The Glyndebourne production of Bizet’s powerful and romantic opera Carmen, which will feature in the touring company’s autumn repertoire

Two operas featuring magical events will form part of a trio of works taken on tour this autumn by Glyndebourne’s touring company. The third work, on the other hand, is full of passion and jealousy.

The three works in the company’s repertoire will be Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Humperdinck’s take on the classic children’s fairytale Hansel and Gretel and Bizet’s dramatic tale of love and intrigue in nineteenth century Spain, Carmen.

Written in the last year of his life, the Mozart work is full of magical beings and strange rites: part masonic hymn and part pantomime, it remains an immensely entertaining work.

The nineteenth century German composer Englebert Humperdinck was a great admirer of Richard Wagner-and indeed worked with as his assistant for a while. This can be heard quite clearly in \Hansel and Gretel, the composer’s master work, premiered under the baton of Richard Strauss in 1893. The work has been a favourite with audiences ever since.

Little needs to be said about the third work, Carmen. Like the Mozart, it was written in the last year of the composer’s life; Bizet died of a heart attack at the age of 36, a few months after its Paris premiere in 1875. It too has been a worldwide success ever since.

For details of Glyndebourne Touring Opera’s autumn schedule, see Music Listings.