Second Movement aims to regenerate both opera and its audience by performing one act, rarely performed operas, in English, using unconventional spaces and young talent. They want, through the use of modest-sized venues, the words to be heard and understood and the ticket prices to be low so that people pay little more than they would for a cinema ticket, to encourage younger audiences.

PMF involvement:

2007 An Opera Triple Bill:

Offenbach’s The Two Blind Men

Fleischmann/Shostakovich’s Rothschild's Violin

Martinu’s The Knife's Tears
The Stage
'Second Movement has established a reputation for its presentation of unusual one-act works which is bolstered here by acute and musically distinguished versions of worthwhile rarities... The company is strong... capable of remarkable things. Let's hope they can expand their activities.'

The Spectator
'Second Movement is a young opera company which gives singers who have graduated from their college but are not yet on the opera house circuit a chance to demonstrate their gifts, and in unusual repertoire. Since standards at Second Movement are evidently very high, it also gives enterprising opera goers, supposing they manage to spot one of the company's rare and unobtrusive adverts, an opportunity to see things they might easily spend a lifetime without encountering... this was one of my best-spent evenings in some time.'
The Independent
'The company's ambition is undimmed, its young stage and musical directors Oliver Mears and Nicholas Chalmers are displaying more confidence, the orchestra has new zing and bite... Improved as its musical and theatrical presentation undoubtedly is, such ingenious programming remains Second Movement's strongest suit.'

The Evening Standard
'Second Movement is a company intent on taking audiences into uncharted operatic territory. Its latest show offers three one-acters, two receiving stage premieres. The singers are young, the tiny, wind-heavy orchestra has a vaudeville tang, and there is a pleasingly ramshackle air about proceedings, complete with hissing water pipes and protracted scene-changes. This is the sort of semi-guerrilla ad-hocism that opera needs. That things do not quite work out is not for want of commitment.'
31 July 2010