John Jolliffe (1) (1935–)

In the early 1930s, Glyndebourne founder John Christie was inspired by the opera companies of Germany and his belief that England could produce opera of the highest quality. A dedicated amateur, he built the theatre, hired a conductor and a director, and funded the company. After World War II, Christie helped develop corporate sponsorship for the theatre a unique approach at that time. Many other things distinguished the company, e.g., lengthy rehearsal periods to develop a strong ensemble show more and a beautiful country setting. As with so many great ventures, the early years are the most interesting; Jolliffe writes inspirationally about Christie's bold single-mindedness, his struggles to attract first-rate talent, the camaraderie, the rivalries, and the first, extraordinary performances. With the exception of Marcus Binney's Glyndebourne: Building a Vision (Thames & Hudson, 1994), which focuses on the rebuilding of the opera house, earlier books on this subject are out of print. show less