Stage Property Design
1951 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles. His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.
Mozart’s opera Idomeneo (1781) outlines Idomeneo, the King of Crete’s attempts to escape from the consequences of a vow to the God Neptune. Oliver Messel’s 1951 Glyndebourne production was the first time this opera was staged in England, and was revived in 1956. Messel produced baroque style sets inspired by Italian18th-century artists and designers.
A design a for sea shell which, according to Messel’s notes, is a 'trumpet'.
Mozart’s opera Idomeneo (1781) outlines Idomeneo, the King of Crete’s attempts to escape from the consequences of a vow to the God Neptune. Oliver Messel’s 1951 Glyndebourne production was the first time this opera was staged in England, and was revived in 1956. Messel produced baroque style sets inspired by Italian18th-century artists and designers.
A design a for sea shell which, according to Messel’s notes, is a 'trumpet'.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Charcoal, ink, pencil, gouache, paint, watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Design by Oliver Messel for a conch shell trumpet in Mozart's opera Idomeneo, Glyndebourne 1951. |
| Physical description | A set design by Oliver Messel for a conch shell trumpet in a Glyndebourne production of Idomeneo, 1951. A watercolour drawing of a shell in pink, blue and gold. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Design |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A |
| Object history | Idomeneo (1781), an opera in three acts by Mozart with libretto by Varesco. Oliver Messel’s production was first performed at Glyndebourne by Glyndebourne Festival Opera on 15 June, 1951. It was directed by Carl Ebert with choreography by Sigurd Leeder and featured Richard Lewis as Idomeneo and Sena Jurinac as Ilia. This was the first time this production was staged in England. It was revived in 1952, 1956, 1959 and 1964 at Glydenbourne; and in 1953 at the Edinburgh Festival. Lord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts. The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan. The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005. Historical significance: At the height of his career, Messel created theatre designs for Glyndebourne, 1951-1959. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Commission |
| Summary | Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles. His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean. Mozart’s opera Idomeneo (1781) outlines Idomeneo, the King of Crete’s attempts to escape from the consequences of a vow to the God Neptune. Oliver Messel’s 1951 Glyndebourne production was the first time this opera was staged in England, and was revived in 1956. Messel produced baroque style sets inspired by Italian18th-century artists and designers. A design a for sea shell which, according to Messel’s notes, is a 'trumpet'. |
| Bibliographic reference | Pinkham, Roger (ed.) Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983.
London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983. 200p., ill
ISBN 0905209508) |
| Other number | ROT 1546 - TM Rotation Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.127-2006 |
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| Record created | June 12, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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