Armstrong releases his first opera recording with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and conducted by Derek Clark.
This is an original co-production from Scottish Opera and Edinburgh International Festival.
About the album
Though both Armstrong and Strachan have produced work for the experimental Scottish Opera program, Five:15 – Operas Made in Scotland, this is the first time they have worked together. The Lady From The Sea is written for chamber orchestra and eight voices. The original stage production of the opera in 2012, was directed by Harry Fehr, stage design by Yannis Thavoris and featured film by the video designer Finn Ross.
“(Armstrong) has devised a score that is intoxicating in the images it amplifies – a dense minimalist soundscape…”
Ken Walton – Scotsman
Album: The Lady From The Sea
Artists: Craig Armstrong, The Orchestra Of Scottish Opera
Label: CMA Records trading as Symphonic Ltd
Format: Digital
Available on:
Ibsen’s darkly beautiful drama
Ellida, the daughter of a lighthouse-keeper, lives a narrow life with a husband several years her senior. Full of longing for the sea and for a freedom she does not have, she is shaken from her lethargy when the unexpected arrival of a mysterious stranger creates a storm that threatens to submerge the whole family. He offers an escape from the stifling world she inhabits, and Ellida must decide whether to do her duty or answer the call of the sea…
This re-telling of Ibsen’s darkly beautiful drama written in 1888, unites Craig Armstrong and award-winning author Zoë Strachan. The libretto captures the intoxicating and stifling atmosphere of the original play. Whilst Armstrong’s score amplifies the densely felt landscape, clearly transporting the listener alongside Ellida’s feelings of entrapment and overwhelm. This darkly beautiful opera captures Ibsen’s haunting love story, garnering The Herald Angel Award after its premiere at Edinburgh International Festival.
This recording was supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland, Scottish Opera, and the PRS Foundation.
Cast
| Ellida Wangel (Dr Wangel’s 2nd Wife) | Rebecca Bottone, soprano |
| Dr Wangel (A country doctor) | Mark Milhofer, tenor |
| Bolette (Wangel’s daughter by his first wife | Sarah Shorter, mezzo-soprano |
| Hilde (Wangel’s daughter by his first wife) | Daire Halpin, soprano |
| Arnholm (A school master) | Stephan Loges, baritone |
| Lyngstrand ( An aspiring artist) | Alexander Sprague, tenor |
| Ballested (A painter) | David Morrison, bass |
| The Stranger (Ellida’s first love) | Benedict Nelson, baritone |