United Kingdom Jette Parker Artists Summer Performance: Artists of the Jette Parker Programme, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Royal Opera House, London, 20.7.2024. (MM-B)
Opera & Ballet
Collected opera and ballet reviews
Opera Holland Park continues to go from strength to strength with a Wolf-Ferrari and Leoncavallo double bill
United Kingdom Wolf-Ferrari and Leoncavallo: Soloists, Children from Pimlico Musical Foundation, Chorus of Opera Holland Park, City of London Sinfonia / John Andrews (conductor, Wolf-Ferrari), Francesco Cilluffo (conductor, Leoncavallo). Opera Holland Park, London, 17.7.2024. (CC)
Rameau’s lost Samson is evidently a labour not only of love but also of conviction for all
France Festival d’Aix-en-Provence [5] – Rameau, Samson: Soloists, Pygmalion / Raphaël Pichon (conductor). Théâtre de l’Archevêché, Aix-en-Provence, 12.7.2024. (MB)
In Los Angeles, Ballet Hispánico’s Doña Perón traces the life of Evita
United States Salem, Ochoa, Doña Perón: Dancers of Ballet Hispánico / Ahmed Alon (conductor). Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, 14.7.2024. (JRo)
Yoncheva and Eyvazov in Tosca at Covent Garden put the ‘grand’ back into grand opera
United Kingdom Puccini, Tosca: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Andrea Battistoni (conductor). Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 14.7.2023. (JPr)
Despite reservations, memory of Gluck at Aix will doubtless endure
France Festival d’Aix-en-Provence [4] – Gluck, Iphigénie en Aulide and Iphigénie en Tauride: Soloists, Le Choeur d’Astrée (chorus director: Richard Wilberforce), Le Concert d’Astrée, Emmanuelle Haïm (conductor). Grand Théâtre de Provence, Aix-en-Provence, 11.7.2024 (MB)
Buxton’s new and first-rate Ernani production by Jamie Manton provided captivating drama
United Kingdom Buxton International Festival [3] – Verdi, Ernani: Soloists, BIF Chorus, Orchestra of Opera North / Adrian Kelly (conductor). Buxton International Festival, Buxton Opera House, Derbyshire, 10.7.2024. (MC)
Having caught up with Katie Mitchell’s Aix production, Pelléas will never quite be the same again
France Festival d’Aix-en-Provence [2] – Debussy, Pelléas et Mélisande: Soloists, Chorus (chorus master: Benedict Kearns) and Orchestra of the Lyon Opera / Susanna Mälkki (conductor). Grand Théâtre de Provence, Aix-en-Provence, 9.7.2024. (MB)