United Kingdom Donizetti, Don Pasquale: Soloists, Glyndebourne Chorus and London Philharmonic Orchestra / Enrique Mazzola, (conductor), Glyndebourne Opera Theatre, Sussex, 18.7.2013 (MMB)
Opera & Ballet
Collected opera and ballet reviews
Magic in the Making: the Muti, Serjan, Meli Nabucco
Italy Verdi, Nabucodonosor. Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro dell’Opera, Rome. Chorus Master, Roberto Gabbiani. Conductor, Riccardo Muti. Staging and Sets, Jean-Paul Scarpitta. Costumes, Maurizio Millenotti. Lighting, Anne-Claire Simar. Teatro dell’Opera 18.07.2013 (JB)
Anja Harteros, a Perfect Desdemona, but Not a Perfect Otello
Germany Verdi: Otello, Bayerische Staatsoper’s Orchestra and Chorus, Paolo Carignani (conductor), Munich Nationaltheater, 16.7.2013 (JMI)
“A Fit Medicine for Melancholy”: Britten’s Midsummer Night’s Dream at Läckö
Sweden Benjamin Britten: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Soloists, Läckö Chamber Orchestra, Simon Phipps (conductor), Läckö Slottsopera, Läckö Castle, 13.07.2013 (NS)
The Royal Opera does its best with Puccini’s flawed La rondine
United Kingdom Puccini, La rondine (Nicolas Joël’s production revived by Stephen Barlow): Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 17.7.2013. (JPr)
Canned Music, Substitutions but Spectacle a-plenty from Kremlin Ballet
United Kingdom Weber, Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov Russian Seasons of the XXI Century – Le Spectre de la Rose, The Firebird, and Schéhérazade – with recorded music by : Guest soloists and dancers of the Kremlin Ballet Company, London Coliseum, London, 16.7.2013. (JPr)
Harbison’s Glowing Tribute to Fitzgerald’s “Gatsby”
United States John Harbison, The Great Gatsby: Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus of Emmanuel Music, Tanglewood Festival, Lenox, Massachusetts. 11.7.2013 (CA)
Aspen’s ‘Candide’ Hits the Mark
United States Bernstein, Candide: Soloists, orchestra and chorus of Aspen Opera Theater Center, Wheeler Opera House, Aspen, Colorado. 11.7.2013 (HS)