Bampton Classical Opera has announced that its 2026 summer production will be André Grétry’s sparkling fairytale opera Zemira e Azor, presented in a rare version based on the 1776 Italian edition, with additional music by Ignaz Holzbauer and Niccolò Jommelli that has not been heard in the UK since the late 18th century.
The opera will be performed in a new English translation by Gilly French under the title Beauty and the Beast, conducted by Andrew Griffiths and directed by Jeremy Gray. The company previously collaborated with Griffiths on its acclaimed 2012 production of Grétry’s L’amant jaloux.
The semi-staged and costumed production will open in a new setting for the company at Cokethorpe School. Performances will be in the modern and spacious dining hall, with excellent acoustics.
Zemira e Azor is an enchanting operatic retelling of the much-loved fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. Originally set in a fantastical Persia, reflecting the Orientalism popular during the 18th century, the work combines romance, wit and melodic charm. Librettist Jean-François Marmontel adapted the story from La Belle et la Bête by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, also drawing inspiration from Amour pour amour by Pierre-Claude Nivelle de La Chaussée.
The story follows the kind-hearted Zemira, who takes her father’s place as prisoner in the magical castle of Azor, a prince transformed into a beast by a malevolent fairy’s curse. Initially terrified by his appearance, Zemira gradually recognises Azor’s dignity and nobility beneath his monstrous exterior, eventually falling in love with him and breaking the spell.
Grétry’s opera enjoyed immense popularity throughout Europe and America, becoming the first French opéra-comique to be performed outside France. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart owned a copy of the score and copied sections of it by hand, while commentators have often compared the servant Ali to Mozart’s Papageno. Following its London premiere in 1776, audiences praised the opera’s “tasteful and elegant melody”, with critics admiring its tender lyrical style and orchestration. The work was also a favourite of Thomas Beecham, who made it the final opera he conducted and recorded in 1955.
Bampton Classical Opera is renowned for staging rarely performed operas from the late 18th century in lively English translations, with performances taking place in rural venues across Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire as well as at Smith Square Hall. The company has also appeared at venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Buxton Festival, Cheltenham Festival and Theatre Royal Bath.
The company was a finalist in the Rediscovered Opera category at the International Opera Awards 2020 for Gli sposi malcontenti (Bride and Gloom) by Stephen Storace, while its production of Salieri’s La fiera di Venezia (At the Venice Fair) was shortlisted at the 2023 awards.
The production will feature a strong cast, including returning performers soprano Siân Dicker and baritone Samuel Pantcheff. Making their company débuts are soprano Ffion Edwards, mezzo-soprano Rachel Roper, and tenors Gwilym Bowen and Andrew Irwin.
Cast
- Zemira — Ffion Edwards (soprano)
- Azor — Gwilym Bowen (tenor)
- Lesbia — Rachel Roper (mezzo-soprano)
- Fatima — Siân Dicker (soprano)
- Ali — Andrew Irwin (tenor)
- Sandro — Samuel Pantcheff (baritone)
Creative Team
- Conductor — Andrew Griffiths
- Repetiteur — Alex Norton
- Director — Jeremy Gray
Bampton Classical Opera stages productions in rural venues across Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, alongside regular performances in London at Smith Square Hall. The company has also appeared at notable venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Buxton Festival, Cheltenham Festival and Theatre Royal Bath.
Eschewing familiar repertoire, the company specialises in rarely performed operas from the late 18th century, presented in lively new English translations, and has built a reputation for reviving forgotten works. Its enterprising productions have included UK premières of Bertoni’s Orfeo, Marcos Portugal’s The Marriage of Figaro, Paer’s Leonora, Benda’s Romeo and Juliet, Gluck’s Il Parnaso confuso and Philemon and Baucis, alongside Salieri’s Falstaff and La fiera di Venezia.
