Far From the Madding Crowd – opera by Andrew Downes based on novel by Thomas Hardy

Product Description

Far from the Madding Crowd An opera in five acts, adapted from the novel by Thomas Hardy Libretto by Cynthia Downes Music by Andrew Downes 8pm 26, 27, 28 July 2006 St Mary’s Church, Dorchester Andrew Downes writes – The idea of adapting a Hardy novel for an operatic project was first discussed at an informal meeting in a beautiful pub in deepest Dorset in 2001. As well as myself and my wife Cynthia (the librettist), the meeting was attended by Duncan Honeybourne a wonderful concert pianist who is a regular champion and performer of my music, and who had the initial idea of getting myself and the THS together to create and host an opera based on one of Hardy s magnificent novels, and the then Chairman of THS, Furse Swann. After a lot of thought, Cynthia and I decided that Far from the Madding Crowd would suit us best in terms of operatic adaptation. We both like happy endings, and unlike Tess of the d Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure the other two novels considered by us, we felt that there is a significant element of humour in Far from the Madding Crowd, much of which comes about through Hardy s wonderful characterisation of the local country folk such as Joseph Poorgrass and Maryann Money. The wide range of human characters in the novel, from the serious, awkward and upright Boldwood, the philandering womaniser Frank Troy, the strong and reliable Gabriel Oak to the wilful and teasing Bathsheba Everdene allowed us full reign to develop such characterisation through the music. Ninety-five per cent of the libretto was taken by Cynthia directly from Hardy s superb dialogue and narrative. The problem for her was in what to leave out without in any way detracting from the scope, beauty and sweep of this fantastic piece of literature. I am sure you will agree, when you see the opera, that she has done a brilliant job in this as in all other respects. The music for the opera, as with all my music, is modal, strongly melodic and rhythmically orientated. The modality of the folk music likely to have been played in Dorset during the time in which the novel is set has been fully taken into account, and I hope that you will leave the opera with many of my melodies, rhythms and harmonies ringing around your head! If you want to hear some of my music (including a setting of a Thomas Hardy poem) please go to my website. The cast for the opera includes some very distinguished young opera singers including, the soprano Paula Downes in the part of Bathsheba, the baritone James Williams Oldfield as Gabriel Oak, the tenor Simon Walton as Sergeant Frank Troy, the baritone Daniel Sumner as Mr Boldwood, soprano Kate Hopkins as Fanny Robin, and contralto Emma Rothman as Bathsheba s aunt. Smaller parts, dancers and chorus members are from the Midlands area, and the accompanying instrumental ensemble is the Central England Ensemble led by Anna Downes. The Director of the opera is Abigail Cave-Bigley, the Musical Director David Trippett, and Producer Cynthia Downes.

Review

OPERA NEWS JANUARY 2008 IN REVIEW Andrew Downes’ Opera, Far from the Madding Crowd, The Millennium Scholars & The Central England Ensemble, 8/29/07 Conversion of a novel into an opera sometimes works (as in Of Mice and Men, or Verdi’s success with Dumas and Victor Hugo); sometimes, however, it proves dramatically defeating. Conrad’s Under Western Eyes (John Joubert), Bronte’s Jane Eyre (set by Joubert and Michael Berkeley) and Hardy’s The Trumpet-Major (Myfanwy Piper’s libretto for Alun Hoddinott) are all modern British operas on the cusp between triumph and failure. Far from the Madding Crowd, a new two-hour opera by Andrew Downes, may be one that succeeds. It was staged in a church setting, at Wednesbury, near Birmingham highly apt for the funeral scenes, though the action was thus restricted to a slightly limited acting area. One missed any sense of Hardy’s rolling Devon countryside: the focus was more on the domestic. Easily the evening’s best features we