United Kingdom Puccini, Tosca: Soloists, OperaHerts Chorus, Choirs of Watford Grammar School for Boys and James Rich (percussion) were directed from the piano by Phillip Thomas. Clarendon Muse, Watford, Hertfordshire. 4.3.2017. (JPr)
Opera & Ballet
Collected opera and ballet reviews
An Entertaining Provocation: Francesconi’s Quartett Arrives at the Liceu
Spain Francesconi, Quartett: Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu / Peter Rundel (conductor), Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, 3.3.2017. (JMI)
A Very Different ‘Tristan’ Provides Real, if Un-Wagnerian Pleasures: WNO’s Le Vin herbé
United Kingdom Frank Martin, Le Vin herbé: (Company Production Premiere) Soloists, Chorus and Musicians of Welsh National Opera / James Southall (conductor), Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, 16.2.2017. (GPu)
A Magnificent Otello from Christian Thielemann and the Dresden Staatskapelle
Germany Verdi, Otello: Staatskapelle Dresden, Chorus of Dresden State Opera / Christian Thielemann (conductor), Semperoper, Dresden, 1.3.2017. (JMI)
A Fairy Tale Opera, Staged Here for Adults
Germany Janáček, The Cunning Little Vixen: Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden / Tomas Netopil (conductor), Semperoper, Dresden, 28.2.2017. (JMI)
The Royal Ballet’s Memorable Sleeping Beauty at the Cinema
United Kingdom Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty: Soloists and artists of the Royal Ballet, Students of The Royal Ballet School and the Royal Opera House Orchestra / Koen Kessels (conductor). Live cinema relay (introduced by Darcey Bussell and Ore Oduba) broadcast to Cineworld Basildon, Essex. 28.2.2017. (JPr)
English National Opera Gives The Winter’s Tale a Baptism of Which All Should be Proud
United Kingdom Wigglesworth – The Winter’s Tale (world premiere): Soloists, Chorus (chorus master: James Henshaw) and Orchestra of the English National Opera / Ryan Wigglesworth (conductor). London Coliseum, London, 27.2.2017. (MB)
The Met’s Compelling Rusalka Makes an Impact in the Cinema
United States Dvořák, Rusalka: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Metropolitan Opera / Sir Mark Elder (conductor), broadcast to the Odeon Cinema, Chelmsford, Essex, 25.2.2017. (JPr)
