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The Classical Opera Company’s first residency at King’s Place focuses predominantly on Mozart’s early works, beginning with a ‘travelogue’ concert exploring his childhood visit to London. This is followed by two concert performances of Ascanio in Alba, his enchanting pastoral opera written when the composer was only fifteen. The programme is completed by a brand-new version of our hugely popular A-Z of Mozart Opera.

Wednesday 3 December 7.30pm Mozart in London
Mozart came to London in April 1764, at the age of eight, and composed his first symphonies and concert arias there. This programme combines some of these extraordinary early works (including a symphony which was presumed lost until the music was rediscovered in 1981) with pieces that were being written and performed in London during the time of Mozart’s visit, including arias by his friend and mentor J.C. Bach and a symphony by Abel which was long attributed to Mozart himself.

Thursday 4 December, Saturday 6 December, 7.30 pm
Mozart: Ascanio in Alba

The Classical Opera Company continues its complete cycle of Mozart’s operas with two concert performances of Ascanio in Alba as part of its opening residency at King’s Place.

Written in Milan when the composer was only fifteen years old, the work was commissioned, together with Johann Adolph Hasse’s Ruggiero, to celebrate the wedding of Archduke Ferdinand, the seventeen-year-old son of Empress Maria Theresa, to Beatrice d’Este. Of the two works, Mozart’s was very much intended to be the junior – Ruggiero was a full-length ‘opera seria’, whereas Ascanio in Alba was not even called an opera on its title-page, but a ‘festa teatrale’ – but it was greeted with tremendous enthusiasm, prompting Hasse to predict: “This young man will confine us all to oblivion”.

The title-role is sung by counter-tenor James Laing, who appeared in our 2006 production of Apollo et Hyacinthus, and his mother, Venere, is played by the distinguished soprano Gillian Webster. Associate Artists Sophie Bevan and Rebecca Ryan take the roles of Silvia and Fauno, and the cast is completed by Ben Johnson, winner of this year’s Kathleen Ferrier Award, in the role of Aceste.

Friday 5 December, 7.30 pm
The A-Z of Mozart Opera

The Classical Opera Company’s acclaimed A-Z of Mozart Opera has been performed twice at London’s Barbican Hall, and was recorded by Sony BMG in 2007. Taking as its starting point the coincidental fact that Mozart’s first opera, Apollo et Hyacinthus, begins with ‘A’ and his last, Die Zauberflöte, with ‘Z’, it presents a chronological journey through these magnificent operas, with repertoire ranging from exquisite rarities from his childhood to the glories of his mature masterpieces. This programme will be a brand new version of the ‘A-Z’, and will feature an outstanding line-up of young singers. Full details of repertoire and soloists will be available in due course.