Reviews
Glorious singing in Onegin at Garsington
Michael Boyd’s production makes excellent use of the glass pavilion at Garsington with peasants visible as they approach the stage and similarly the pairs of lovers (or not lovers in Onegin and Tatyana’s case) walking around the outside of the auditorium. However, it was distracting having some scenes overshadowed by unnecessary although stylish additions such…
Cosi under the big top at Longborough
It would have probably been too obvious to cast Don Alfonso as a ring master in the big top seeing we were indeed watching and listening to Cosi in a circus tent at Longborough Festival Opera. Instead, he is a card shark, playing on Guglielomo and Ferrando presumably slightly nouveau twit gullibility to firstly part…
Pountney’s take on Ivan the Terrible at Grange Park Opera
David Pountney production of Ivan the Terrible for Grange Park Opera is an uncharacteristically sedate affair, lacking in the excesses of violence or sex, psychological acrobatics or quirkiness – and for once it could actually have done with some of this. With the pretty obvious exception of making Ivan the Terrible a Stalin figure (some may…
Amadigi weaves modern magic at Garsington Opera
This glorious production of Handel’s Amadigi is both a splendid, spirits (literally) raising experience and why our independent festivals are the shining stars of opera as they have struggled and overcome Covid restrictions. While most of our state funded opera houses and arts companies remained the domain of tumbleweed, Garsington and others have kept opera…
Les vêpres siciliennes, Welsh National Opera
The prospect of WNO staging Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes is an exciting one. The last time it was performed by WNO was in 1954. Further, this staging (a joint production with Theater Bonn) is of the French grand opéra version, the full five acts sung in French with the ballet section included, not the revised…
The Cunning Little Vixen , Welsh National Opera, WMC
This revived production of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen is another triumph for WNO. Born in Moravia in 1854 it was only in 1924 that Janáček first staged his opera. Inspired by the illustrated tales of ‘Vixen Sharp-Ears’ the opera tells the story of the life and death of the Vixen, captured by the Forester…
Rigoletto, Welsh National Opera, Wales Millennium Centre
This production of Verdi’s Rigoletto is a winning return to form for WNO. The story of the jester Rigoletto’s attempted revenge on his master the Duke for the seduction of his daughter Gilda, the action is transposed to Washington DC in the sixties, evoked by the costumes and design, such as Gilda’s hairband and bobby…
Un ballo in maschera, Welsh National Opera, Venue Cymru
My opera education continues in the capable hands of Welsh National Opera with Guiseppe Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, only my third WNO production. Riccardo (Gwyn Hughes Jones) is a leader who has stepped on too many toes, collecting a few enemies hell bent on revenge for the wrongs they feel he has done…
The Magic Flute, Welsh National Opera, Venue Cymru
With an opening scene of a lobster-like creature bursting through the set’s doors, I knew from the start of Welsh National Opera’s rendition of Mozart’s The Magic Flute that I was in for a very different experience of opera. As quite the novice to opera, I went into this performance blind, so was intrigued to…
The Magic Flute , WNO, Wales Millennium Centre
Mozart’s most famous opera was once again brought on stage, but this time WNO managed to add in some delightful new ideas. Under the baton of Damian Iorio, the music was of extremely high quality. The loving couple of Tamino and Pamina were sung by Ben Johnson and Anita Watson. They both rendered their…