WORLD PREMIERE

Classical Opera — Mozart's Zaide

The Classical Opera Company returns to present the world premiere of its new completion of Mozart’s Zaide. Mozart wrote some seventy minutes of music for this remarkable opera, including the celebrated Ruhe sanft, and clearly held it in high regard. He feared, however, that the work was too serious for Viennese taste, and the unfinished score was left to gather dust.

This new completion has been created by conductor Ian Page, with a new English text by Michael Symmons Roberts and Ben Power. The opera is directed by Melly Still, whose previous work includes the award-winning Coram Boy at the National Theatre and Rusalka at the Glyndebourne Festival. The title role is sung by the exciting young South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza, with rising tenor Andrew Goodwin as Gomatz.

"When love is just possession and lust becomes obsession the fruit dies on its vine and no-one drinks the wine" - From Michael Symmons Roberts’ libretto for Zaide

"These young singers and a period-instrument orchestra – packed with many of the wisest practitioners in the business – deliver uniformly superb interpretations" - GRAMOPHONE