuaded her that, just possibly, she had a success on her hands, within hours Weir was beaten black and blue by a scrum of negative opinion. Above all, I felt justified in having written the opera in the first place. Given the intimacy and physical support of the Linbury Studio (instead of the open wastes of the main auditorium) the work would at least have had a fair hearing, instead of becoming an object of near ridicule. Either way, it makes a good spectacle. Judith Weir Biography Recordings Related Composers Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. Miss Fortune is Birtish composer Judith Weir's first operatic composisition in the last 17 years. S,Mz,Ct,T,Bar,bbar + 2(II:pic).1.3(III:bcl).1+cbn/, A series of performances taking place in London over the coming weeks shines a spotlight on the rich and varied output of composer Judith Weir, Spotlight on Judith Weir including orchestral works, opera and a world premiere. She went on to Cambridge University, where her composition teacher was Robin Holloway; and in 1975 attended summer school at Tanglewood, where she worked with Gunther Schuller. Judith Weir. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, 15% off orders using the Zavvi discount code, 10% off with this Book Depository student discount, 14% off all orders - Red Letter Days discount code, 20 extra entries with this Omaze promo code, 5% off tickets using this AttractionTickets.com discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. If your booking contains several events the highest booking fee will apply. My reworking begins with a financial crash and ends with an unlikely lottery win yet I didn't set out to write a piece about contemporary events. But when the once wealthy Tina (a self-consciously red-headed but vocally resolute Emma Bell) turns on Fate (a wasted Andrew Watts) and halfway through this short and pointless evening enquires: Was it you who turned my life upside down? we know weve come precisely nowhere very fast. Lisette Oropesa leads strong vocal performances in Handel's madcap tale of love and sorcery. . Our privacy policy was last updated on Friday 31 January 2020, Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 12 March 2012. Judith Weir Miss FortuneLord Fortune Jacob Harrison, Lady Fortune Amy Holyland, Tina Erin Gwyn Rossington, Fate Kieron-Connor Valentine, Hassan Florian Panzieri, Donna Laura Fleur, Simon Jack Holton; Director Martin Lloyd-Evans, Conductor Dominic Wheeler, Designer Anna Reid, Lighting Anthony Doran, GSMD Orchestra. But I personally have been feeling thoroughly revived after. [13] Her first stage work, The Black Spider, was a one-act opera which was premiered in Canterbury in 1985 loosely based on the short novel of the same name by Jeremias Gotthelf. Gabriel Francis-Dehqani, Double Bass Indeed it has. Not something you often come across in opera. Since a central theme of Miss Fortune is the big part accident and chance play in life, I wanted to write a role for Fate, who emerges from the shadows whenever events take a downward or upward turn, accompanied by his own personal cloud of chaos. By combining The Telephone and Miss Fortune, director Martin Lloyd-Evans and designer Anna Reid wished to explore aspects of the isolating effects of modern urban life. Judith Weir Net Worth & Basic source of earning is being a successful British Musician. It was a co-commission between two big opera houses (Bregenz and the Royal Opera House) - and it will also have a new production in Santa Fe in a couple of years time. After this she spent several years working in schools and adult education in rural southern England; followed by a period based in Scotland, teaching at Glasgow University and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Hassan, a kebab seller Florian Panzieri (28 Feb & 4 Mar), Innocent Masuku (2 & 7 Mar) Yes, Tom Pye's design was beautiful, but stylised beyond the world of the circumstantial it could have accommodated any opera from Parsifal to Madama Butterfly. Edit Now. She teaches at Cardiff University. Guildhall School of Music & Drama In collaboration with director Margaret Williams, Weir has created several opera films, including Scipios Dream, Hello Dolly, and Armida. She was an oboe player, performing with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and studied composition with John Tavener during her schooldays. Its two central edifices the shape described above, as well as a big red louvred piece posed unsolved lighting problems, splitting instead of uniting the space. Tina, their daughter Erin Gwyn Rossington (28 Feb & 4 Mar), Cleo Lee McGowan (2 & 7 Mar) Aoife Moran But when the once wealthy Tina (a self-consciously red-headed but vocally resolute Emma Bell) turns on Fate (a wasted Andrew Watts) and halfway through this short and pointless evening enquires: Was it you who turned my life upside down? we know weve come precisely nowhere very fast. Fate - Andrew Watts. [13], The American premiere of Miss Fortune was originally planned in 2011 by the Santa Fe Opera to be a part of its 2014 season, but it was announced in the summer of 2012 that the opera was to be replaced by the North American premiere of Huang Ruo's Dr. Sun Yat-sen.[22]. Mario Gutirrez Gorria, Viola In the title role, Emma Bell does an admirable job of wrapping her voice around it all, without the audience ever getting a melody or a mood to remember. Appointed in 2014 by Queen Elizabeth II, Weir is the first woman to hold this office. OPERA NEWS, COMMENTARY, AND REVIEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. Miss Fortune in name and deed. In: Press release from The Santa Fe Opera, 22 August 2012. She was a visiting distinguished research professor in composition at Cardiff University from 2006 to 2009. She struggles, wins the lottery, casts aside money and goes off with the handsome prince, in his mercifully clean shirt. Cludia Costa Gonalves, Ensembles, Programming & Instrument Manager But Miss Fortune is warm and fuzzy where it should be hard and edgy, its a social fable with contemporary resonances in everything but its words and music, and worst of all its an adult opera which sounds like its spoon feeding amateur philosophy to a child. World premiere at the Bregenz Festival on 21st July 2011 at the Festspielhaus, Bregenz, directed by Chen Shi-Zheng, with the Prague Philharmonic Chorus (director Lukas Vasilek) and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Paul Daniel. Katie Wong, Production Assistants Photo:Judith Weir. Judith Weir. In fact, I think you should go. Based on a Sicilian folk tale, Miss Fortune has some of the elliptical angularity of Weir's successful A Night at the Chinese Opera (1987). Are launderettes, kebab vans and bankers really the stuff of opera? Select from premium Judith Weir of the highest quality. She had taken a hiatus to focus her energies on a host of other endeavours including orchestral composition and leading the BBC's annual composer weekend at the Barbican in 2008. This was followed by a further three full-length operas The Vanishing Bridegroom (1990), Blond Eckbert (1994), the latter commissioned by the English National Opera[14] and Miss Fortune (Achterbahn) (2011). . Each time her luck seems to take a turn for the better, she is beset by another misfortune until eventually, through a magical stroke of luck, she gains the hand of a prince, in town to collect his laundry. Welsh National Opera's Youth Opera were due to perform Weir's opera The Black Spider in Spring 2020 but due to unforeseen circumstances, performances were cancelled. Yn aml mae . Sad because Weirs folk inspired fables have won many friends, sad because she is a composerly composer whose luminous orchestral backdrops and singable vocal lines display an honest talent that never hides behind overworked technique. If any does survive, before its next airing it is certain to have been cut, tweaked, titivated or subjected to bold surgery preferably by the composer, for whom performance is the only great lesson in revealing a work's weaknesses. Commissioned by the Bregenz Festival and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She has been commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Music Untangled and Natural History) the Minnesota Orchestra (The Welcome Arrival of Rain) and the London Sinfonietta (Tiger under the Table); and has written concert works for some notable singers, including Jane Manning, Jessye Norman, Dawn Upshaw, Alice Coote, Ailish Tynan and Ruby Hughes. . Judith Weir's Miss Fortune is an entertaining night out. As resident composer with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in the 1990s, she wrote several works for orchestra and chorus (including Forest, Storm and We are Shadows) which were premiered by the orchestras then Music Director, Simon Rattle. Silly and naive. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. In this role she has written music for national and royal occasions, including the Queens 90th birthday celebrations and the UKs official commemoration of the 1918 Armistice. ABOVE: GSMD, Miss Fortune (c) Helen Murray, Copyright All rights reserved | Theme by, Mixed performances in Menotti and Weir from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Sara Mohr-Pietsch presents a performance of Judith Weir's opera Miss Fortune. And yet the characters are archetypes who grovel in the dirt of clich. Both the score and the individual performances A chance lottery win enables her escape from poverty, and like all good fairy tales, she goes off into the sunset with the handsome prince, Jack Holton whose paean to a freshly laundered shirt made one of the few amusing moments. Judith Weirsoperais a story aboutTinaand how her life dramaticallychanges course overnight; it is a story aboutfateand fortune. What you think of Miss Fortunes music will depend very much on personal tastes: I found it music to admire rather than to love. Iza Fordham Miss Fortune is based on a Sicilian folk tale, and Weir's own libretto abstracts the story and creates a sort of moral fable that rather reminded me of Georg Kaiser's From Morning to Midnight and David Sawer's brave attempt to turn it into an opera in 2001 at English National Opera. The evening began with a compelling staging of Menottis frothy score, a romantic two-hander with music somewhere between Broadway and Italian verismo and first performed in the UK at the Aldwych Theatre in 1948. Lady Fortune - Kathryn Harries. Judith Weirs music has been widely recorded, particularly on the NMC and Delphian labels; and is published by Chester Music and Novello & Co. For a full list of forthcoming and past performances visit the online calendar, You can view scores by Judith Weir online at her publisher's website or on Nkoda, To purchase sheet music on sale by Judith Weir ask your local retailer. Published by Chester Music (HL.14035701). Noah Stewart on Miss Fortune - Interview 9,070 views Feb 22, 2012 American tenor Noah Stewart on his Royal Opera House debut role in Judith Weir's Miss Fortune. Richard Jones' production is visually all over the place, but in a good way. Sad because Weir's folk inspired fables have won many friends, sad because she is a composerly composer whose luminous orchestral backdrops and singable vocal lines display an honest talent that never hides behind overworked technique. EC2Y 8DT. Whether were in the initial scene of the casting of our heroines horoscope, the various pieces of mayhem that envelop her or the poetic aubade sung by kebab-shop owner Hassan: the music is overlaid by urgent stridency. Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. What a waste of talent and resources. For more access information, please visit ourAccessibilitysection. She was an oboe player, performing with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and studied composition with John Tavener during her schooldays. She has subsequently written one more "micro-opera", three full-length operas, and an opera for television. Menottis parade of operatic models coloratura showpiece, rage aria and lament were effortlessly pointed up and the rapport between the singers was communicated with both tenderness and impatience. Sad to say but Judith Weir's sixth opera is an embarrassment. Her most recent opera, Miss Fortune, which opened in 2012, was . Iben Bering Srensen Biography. From 2015 to 2019 she was Associate Composer to the BBC Singers. Miss Fortune. Miss Fortune premiered last summer at the Bregenz festival in Austria, where local audiences received it warmly despite it being performed in English. Sad to say but Judith Weirs sixth opera is an embarrassment. In food terms this was a programme comprising starter and main course, a well-designed menu beginning with a romantic comedy and followed by a picaresque meditation on fate with much to nourish the ears, eyes and mind. 3 - Larsson, Dsseldorfer Symphoniker/Fischer, GRAMOPHONE Review: Mahler Symphony No. ears ago, I read an Italian folk tale about a princess who, when her parents lose their money, is forced to live in poverty and make a living: weaving cloth, minding a wine store, washing clothes. Hui Pang Lee In January 2008, Weir was the focus of the BBC's annual composer weekend at the Barbican Centre in London. In a face-off between Gabriele Viviani's Scarpia and Malin Bystrms Tosca in this solid revival of Jonathan Kent's 2006 production, there could only be one winner. Judith Weir was appointed Master of The Queen's Music, in succession to Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, in July 2014; and in January 2015 became Associate Composer . Yn ogystal, mae'n gyfansoddwr o ddarnau cerddorfaol a lleisiol, gan gynnwys Concerto i'r Piano (1997), The Welcome Arrival of Rain (2001), ac In the Land of Uz (2017). [7] She was appointed for a decade. Judith Weir. Only Anne-Marie Owens's Donna, who runs a launderette, and Hassan the kebab-van owner, beautifully sung by Noah Stewart (the closest we get to beefcake), show signs of humanity. Gounod's Faust from the Opra Bastille, Paris. The Sicilian tale on which the opera is based is a fairly standard story of the virtuous young girl who falls on hard times but whose virtue is ultimately rewarded; Weir changes it in two key ways. I loved the witty set (designer, Anna Reid) a luxury housing development, with a big sign outside promising "No social housing", something I'm all too familiar with as a local resident to the Vauxhall-Nine Elms "transformation". Caroline Moores, Head of Recording & Audio Visual JUDITH WEIR AT 70 OPERAS. Never louder than lovely would have been welcome for Weirs contorted vocals lines. I cannot find much to redeem Miss Fortune in its current form. She was an oboe player, performing with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and studied composition with John Tavener during her schooldays. In 2008, as I began writing, I walked past a sandwich board bearing the headline: "Blind panic as shares crash." Former Culture Secretary says he would 'rather be thrown into a pit of scorpions' than listen to one of Judith Weir's operas; . Two days after this premiere, the Royal Opera House announced the 2012/2013 new season and defended contemporary work as adventure, not measured by normal standards of success. Frustration, frivolity and humour were all brilliantly served with a ready spontaneity that, with the chamber orchestras crisp playing, made this a delightful hors doeuvres for the darker humour of the evenings main event. In 2014-15 there were releases of The Vanishing Bridegroom (NMC) and Storm (BBC Singers/Signum). David Karlin reviews the premire of Judith Weir's new opera Miss Fortune at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Nuestra poltica de privacidad se actualiz por ltima vez el viernes 31 enero 2020 Consultar aqu Eliminar Silk Street In collaboration with director . Continue using the site as normal or read our Honours for her work include the Critics Circle, South Bank Show, Ivor Novello and Elise L Stoeger awards, a CBE and The Queens Medal for Music. Weir was appointed a CBE in 1995 Composer Judith Weir CBE is to become the first female Master of the Queen's Music. In July 2014 Judith Weir was appointed to the 395-year old royal post of Master of the Queen's Music, in succession to Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. . The most recent opera is Miss Fortune, premiered at Bregenz in 2011, and then staged at the Royal . Had Kieron-Connor Valentines Fate been more malevolent his encounters with Erin Gwyn Rossingtons Tina would have had more emotional impact. Everyone is meaner, more downcast, more jubilant. Although she has achieved international recognition for her orchestral and chamber works, Weir is best known for her operas and theatrical works. Queasy chromatic scales rising and falling in the trombones is as close as we get to the dark happenings on the street. CONTENTS OPERA Blond Eckbert. For Rap read rhyming couplets. My reworking begins with a financial crash and ends with an unlikely lottery win - yet I didn't set out to write a piece about. Much of her music has been recorded, and is available on the NMC, Delphian and Signum labels. Beri Valentine, Stage Management Props Supervisor It didnt help that the singing from Rossington and Valentine lacked clarity and I had to second guess some of their dialogue. Tell us a little about the opera. Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA. Longfei Wang* The Silk Street Theatre, Music Hall and Lecture Recital Room arelocated in the main Guildhall School building on Silk Streetand for Barbican produced events the venuecan also be accessed from the Barbican if you exit via the doors next to Barbican Kitchen on Level G. Address Both portrayals were wonderfully convincing musically and dramatically, each singer having an easy stage presence and voices that hold the ear with roundness of tone and crystal-clear diction. She has also created new music for many community groups and schools, including Burntwood School Wandsworth, Aberdeen Art Gallery, St Marys Church Dover and Greenacre School, Barnsley. It will help us make your newsletter content more useful. [15] Weir's commissioned works most notably include woman.life.song (2000) for Jessye Norman and We are Shadows (1999) for Simon Rattle. For Guildhall School performances please use the Guildhall School entrance on Silk Street. Interview by The much-publicised breakdancers of Chen Shi-Zengs efficient but actually rudimentary staging only serve to highlight how irrelevant Weirs musical language is to her conception. Thus assured, they hurl themselves down with even greater animation. What a waste of talent and resources. Miku Yasukawa BBC Philharmonic/David, GRAMOPHONE Review: Shostakovich Symphony No 10, Mahler Symphony No 10 Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra/van Zweden, GRAMOPHONE Review: Mahler Symphony No. Silly and naive. Written specifically for performance on American television in 1947, Gian Carlo MenottisoperaThe Telephoneis a romantic comedy in one act, written for just two singers and a hand-picked chamber ensemble of instrumentalists. The kebab shop and the breakdancers are great, but Tom Pyes sets have much more: giant, mirror-smooth geometric structures are brightly lit in primary colours and turned by video effects into a shifting industrial landscape, all set against a plain screen background lit with vividly coloured gradients. Thereafter, she encounters various low wage earners sweatshop workers (a chorus of seamstresses), a fast-food vendor (Florian Panzieri) and a laundrette owner (Laura Fleur). 1 / 3. Voices & Orchestra. She has written orchestral music for the BBC Symphony, Boston Symphony and Minnesota Orchestras. woman.life.song. The once-rich little heroine, dogged by cruel Fate, becomes a low-wage earner cue sweatshops, ironing boards, an imploding fast-food van. For more information visit their website, Hear music by Judith Weir online at Spotify. Hoodies and drug dealing delineate subsequent reversal of fortune for Tina whose seamstress colleagues (vocally in fine fettle) provided an opportunity for some highly effective choreography. Judith Weir was born into a Scottish family in 1954, but grew up near London. The upper floor of The Telephones split staging neatly morphed into Miss Fortunes roof top balcony where Harrison and Holyland made their mark as the nouveau riche parents of Tina. I decided to use the tale as a basis for a new opera. But I personally have been feeling thoroughly revived after GSMD's energy-giving version of my 2011 opera "Miss Fortune" which opened at the beginning of March. Steven van der Linden Most hurtle down the chute at once, all limbs flailing, and plunge straight into the wheelie bin of oblivion. Christos Maltezos* Weir, Judith. I loved the witty set (designer. Judith Weir is a composer who, despite a huge body of work that ranges from grand operas to piano concertos to songs for children, has never sought the limelight. I hope that does not mean more trapeziums, please. But now that the Royal Opera House's chorus has taken over, the opera seems to have moved into 3D. One of these days someone might actually commission one of the many young composers at the sharp end of musical theatre creative song writers with their finger on the pulse of contemporary living. Book Only. Privacy Policy The most recent opera is Miss Fortune, premiered at Bregenz in . Aina Miyagi Magnell A short 90 minutes of music later, Im still not entirely sure what it is Ive just seen. [21] Andrew Clements wrote in The Guardian of "a long two hours in the opera house" with scenes that "follow like cartoonish tableaux, without real characterisation, or confrontation, and without suggesting a dramatic shape", and also criticised the "twee rhyming couplets and inert blank verse" of Weir's libretto. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Her struggles are closely shadowed by Fate sung by counter-tenor Kieron-Connor Valentine. In July 2014 Judith Weir was appointed to the 395-year old royal post of Master of the Queens Music, in succession to Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Judith Weir - Miss Fortune [Achterbahn] (2011) - YouTube 0:00 / 1:23:43 Judith Weir - Miss Fortune [Achterbahn] (2011) 2,550 views Oct 17, 2015 Digital broadcast from BBC Radio 3 .more.