English Touring Opera Announces Schedule for Fall 2015 Season

English Touring Opera's Autumn 2015 season, touring England this October and November, features three classics of French opera.

The season opens in London at the Royal College of Music's Britten Theatre from Thursday 1 to Saturday 10 October 2015, with three new productions: Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, Massenet's Werther, and Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffman.

All three operas are performed in arrangements for chamber orchestra. James Conway, ETO's General Director, said: 'We set out to find three of the very best French operas, with compelling dramas that could be especially well told on an intimate scale - and decided on three that are essentially 'French', though they could hardly be more different from each other. '

He added: 'It's a special season, certainly, and one of real beauty and intimacy, in tone ranging from the most ironic to the utterly rhapsodic. I was aware of the exquisite van Parys arrangement of Debussy's masterpiece, which is really exciting in its own right. I have loved Werther for as long as I can remember, and wanted to hear it sung by fresh, young voices, with clear text, and I knew of Iain Farrington's passion for and deep knowledge of French chamber music and song. As for Hoffmann, I wanted to make a special case for it as a strange and wonderful drama.'

Pelléas et Mélisande and Werther are sung in French with English surtitles, and The Tales of Hoffman is sung in English. The productions are designed by Oliver Townsend (sets and costumes) and Mark Howland (lighting).

After the performances at the Britten Theatre in early October the operas tour to Buxton Opera House, Durham Gala Theatre, Harrogate Theatre, Cambridge West Road Concert Hall and Snape Maltings, with further venues to be announced.

Belgian composer Annelies van Parys's arrangement of Pelléas et Mélisande receives its English premiere this autumn in ETO's new production, directed by James Conway. Jonathan McGovern sings the title role of Pelléas, with Stephan Loges as his half-brother Golaud. The role of Mélisande, and the conductor, are announced later this year.

The opera was composed after Debussy spent years searching for the perfect drama to set to music, and finding it in Maurice Maeterlinck's play. The story sees an intense widower bringing home a young woman and marrying her, before becoming violently jealous when she sings lovingly of his half-brother Pélleas.

Pelléas et Mélisande opens at the Britten Theatre, RCM, on Thursday 1 October 2015, 7.30pm.

Commonly acknowledged as the greatest of Massenet's operas, Werther distinguishes itself for its elegance, charm and raw emotional impact. Based on Goethe's classic novel, the opera tells the story of an apparently idyllic family torn apart by uncontrollable passion.

Oliver Platt directs this new production, with Iain Farrington conducting his own new arrangement of the score for a salon ensemble performing on stage with the singers.

The title role of the impassioned and over-sensitive young artist Werther is sung by emerging talent Ed Ballard, in the special version Massenet prepared for baritone. Carolyn Dobbin sings the role of Charlotte, the object of Werther's love, who is engaged to be married to his friend Albert (sung by Simon Wallfisch).

Werther opens at the Britten Theatre, RCM, on Friday 2 October 2015, 7.30pm.

The Tales of Hoffman is both a work of genius, studded with famous melodies by its composer Jacques Offenbach, and as dark a comedy as you can get.

Whilst waiting for his latest mistress, the poet Hoffman tells his audience the strange and vivid story of his former loves, which range from the mechanical doll Olympia to a Venetian courtesan.

ETO's new production, directed by James Bonas and conducted by Philip Sunderland, matches the talents of young tenor Sam Furness in the title role and Ilona Domnich (ETO's Mimì in the company's new production of La bohème this Spring) as his three heroines.

The Tales of Hoffman opens at the Britten Theatre, RCM, on Friday 9 October 2015, 7.30pm.