The American opera Susannah by Carlile Floyd will feature in this year's Wexford Festival Opera which opens in October. Deirdre Falvey, Arts Editor, reports
Festival chairman Paul Hennessy said yesterday he was upbeat about "bringing the festival to the next level". He said the festival's new director, David Agler, who will conduct Susannah, signalled a watershed for the event.
Details of the 54th festival were outlined at the Guinness Storehouse yesterday.
The festival, which is sponsored by Diageo, is fundraising for the planned redevelopment of the Theatre Royal.
Minister for Arts John O'Donoghue said yesterday the planned redevelopment was a wonderful design which had been approved by the board and planning permission had been achieved.
The other two operas in this year's festival are Maria di Rohan by Gaetani Donizetti and Penelope by Gabriel Faure.
One of Agler's developments this year will be in the opera scenes, which will encompass short works with minimal sets and piano accompaniment: Rossini's L'occasione fa il ladro, Georges Bizet's Le Docteur Miracle and Gian Carlo Menotti's The Medium.
Ma P'Tite Paris will be a semi-staged selection of chanson Française directed by Rosetta Cucchi, and Brian Kellow, features editor of the American Opera News, gives the Dr Tom Walsh lecture.
Agler, who has been music director of the Vancouver Opera and principal conductor of the Australian Opera, said of his choice of Susannah that it was time for the public in Wexford to see examples of the best of American musical theatre.
The Cracow Philharmonic is festival orchestra again this year.
The issue of foreign orchestras at the festival has been of concern to Irish musicians and the Arts Council, which part-funds the festival. Agler said yesterday the festival was confronting the orchestra issue in co-operation with the Arts Council.
The festival was not ignoring the issue, but was in the middle of a process and planning for the long term.
He reiterated that "all things being equal, I would prefer an Irish orchestra in the pit but it has to be in a way that is financially possible for the festival".
Wexford Festival Opera runs from October 20th-November 6th. Information from 053 22330 or www.wexfordopera.com from May 31st.