Then as now, the festival emphasizes Mozart and, in general, ensemble works. Glyndebourne has more arresting and ambitious productions in its warehouse. Poor Renee Fleming, as the Countess, was stuck with the staging's only coarse moments. Somehow director Stephen Medcalf thought to dramatize the lady's unhappiness by portraying her in a kind of sexual heat. For an intelligent, ambitious singer, Glyndebourne is a paradise.
Promising beginners aim for the chorus in part because choristers are also the understudies.
More established singers seek out Glyndebourne either to learn a role or to do spring cleaning on one they already know. But for an international star, going there is time consuming and economically disastrous. Sir Peter Hall has done some of his best stagings here, as have Trevor Nunn and Jonathan Miller. But the key to Glyndebourne's success is the dozen or so coaches who prepare each opera meticulously. Beneficiaries liken their teaching to having a superb master class every day.