Germany Jeremy Bock and Sheldon Harnick, The Apple Tree: Soloists and chorus of Stadttheater Bremerhaven, Philharmonic Orchestra Bremerhaven / Davide Perniceni (conductor). Stadttheater Bremerhaven, 22.3.2024. (DMD)
Opera & Ballet
Collected opera and ballet reviews
Duke Bluebeard’s Castle semi-staged but calamity strikes ENO as soprano withdraws at the eleventh hour
United Kingdom Bartók, Duke Bluebeard’s Castle: Soloists, Orchestra of the English National Opera / Lidiya Yankovskaya (conductor). London Coliseum, 21.3.2024. (JR)
RCS’s outstanding Idomeneo in Glasgow reveals the great potential their singers, chorus and orchestra
United Kingdom Mozart, Idomeneo: Soloists, Choir and Orchestra of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland / John Butt (conductor). New Atheneum Theatre, Glasgow, 20.3.2024. (GT)
Musical champagne in Gothenburg Opera’s production of Rameau’s Platée
Sweden Jean-Philippe Rameau, Platée: Soloists of Gothenburg Opera, Gothenburg Opera Chorus, Gothenburg Opera Orchestra / Paul Agnew (conductor). Gothenburg Opera main stage, 20.3.2024. (NS)
A compelling double bill of Poulenc and Schoenberg at Madrid’s Teatro Real
Spain Poulenc, Schoenberg: Soloists, Orchestra of the Teatro Real / Jérémie Rhorer (conductor). Teatro Real, Madrid, 19.3.2024. (JMI)
Sir David Pountney’s Guillaume Tell still hits the target in Vienna
Austria Rossini, Guillaume Tell (William Tell): Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera / Bertrand de Billy (conductor). Transmitted live (directed by Dominic Zepczynski) from the Vienna State Opera, 16.3.2024. (JPr)
Fine Deutsche Oper Berlin cast and imaginative production brings The Queen of Spades vividly to life
Germany Tchaikovsky, Pique Dame (The Queen of Spades): Soloists, Children’s Chorus (director: Christian Lindhorst), Chorus (director: Jeremy Bines), Statisterie, and Opernballet of the Deutsche Oper Berlin / Sebastian Weigle (conductor). Deutsche Oper Berlin, 20.3.2024. (MB)
Ballet Icons Gala 2024 at the London Coliseum was another intriguing blend of the classics and new work
United Kingdom Ballet Icons Gala 2024: Soloists, English National Ballet Philharmonic / Maria Seletskaja (conductor). London Coliseum, 17.3.2024. (JPr)
