Opera & Ballet

Collected opera and ballet reviews

The artist is present – Alfred Schnittke’s Life with an idiot by Kirill Serebrennikov in Zurich

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SwitzerlandSwitzerland Alfred Schnittke, Life with an idiot: Soloists, Extras Association of Zurich Opera,  Zurich Opera Chorus, Philharmonia Zurich / Jonathan Stockhammer (conductor). Zurich Opera, 3.11.2024. (MF)

Susanne Elmark (Wife) and Bo Skovhus (I) © Frol Podlesnyi

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David McVicar’s puzzling Rheingold is redeemed by Simone Young’s conducting and some fine singing

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ItalyItaly Wagner, Das Rheingold: Soloists, Orchestra of La Scala, Milan / Simone Young (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Anna Gettel) from La Scala, Milan, 3.11.2024. (JPr)

David McVicar’s new Das Rheingold for La Scala © Brescia e Amisano

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Jonathan Dove’s The Monster in the Maze is a finely written opera that just happens to be for a community

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Music in the Round – Dove (arr. Dove/Lyon), The Monster in the Maze: Music Makers of Sheffield (including Ensemble 360, Consone Quartet, Bridge Ensemble, Sheffield Hub Senior Strings, Sheffield Youth Choirs and singers of Sheffield) / John Lyon (conductor). Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 2.4.2024. (CC)

The Monster in the Maze at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre © Andy Brown

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Outstanding Wexford Festival Opera revival of a ‘let’s put on an opera’ Donizetti rarity

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IrelandIreland Wexford Festival Opera 2024 [3] – Donizetti, Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Wexford Festival Opera / Danila Grassi (conductor). O’Reilly Theatre, Wexford, 25.10.2024. (RB)

Wexford Festival Opera’s Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali © Patricio Cassinoni

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Wexford Festival Opera makes a strong case for Stanford’s The Critic

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IrelandIreland Wexford Festival Opera 2024 [2] – Stanford, The Critic: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Wexford National Opera / Ciarán McAuley (conductor), O’Reilly Theatre Wexford, 24.10.2024. (RB)

[l-r] Arthur Riordan (Mr Sneer), Mark Lambert (Mr Puff), Hannah O’Brien in The Critic © Patricio Cassinoni

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