Christopher Purves

Falstaff (2009)

Live from Glyndebourne 2009  (more)

DIRECTION:  Richard Jones  •  François Roussillon
CAST:  Christopher Purves  •  Tassis Christoyannis  •  Paolo Battaglia  •  Bülent Bezdüz

Live from Glyndebourne 2009  (more)

DIRECTION:  Richard Jones  •  François Roussillon
CAST:  Christopher Purves  •  Tassis Christoyannis  •  Paolo Battaglia  •  Bülent Bezdüz

Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) (2010)

Not The Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) is a comic oratorio based on Monty Python's Life of Brian, which retells the tragic tale of Mandy, impregnated by a Roman soldier, giving birth to Brian, a reluctant revolutionary of the People's Front of Judea who falls in ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Aubrey Powell
CAST:  Eric Idle  •  Michael Palin  •  Terry Jones  •  Terry Gilliam

Not The Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) is a comic oratorio based on Monty Python's Life of Brian, which retells the tragic tale of Mandy, impregnated by a Roman soldier, giving birth to Brian, a reluctant revolutionary of the People's Front of Judea who falls in ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Aubrey Powell
CAST:  Eric Idle  •  Michael Palin  •  Terry Jones  •  Terry Gilliam

Arnold Schönberg: Moses und Aron (2015)

Moses und Aron is a three-act opera by Arnold Schoenberg with the third act unfinished. The 2015 Production was led by Romeo Castellucci in Paris. Moses und Aron was filmed for television by film director François-René Martin, in coproduction with the Paris Opera, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Romeo Castellucci
CAST:  Thomas Johannes Mayer  •  John Graham-Hall  •  Julie Davies  •  Catherine Wyn-Rogers

Moses und Aron is a three-act opera by Arnold Schoenberg with the third act unfinished. The 2015 Production was led by Romeo Castellucci in Paris. Moses und Aron was filmed for television by film director François-René Martin, in coproduction with the Paris Opera, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Romeo Castellucci
CAST:  Thomas Johannes Mayer  •  John Graham-Hall  •  Julie Davies  •  Catherine Wyn-Rogers

Glass: The Perfect American (2013)

The last days of the American icon Walt Disney form a powerful and poignant subject for Philip Glass's latest opera, which was filmed at its first performances in Madrid in January 2013.  (more)

DIRECTION:  János Darvas  •  Phelim McDermott
CAST:  Christopher Purves  •  David Pittsinger  •  Donald Kaasch  •  Janis Kelly

The last days of the American icon Walt Disney form a powerful and poignant subject for Philip Glass's latest opera, which was filmed at its first performances in Madrid in January 2013.  (more)

DIRECTION:  János Darvas  •  Phelim McDermott
CAST:  Christopher Purves  •  David Pittsinger  •  Donald Kaasch  •  Janis Kelly

Written On Skin (2013)

When Written on Skin had its premiere at the 2012 Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, conducted by George Benjamin himself, it received a standing ovation. The opera's arrival at Covent Garden in 2013 was eagerly anticipated, and provided audiences with the opportunity to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Katie Mitchell
CAST:  Christopher Purves  •  Barbara Hannigan  •  Bejun Mehta  •  Victoria Simmonds

When Written on Skin had its premiere at the 2012 Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, conducted by George Benjamin himself, it received a standing ovation. The opera's arrival at Covent Garden in 2013 was eagerly anticipated, and provided audiences with the opportunity to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Katie Mitchell
CAST:  Christopher Purves  •  Barbara Hannigan  •  Bejun Mehta  •  Victoria Simmonds

Saul (2016)

Glyndebourne's Saul stole the summer and had critics raving. The Guardian (****) applauded virtuoso stagecraft from director Barrie Kosky in his debut production there, calling the show a theatrical and musical feast of energetic choruses, surreal choreography and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  François Roussillon  •  Barrie Kosky
CAST:  Ivor Bolton  •  Lucy Crowe  •  Sophie Bevan  •  Christopher Purves

Glyndebourne's Saul stole the summer and had critics raving. The Guardian (****) applauded virtuoso stagecraft from director Barrie Kosky in his debut production there, calling the show a theatrical and musical feast of energetic choruses, surreal choreography and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  François Roussillon  •  Barrie Kosky
CAST:  Ivor Bolton  •  Lucy Crowe  •  Sophie Bevan  •  Christopher Purves

Peter Grimes (2021)

Based on a poem published in 1810 with more ethnographic than dramatic focus, Britten constructed a sombre parable about the conflict between the masses and the individual. The maritime atmosphere, the crudity of people’s lives and passions, and the complex, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Deborah Warner
CAST:  Allan Clayton  •  Maria Bengtsson  •  Christopher Purves  •  Catherine Wyn-Rogers

Based on a poem published in 1810 with more ethnographic than dramatic focus, Britten constructed a sombre parable about the conflict between the masses and the individual. The maritime atmosphere, the crudity of people’s lives and passions, and the complex, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Deborah Warner
CAST:  Allan Clayton  •  Maria Bengtsson  •  Christopher Purves  •  Catherine Wyn-Rogers

Britten: Peter Grimes (2012)

The Italian and international press were unanimous in their praise for "Peter Grimes" at La Scala, which revived the tradition of Britten's operas on the lyric stages of Italy. A top British cast was marshaled by the baton of Robin Ticciati. Richard Jones's ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Richard Jones  •  Patrizia Carmine
CAST:  John Graham-Hall  •  Susan Gritton  •  Christopher Purves  •  Felicity Palmer

The Italian and international press were unanimous in their praise for "Peter Grimes" at La Scala, which revived the tradition of Britten's operas on the lyric stages of Italy. A top British cast was marshaled by the baton of Robin Ticciati. Richard Jones's ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Richard Jones  •  Patrizia Carmine
CAST:  John Graham-Hall  •  Susan Gritton  •  Christopher Purves  •  Felicity Palmer

Royal Opera House 2023/24: Das Rheingold (2023)

When a precious hoard of gold is stolen from the river Rhine, it unleashes a chain of destructive events, pitting gods and mortals against one another for generations. Wagner’s Ring cycle boasts some of the greatest music ever written for the opera stage. Join us ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Barrie Kosky
CAST:  Antonio Pappano  •  Christopher Maltman  •  Christopher Purves  •  Sean Panikkar

When a precious hoard of gold is stolen from the river Rhine, it unleashes a chain of destructive events, pitting gods and mortals against one another for generations. Wagner’s Ring cycle boasts some of the greatest music ever written for the opera stage. Join us ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Barrie Kosky
CAST:  Antonio Pappano  •  Christopher Maltman  •  Christopher Purves  •  Sean Panikkar