BAMPTON Classical Opera, specialists in rarities from the late Classical period, will be bringing its 2015 production of Antonio Salieri’s two-act opera comica, La grotta di Trofonio to Westonbirt School at the end of August.

This lyrical comedy was one of Salieri’s most popular operas during his lifetime, and will be sung in a new English translation by artistic directors Gilly French and Jeremy Gray.

The opera is a light-hearted tale showcasing two contrasted couples, whose romances are tested and confused through the mischievous magic of a mysterious hermit and his gloomy cavern. Triviality collides with philosophy, and the light must be eclipsed by darkness before resolution and calm can be restored.

Bampton Classical Opera’s talented cast will bring their inimitable musical and dramatic talents to an inventive staging of the much-loved score. The performance will be conducted by Paul Wingfield, who was a Jette Parker Young Artist from 2012-14 and is currently a member of the music staff at the Royal Opera House.

The cast includes Ukranian mezzo-soprano Anna Starushkevych, the first winner of Bampton Classical Opera’s Young Singers’ Competition in 2013, as well as regular Bampton Classical Opera performers Aoife O’Sullivan, Nicholas Merryweather and James Harrison. Christopher Turner and Matthew Stiff are making their debuts with the Company.

The performances are relaxed and welcoming with fresh and accessible English translations, and can be enjoyed even by those with little opera experience. Westonbirt School is a Victorian mansion, with extensive Grade I listed gardens: the open-air performances take place on the Orangery Terrace.

Audiences are encouraged to bring their own garden chairs and enjoy a pre-performance or interval picnic.

  • Bampton Classical Opera will be at The Orangery Terrace, Westonbirt School, near Tetbury at 5pm on Monday, August 31. Tickets: £32 (under 18: half-price). Telephone 01993 851142 or go to www.bamptonopera.org