Artist of the Week: Richard Jones
English Director Helms a New Ring Cycle for ENO
By Francisco SalazarOn Nov. 19, the English National Opera will open a new Ring Cycle. The production will mark the first time the company stages the monumental tetralogy in more than 15 years. Taking on this major task is director Richard Jones.
Jones first staged Wagner’s Cycle in 1989 at the Scottish Opera before bringing his take in 1993 to the Royal Opera House in a production that stirred up some controversy. Now for the third time in his career, the English director will bring his vision to the stage. The stakes are higher this time as the new production, which opens with “Die Walküre,” will be a co-production with the Metropolitan Opera, which is set to present this staging in 2025.
According to a report in the New York Times, the staging will “unfold against stark, modern sets by Jones’s longtime collaborator, Stewart Laing.” However, the director does not want to define the production and hopes to surprise audiences when it premieres. Jones’ new Ring Cycle will be unveiled over five seasons with the ENO, with the final production set for 2025.
The English director has directed around the world at the Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera, Glyndebourne, Opera North, Scottish Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opera de Paris, Metropolitan Opera, and the Teatro alla Scala. He also has worked extensively with the ENO in productions of “Hansel and Gretel,” “Rodelinda,” “Love for Three Oranges,” “Die Fledermaus,” “Pelléas and Mélisande,” “Lulu,” “The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant,” and “Don Giovanni.”
Recordings
Many of Jones’ production have been recorded including his famed “Hansel and Gretel,” “La Boheme,” and “Il Trittico.” Here is a look at some of those productions.
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Artist of the Week