Spain San Sebastián Music Fortnight – Bizet, Carmen: Easo Chorus, Euskadi Orchestra / José Miguel Pérez Sierra (conductor). Auditorio Kursaal, San Sebastián, Spain, 10.8.2024. (JMI)
San Sebastián’s disappointing Carmen falls short on emotion
International Opera
All opera reviews from sources other that the UK
Extravagance and excellence vie in Meyerbeer’s Le prophète at Bard SummerScape
United States Meyerbeer, Le prophète: Soloists, ‘Marche du Sacre’ Banda, Bard Festival Chorus, Dancers, Enfants, American Symphony Orchestra / Leon Botstein (conductor). Bard SummerScape, Fisher Center at Bard, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, 4.8.2024. (RP)
Much fine singing to admire in the Tannhäuser revival at Bayreuth
Germany Bayreuth Festival 2024 [4] – Wagner, Tannhäuser: Soloists, Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra / Nathalie Stutzmann (conductor). Festspielhaus, Bayreuth, 4.8.2023. (MB)
Fine singing but problematic conducting as Der fliegende Holländer is revived at Bayreuth
Germany Bayreuth Festival 2024 [2] – Wagner, Der fliegende Holländer: Soloists, Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra / Oksana Lyniv (conductor). Festspielhaus, Bayreuth, 1.8.2024. (MB)
Sofia Opera’s spectacular staging of The Hermit of Rila is a spiritual and visual musical wonder
Bulgaria Fr Kiril Popov, The Hermit of Rila: Soloists, Children’s Vocal and Theatre Formation (Dimitar Kostantsaliev, director), Chorus and Orchestra of Sofia Opera / Metropolitan of Stara Zagora Kyprian (conductor). Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevsky, Sofia, 26.7.2024. (GT)
Christian Thielemann leads a fine concert performance of Capriccio in Salzburg
Austria Salzburg Festival 2024 [4] – R. Strauss, Capriccio: Soloists, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Christian Thielemann (conductor). Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg, 26.7.2024. (MB)
Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson’s new Bayreuth Tristan lacks coherence, dramatic cogency and better singing
Germany Bayreuth Festival 2024 [1] – Wagner, Tristan und Isolde: Soloists, Bayreuth Festival Chorus and Orchestra / Semyon Bychkov (conductor). Recorded live (directed by Michael Beyer) at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, 25.7.2024. (JPr)
Subtle nuances abound in Brigitte Fassbender’s production of Die Walküre for Tiroler Festspiele Erl
Germany Tiroler Festspiele Erl – Wagner, Die Walküre: Soloists and orchestra of the Tyrolean Festival Erl / Erik Nielsen (conductor). Passionsspielhaus Erl, 24.7.2024. (DMD)
