Organization

Conductor

John K. Andrews

Stage director

John Wilkie

Set designer

Simon Wall

Singer

Mezzo-soprano

Clare Presland

Yelena

Baritone

Richard Burkhard

Grigory

Bass-baritone

John Savournin

Lukas

Opera Holland Park

English

The Bear

London

United Kingdom

Holland Park

The Bear Walton

Public

Approved

A reclusive widow, a loyal servant, an angry creditor and a pair of pistols... William Walton's witty one-act opera The Bear was filmed and recorded live on ...

A reclusive widow, a loyal servant, an angry creditor and a pair of pistols are the ingredients for an unlikely romance in The Bear.

“Why, O why must creditors appear and debtors always vanish?”

The widow Popova has given up on life. Locking herself inside her country house, she vows to surrender her happiness in a show of devotion to her late husband. But when Smirnov arrives to demand payment a heated argument is turned on its head as they fall furiously in love, to the astonishment of Popova’s servant, Luka. 

William Walton’s witty one-act opera was adapted from Chekhov’s comedy in 1967. Laced with allusions to Massenet, Strauss, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky, the music sparkles in this chamber reduction by Jonathan Lyness.

Filmed and recorded live on location in Stone House over two days in April 2021, this film reunites the cast and creative team of Opera Holland Park’s acclaimed 2019 production of Il segreto di Susanna, and features members of Opera Holland Park’s resident orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia.

The Bear by Walton, From (2021/2021), Directed by John Wilkie,, Conductor John K. Andrews, Holland Park, London, United Kingdom

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Program, About & Synopsis

Videos

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues