Theatre, Musicals, Broadcasts & Films

Reviews and articles of some events that are not Concerts, Opera, or Dance, and others that have been streamed, shown in the cinema or on TV

Wigmore Hall’s In the footsteps of… was a beautifully curated, thought-provoking and inspiring programme

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom In the footsteps of…: Gweneth Ann Rand (soprano), Sarah Daramy-Williams (violin), Allyson Devenish (piano), Cathy Tyson (narrator). Livestreamed (Darius Weinberg director/producer) on 14.11.2021 from Wigmore Hall, London, and available until 13.11.2021. (JPr)

Gweneth Ann Rand (soprano)

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Terrific Mariinsky performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s bizarre and surreally fantastical Christmas Eve

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Russian FederationRussian Federation Rimsky-Korsakov, Christmas Eve: Soloists, Mariinsky Opera Chorus (and Ensemble of soloists of the Mariinsky Academy of Young Opera Singers) and Orchestra / Gurgen Petrosyan (conductor). Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, 30.9.2021. (GT)

Mariinsky Theatre’s Christmas Eve (c) Natasha Razina

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Superb acting and singing as Phil Willmott and John Robinson mine a musical out of Lady Chatterley’s Lover

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Lady Chatterley’s Lover: a musical adaptation of the novel by D.H. Lawrence from Phil Willmott (book), John Robinson (music and lyrics), Mark Anderson (additional lyrics) and Bjorn Dobbelaere (orchestrations). Filmed at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre in June 2021 and available from 15 October to 21 November 2021 on Stream.Theatre. (JPr)

Georgia Lennon (Constance) and Michael Pickering (Mellors) (c) Mark Senior

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With remarkable performances from Mattila and Grigorian, musically there is no weak link in Royal Opera’s new Jenůfa

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Janáček, Jenůfa: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Henrik Nánási (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Rhodri Huw) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 9.10.2021 and available now on OperaVision. (JPr)

Saimir Pirgu (Števa) and Karita Mattila (Kostelnička) (c) Tristram Kenton

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Michael Spyres’s Florestan is the breakout performance in Cyril Teste’s new Fidelio for Paris’s Opéra Comique

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FranceFrance Beethoven, Fidelio: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Ensemble Pygmalion / Raphaël Pichon (conductor). Performed by Opéra Comique on 1.10.2020 at the Salle Favart, Paris, and livestreamed (directed by François Roussillon) on ARTE Concert (available until 30.9.2022). (JPr)

Linard Vrielink (Jaquino), Mari Eriksmoen (Marzelline) and Siobhan Stagg (Leonore/Fidelio) (c) Stefan Brion

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Paris Opera’s ‘Dudamel era’ begins and time will tell how his relationship with the ‘City of Love’ will develop

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FranceFrance Gustavo Dudamel’s Concert Inaugural: Soloists, Chorus (chorusmaster: Ching-Lien Wu) and Maîtrise des Hauts de Seine (Children’s Choir of the Opéra national de Paris, director: Gaël Darchen), Orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris / Gustavo Dudamel (conductor). Filmed (directed by François-René Martin) at the Palais Garnier, Paris, 22.9.2021. (JPr)

Gustavo Dudamel conducts Clémentine Margaine (mezzo-soprano) and the Chorus and Orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris

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