United States Dvořák, Rusalka: Soloists, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Sir Andrew Davis, (conductor), Civic Opera House, Chicago. 22.2.2014 (JLZ)
Ana Maria Martinez in Triumphant Rusalka Premiere
Opera & Ballet
Collected opera and ballet reviews
Musically Impressive Zauberflöte Let Down by Comic Shenanigans
Germany Mozart: Die Zauberflöte: Soloists, Saxon State Opera Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden / Stefan Klingele (conductor), Semperoper, Dresden, 20.2.2014 (SRT)
Rapturous Performance of Purcell’s Fairy Queen at Bury Court
United Kingdom Purcell, The Fairy Queen: Soloists and Chorus of Bury Court Opera with Southbank Sinfonia/Simon Over (conductor), Bury Court, Farnham, 22.2.2014. (RD)
A Grand Night at the Opera
Switzerland Verdi: Don Carlos Soloists, Chorus of the Zurich Opera, Philharmonia Zurich, conductor: Fabio Luisi, Zurich Opera, Zurich. 21.2.14 (JR)
Ravel’s Whimsical Melange of Animals and Teacups
United States Ravel, L’ enfant et les sortileges: Opera d’arte, Kenneth Shaw (artistic director), Amy Johnson (associate artistic director), Brett Scott (music director), Kathryn Illis (production design). University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. Cohen Family Studio Theatre, Cincinnati, OH. 21.2.2014 (RDA)
ENOS’s Peter Grimes Makes the Big Screen
United Kingdom Britten,Peter Grimes: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of English National Operas / Edward Gardner (conductor), screened at Duke of York Cinema, Brighton, 23.2.14 (RB)
Though Evil Triumphs, Beauty Prevails in LA Opera’s Billy Budd
United States Britten: Billy Budd: LA Opera, James Conlon (conductor), Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, 22.2.14-16.3.14 (JRo)
Ritualistic Chinese Dance Piece Moves from Pessimism to Optimism
United Kingdom Lin Hwai-Min, Nine Songs: Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan/Sadler’s Wells, Sadler’s Wells, London, 21.02.2014 (JO’D)