Bampton Classical Opera has announced a production of one of Gluck’s rarer works “Paride ed Elena,” set for performance in the summer of 2020.

The third of Gluck’s reform operas, this work will feature an English translation by Gilly French, titled “Paris and Helen.” This production follows Bampton’s recent exploration of seldom-staged works by Christoph Willibald Gluck and his student Antonio Salieri; prior works of Gluck performed by Bampton include “Il Parnaso confuso,” and “Bauci e Filemone.”

The opera follows the events of Paris’ wooing of Helen, leading up to their departure for Troy, with Gluck’s musical style allowing for a word-setting seldom heard at the time. Conducting the performance will be Karin Hendrickson, who is currently Assistant Conductor to the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Performances of “Paris and Helen” will be held July 17 and 18 at the Gardens of The Grange in Bampton, Oxfordshire. Two subsequent showcases will be then be held thereafter. The first of these will take place on August 31, at The Orangery Theatre of Westonbirt School in Gloucestershire; the second will be held in London’s St. John’s Smith Square on September 18.