United States Britten, Peter Grimes: Soloists, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Michael Tilson Thomas (conductor), Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco. 26.6.2014 (HS)
With Rumpled Intensity, Skelton Soars as Grimes
Opera & Ballet
Collected opera and ballet reviews
Merce Cunningham Inspired Dance Event on Two Floors
United Kingdom Selway, Ilhan, Quinta, Rambert Event: Rambert Dance Company, Rambert, London, 28.06.2014 (J.O’D)
Splendid Playing and Singing Transcend Misjudged Nabucco Production
United Kingdom Verdi, Nabucco (Company Premiere): Soloists, chorus and orchestra of Welsh National Operas, conductor, Xian Zhang, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, 31.5.2014 (GPu)
Power Cuts: a Slow and Gloomy Carmen
Italy Bizet, Carmen. Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro dell’Opera, Rome. Chorus Master, Roberto Gabbiani. Conductor, Emmanuel Villaume. Co-production with Teatro Municipal of Santiago, Chile directed by Emilio Sagi, with sets by Daniel Bianco and Costumes by Renata Schussheim. Teatro Costanzi, Rome 20.06.2014 (JB)
Italianate Ardour in Pappano’s Manon Lescaut
United Kingdom Puccini, Manon Lescaut: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor). Broadcast to the Empire Cinema, Basildon, Essex, 24.6.2014. (JPr)
(c) Bill Cooper
Excellent Performances in an Underwhelming Rossini Opera
United Kingdom Rossini, La Gazzetta: Soloists, Chorus, Royal College of Music Opera Orchestra, Michael Rosewell (conductor). Britten Theatre, Royal College of Music, 24.6.2014 (MB)
Garsington’s Well Paced Vixen Not for the Prudish
United Kingdom Janáček, The Cunning Little Vixen – Opera in three acts: Soloists, Garsington Opera Orchestra & Chorus / Garry Walker (conductor), Garsington Opera at Wormsley, 22.6.2014 (CR)
Sung in Czech with English surtitles
Photo: Clive Barda
Salvatore Sciarrino’s Haunting Macbeth
Germany Sciarrino: Macbeth, Opera Lab Berlin, David Robert Coleman (conductor), Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin, 21.6.2014
