“Winslow Hall provides a less manicured - and more genial - experience than Glyndebourne or Garsington - This Lucia, directed by David Penn and conducted by Oliver Gilmour sustained powerful momentum”
Opera Magazine
The Winslow Hall production of Lucia di Lammermoor get full marks
This production is a triumph, almost without qualification. The staging is unobtrusive but perfectly effective, all the dramatic moments in a work full of them emerging with an impact I haven’t experienced before. The three principal singers are outstanding, and indeed in the case of Lucia already well known: Elena Xanthoudakis. But her inamorato is just as remarkable: Pablo Bemsch from Argentina has the right kind of voice for Edgardo. And the Romanian Vasile Chisiu as Enrico makes an unsympathetic role interestingly complex by the warmth of his tone.
The Spectator
"Despite being a difficult opera to pull off, Winslow Hall's production has genuine merit. The visitor experience is endearingly friendly, and the marquee provided an unexpectedly good acoustic environment.I was surprised by the quality of the performance of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor - not an easy Opera to pull off by any means - I enjoyed the performance enormously"
The Daily Telegraph
“...and it was magnificent...The Lucia of Winslow Hall was a wholly satisfying event. It was modest in its budget, but successfully ambitious in its aspirations"
The Spectator
Lucia at Winslow Hall had everything one could hope for- a wonderful setting, a terrific orchestra conducted with impeccable sensitivity and great flair by Oliver Gilmour, and a dynamic cast topped by the glorious Elena Xanthoudakis as Lucia. I am already looking forward to next summer.
Robert Fox, theatre producer
There’s an inviting, convivial atmosphere about Winslow Hall, celebrating its third season of opera with Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Picnic tables are spread out around this large country house, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The Hall’s owner strolls the grounds in tartan trousers, welcoming people in a plummy accent around the marquee, where the action takes place. Inside, seats are pushed up against the orchestra pit, making for a lively and intimate space. The set is sparse — but so, I’d imagine, would be the scenes in 17th-century Scotland where the opera is set. As a result the emphasis falls squarely on the singing, which is superb.
This was like travelling back in time to catch the early days of established events like Glyndebourne or Garsington Opera, and experiencing them at their purest.
The Oxford Times
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
