UK Opera

All opera reviews from UK sources

Mastersingers and the Rehearsal Orchestra near the Wagnerian summit with Siegfried Act III

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Wagner, Siegfried Act III: Soloists, Rehearsal Orchestra / Anthony Legge (conductor), Henry Wood Hall, London, 20.10.2019. (JPr)

Siegfried Act III rehearsal at Henry Wood Hall (c) Mastersingers

Read moreMastersingers and the Rehearsal Orchestra near the Wagnerian summit with Siegfried Act III

Admirable musical performances but an effortful new Don Pasquale production at Covent Garden

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Donizetti, Don Pasquale: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden / Evelino Pidò (conductor). Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 14.10.2019. (CC)

Bryn Terfel (Don Pasquale) and Olga Peretyatko (Norina) (c) Clive Barda

Read moreAdmirable musical performances but an effortful new Don Pasquale production at Covent Garden

Emma Rice’s #MeToo ENO Orpheus in the Underworld is bleached of all its inherent charm

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Offenbach, Orpheus in the Underworld: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera / Sian Edwards (conductor). London Coliseum, 11.10.2019. (JPr)

ENO’s Orpheus in the Underworld – On Mount Olympus (c) Clive Barda

Read moreEmma Rice’s #MeToo ENO Orpheus in the Underworld is bleached of all its inherent charm

With its parallels to today, ETO bring authentic Weill sounds and exciting music making to The Silver Lake

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Kurt Weill and Georg Kaiser, The Silver Lake (Der Silbersee): Soloists, Choir of Streetwise Opera and English Touring Opera Orchestra / James Holmes (conductor). Hackney Empire, London, 7.10.2019. (AK)

English Touring Opera’s The Silver Lake (c) Richard Hubert Smith

Read moreWith its parallels to today, ETO bring authentic Weill sounds and exciting music making to The Silver Lake

Everything falls into place in WNO’s superb revival of The Cunning Little Vixen

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Janáĉek, The Cunning Little Vixen (sung in Czech): Soloists, Orchestra of Welsh National Opera / Tomáš Hanus (conductor). Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, 5.10.2019. (GPu)

Aiofe Miskelly (left, Vixen) and Lucia Cervoni (right, Fox) (c) Richard Hubert Smith

Read moreEverything falls into place in WNO’s superb revival of The Cunning Little Vixen

Sakari Oramo reveals the gorgeous colours of William Alwyn’s Miss Julie

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Alwyn, Miss Julie: Soloists, BBC Symphony Orchestra / Sakari Oramo (conductor), Kenneth Richardson (director), Barbican Hall, London, 3.10.2019. (CS)

Anna Patalong (Miss Julie) and Benedict Nelson (Jean) (c) Tom Howard

Read moreSakari Oramo reveals the gorgeous colours of William Alwyn’s Miss Julie

Much to admire in ENOs staging of Orpheus and Eurydice

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Gluck, Orpheus and Eurydice (1774, Berlioz edition: sung in English): Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera / Harry Bicket (conductor). London Coliseum, 1.10.2019. (CC)

Sarah Tynan as Eurydice, Alice Coote as Orpheus (c) Donald Cooper

Read moreMuch to admire in ENOs staging of Orpheus and Eurydice

WNO’s Rigoletto production now feels pointless and distracting, but is saved by its musical virtues.

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Verdi, Rigoletto: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Welsh National Opera / Alexander Joel (conductor). Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, 27.9.2019. (GPu)

Marina Monzó (Gilda) & David Junghoon Kim (Duke) (c) Richard Hubert Smith

Read moreWNO’s Rigoletto production now feels pointless and distracting, but is saved by its musical virtues.