"A great Oberon" - Tim returns to Glyndebourne

Tim’s summer schedule has been dominated by a 5-star revival of his celebrated Oberon in Sir Peter Hall’s classic Glyndebourne production of Britten’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Conducted by Dalia Stasevska, this revival is enjoying a sold out run to delighted audiences in the English countryside.

“Tim Mead’s Oberon sounds more and more like Alfred Deller, the original Fairy King, each time he sings the role. And that dark lustre in his voice is the perfect complement to Liv Redpath, who sings Tytania radiantly.”
The Times

"Tim Mead sings an exultant Oberon...His voice is of an imperious power and clarity...There is a quality of rawness and a certain acidity that brings some erotic edge and physical urgency to this supernatural figure. “I know a bank,” with its unearthly combination of celesta and harpsichord was transporting”
Operawire

“Tim Mead, with his striking countertenor, is everything one could wish for in an Oberon. He exudes the right mystical brand of authority and nobility, and tempers his ruthless determination to seek revenge on Titania with notable compassion when he feels he has gone too far in humiliating her.”
MusicOMH

“As for the sovereigns of this improbable world, they are superbly played by Soraya Mafi and Tim Mead… [he] exults in clarity and presence, diction too, in short everything that makes a great Oberon who benefits from the artist's baroque experience”
Anaclase

“Tim Mead made a physically imposing Oberon with a voice to match. Mead sang with a lovely evenness and fullness of tone throughout the range (none of the changes of gear that can happen in this notoriously low role), and phrases were always gorgeously shaped. His meditative moments, like 'I know a bank', were sung with beautiful attention to detail, but there was also an underlying strength, almost fierceness to this Oberon that underpinned his behaviour and cavalier attitude to the humans.”
Planet Hugill

“The action is dominated by Oberon, king of the fairies, a role written for the legendary countertenor Alfred Deller and requiring a singer of physical and vocal stature - Tim Mead is ideal….”
Daily Mail

"Countertenor Tim Mead presides with relaxed authority as Oberon"
The Independent

“Tim Mead sang the role last time round (2016) and his honeyed tone once again seduced… “I know a bank” was beautifully polished and fluent.”
Bachtrack

“Tim Mead has magnificent hauteur…”
The Stage

“Shakespeare’s fairyland is ruled over by Tim Mead and Liv Redpath, precise and elfin-light”
Financial Times

“Mead’s powerful presence as king of the fairies and lord of the revels… he delivers the Dowland-Purcell pastiche, notably the haunting ‘I know a bank where the wild time grows’ with ethereal grace, worthy of the role’s creator, Alfred Deller”
Operalogue (Hugh Canning)

"As Oberon himself, the counter-tenor Tim Mead was a compelling presence, whose strong purity of voice belied his scheming intentions."
The Article

“The countertenor part of Oberon was performed last night by Tim Mead, with a rich-toned voice that was equally at home in the lower range sections. ‘I know a bank’ is one of the best-known arias of the work… Mead’s interpretation was beautifully executed with perfect enunciation”
London Unattached

Performances continue at Glyndebourne until 22 August, 2023, bringing Tim’s busy 2022/23 season to a close. He will return after a short break to sing the title role in Handel’s Amadigi with the English Concert under Kristian Bezuidenhout at St. Martin in the Fields, London.

Photo: Tristram Kenton