Glyndebourne: A Celebration of Fifty Years

Taking a closer look at Glyndebourne's world-famous opera house set in the heart of the Sussex countryside, this film goes behind the scenes and meets the people who create its unique atmosphere and sense of occasion. The exciting 50th Anniversary season in 1984 was chosen to reflect some of the works which have been particularly significant in the history of the Festival. In this documentary there is film of rehearsals for new productions of Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan tutte, the two operas with which Glyndebourne opened in 1934. These are both directed by Sir Peter Hall. There is also film of Hall’s preparations for Monteverdi’s L'Incoronazione di Poppea and Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. John Cox is seen working on Richard Strauss’s Arabella.