Vache Baroque collaborates with Out of Chaos theatre firm to current a Seventeenth century semi-opera remade

Pergolesi’s L’Olimpiade at Vache Baroque in 2024 (Photograph: Michael Wheatley) – [see my review]

The Seventeenth-century English custom of the dramatick opera (usually referred to as semi-opera these days) stays an enchanting problem for contemporary performers with a lot high-quality music hooked up to lengthy and seemingly unworthy texts. Semi-operas ran in London from roughly 1673 to 1712, in different phrases from the Restoration to the institution of standard Italian opera. Although the most effective recognized title hooked up to the style is Henry Purcell, music might usually be offered by a collection of composers. 

For extra on semi-opera see my article The Invention of English Opera: the stunning historical past of opera in Seventeenth century England – from masques to dramatic-opera 

In 1674, there was The Tempest, or The Enchanted Island with a libretto by Thomas Shadwell (who grew to become Poet Laureate in 1689) based mostly on John Dryden and William Davenant’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest (this was a interval when few Shakespeare performs had been carried out unaltered). The music by was offered by Matthew Locke, Giovanni Battista Draghi and Pelham Humfrey, a high-quality trio of composers. 

In the direction of the tip of semi-opera in London (the large-scale ones had been getting too costly), The Tempest was revived once more. This time in 1712, nonetheless with Shadwell’s textual content however with new music that was lengthy attributed to Henry Purcell however could also be by John Weldon. In 1701 Weldon took half in, and gained, the competitors to set Congreve’s libretto The Judgement of Paris to music and his music for this was recorded for the primary time in 2025 by Julian Perkins and the Academy of Historic Music [see my review].

Now for its Summer season 2026 competition, Vache Baroque is becoming a member of forces with the theatre firm Out of Chaos (inventive director Paul O’Mahoney) to current The Tempest, a semi-opera impressed by Shakespeare’s play and that includes music by Henry Purcell, Matthew Locke, Pelham Humfrey, and others together with a full Purcell masque, together with items by different European composers of the interval, shanties, and improvisations. The Vache’s panorama setting with its lake and timber makes it an excellent venue for the enterprise. The Tempest shall be directed by Paul O’Mahony (of Out of Chaos), choreographed by Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster and designed by Caitlin Mawhinney. Jonathan Darbourne will direct the Vache Baroque Band with a forged of singers together with Stephanie Hershaw, Isabelle Peters, Camilla Seale, Conor Prendiville and Ross Cumming alongside actors from Out of Chaos.

Nonetheless on-theme, Water Music will characteristic a live performance of water-themed works (however not Handel’s well-known one) that includes Sophia Prodanova (violin) and Isabelle Peters (soprano) plus sound recordist Chris Watson with music by Purcell, Handel, Vivaldi and Maria Martines (her cantata La Tempesta from 1778). Jonathan Darbourne directs the Vache Baroque Band and Singers.

Full particulars from the Vache Baroque web site.