France Kurtág, Fin de partie: Soloists, Orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris / Markus Stenz (conductor). Palais Garnier, Paris, 30.4.2022. (MB)
Superb Parisian premiere of György Kurtág’s masterly first opera, Fin de partie
Mark Berry
Fine conspectus of Kurt Weill from the LSO and Simon Rattle
United Kingdom Weill: Magdalena Kožená (mezzo-soprano), Andrew Staples, Alessandro Fisher (tenors), Ross Ramgobin (baritone), Florian Boesch (bass-baritone), London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle (conductor). Barbican Hall, London, 28.4.2022. (MB)
Vincent Huguet’s admirably sung Berlin Don Giovanni has an air of missed opportunity
Germany Berlin Festtage [5] – Mozart, Don Giovanni: Soloists, Staatsopernchor Berlin (chorus master: Martin Wright), Staatskapelle Berlin / Thomas Guggeis (conductor). Staatsoper Unter den Linden, 17.4.2022. (MB)
Barrie Kosky’s exuberant, all-singing, all-dancing Orpheus at the Komische Oper
Germany Monteverdi (arr. Kats-Chernin), L’Orfeo: Soloists, Dancers, Chorus (chorus master: David Caevlius) and Orchestra of the Komische Oper / Matthew Toogood (conductor). Komische Oper, Berlin, 16.4.2022. (MB)
Così fan tutte is more confused and confusing Mozart in Berlin
Germany Berlin Festtage [4] – Mozart, Così fan tutte: Soloists, Staatsopernchor Berlin (chorus master: Martin Wright), Staatskapelle Berlin / Giuseppe Mentuccia (conductor). Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin, 14.4.2022 (MB)
Manfred Honeck leads a thoughtful presentation of Mozart in Dresden
Germany Mozart, Haydn, and Gregorian Chant: Nikola Hillebrand (soprano), Marie Henriette Reinhold (contralto), Sebastian Kohlhepp (tenor), Mikhail Timoshenko (bass), Ulrich Tukur (reciter), Dresden Chamber Choir (chorus director: Tobias Mäthger), Dresden Kreuzchor (chorus director: Karl Pohlandt), Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden / Manfred Honeck (conductor). Semperoper, Dresden, 11.4.2022 (MB)
Superb musicianship at odds with a dire production of Le nozze di Figaro at the Berlin Festtage
Germany Berlin Festtage 2022 [3] – Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro: Soloists, Staatsopernchor Berlin (chorus master: Martin Wright), Staatskapelle Berlin / Daniel Barenboim (conductor). Staatsoper Unter den Linden, 9.4.2022 (MB)
Masterly pianism from Igor Levit at Berlin Festtage
Germany Berlin Festtage 2022 [2] – Liszt and Mozart: Igor Levit (piano). Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin, 8.4.2022. (MB)
