United Kingdom Purcell, Dido and Aeneas *;Davies, The Lighthouse # : Soloists, Chorus, Royal Academy Sinfonia, Iain Ledingham * and Lionel Friend #(conductors), Sir Jack Lyons Theatre, Royal Academy of Music, London, 16.5.2013 (MB)
Opera & Ballet
Collected opera and ballet reviews
ENO’s Chilling Wozzeck Provokes Righteous Anger
United Kingdom Berg, Wozzeck: Soloists, Orchestra and Chorus of the English National Opera / Edward Gardner (conductor), The Coliseum, London, 11.5.2013 (MB)
A Shostakovich Novelty and an Unsettling Symphony
United Kingdom Shostakovich: Soloists, Philharmonia Voices, Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor). Royal Festival Hall, London, 16.5.2013. (JPr)
López Banzo Gets a Grip on Agrippina
Spain Handel: Agrippina, Al Ayre Español, Eduardo López Banzo (conductor), Madrid National Auditorium, 12.5.2013 (JMI)
Muti Replaces Mercadante Opera with Donizetti’s Don Pasquale
Spain Donizetti: Don Pasquale, Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini, Chorus Teatro Real, Riccardo Muti (conductor), Madrid Teatro Real 13.5.2013 (JMI)
Connecting With Rienzi
Italy Wagner, Rienzi: Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro dell’Opera Rome, (Chorus master, Roberto Gabbiani), Conductor: Stefan Soltesz. Rome, 14.5.2013. (JB)
Northern Ballet’s Gatsby Raises Questions
United Kingdom Richard Rodney Bennett CBE (orch. Longstaff, Sutherland), The Great Gatsby: Artistes of Northern Ballet, Northern Ballet Sinfonia / John Pryce Jones (music director/conductor), Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, 14.5.2013. (JO’D)
Grim Grimes in Stockholm touches heart-string
Sweden Britten Peter Grimes: Soloists, Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Swedish Opera, Lawrence Renes (conductor). Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm. 8.5.2013. New Production (GF)