SINCE 1999 A LIVE REVIEW SITE FOR OPERA, BALLET, CONCERTS, BROADCASTS, AND THEATRE
United Kingdom Montgomery, Mozart, Beethoven: Nicola Benedetti (violinist), Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Benjamin Marquise Gilmore (director / violin). City Halls, Glasgow, 15.12.2023. (GT)
Czech Republic Richard Strauss, Salome: Soloists, Orchestra of Brno Opera / Marko Ivanovic (conductor). National Theatre Brno, 25.11.2023. (GT)
Czech Republic Dvořák, The Jacobin: Soloists, Dancers, Children’s Choir, Chorus and Orchestra of the Janáček Theatre Brno / Jacub Klecker (conductor). National Theatre Brno, 26.11.2023. (GT)
Czech Republic Skrowaczewski, Bruckner: Brno Philharmonic Orchestra / Dennis Russell Davies (conductor). Janáček Theatre, Brno, 24.11.2023. (GT)
Portugal Sibelius, Chopin, Beethoven: Alexandra Dovgan (piano), Gulbenkian Orchestra / Risto Joost (conductor), Large Auditorium of the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, 9.11.2023. (GT)
Sofia Opera’s Woodbird Ayla Dobreva talks to Gregor Tassie
Apart from the stupendous production standards, a great deal of the acclaim for the 2023 Plamen Kartaloff Ring cycle was for the singers in the roles of Wotan, Brünnhilde and Hagen, but the coloratura soprano Ayla Dobreva as the Woodbird provided one of the most striking performances in Siegfried. Dobreva performed in all four operas of the cycle; firstly, as Woglinde in the opening scene of Das Rheingold singing when soaring on a trampoline, in Die Walküre, she was Helmwige mounted on one of eight red horses of the Valkyries, and finally challenging Alberich in the closing scene in Götterdämmerung. She was also one of the Flower Maidens in Parsifal, but it was her spectacular entry on a trapeze that made the biggest impression of all.
Germany Martines, Mozart, Schmidt: Evgeny Kissin (pianist), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Fabio Luisi (conductor). Live in the Digital Concert Hall from the Philharmonie Berlin, 7.10.2023. (GT)
The Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Gergana Rusekova talks to Gregor Tassie
Among the outstanding performances of the 2023 Wagner Festival in Sofia were those of the Brünnhilde in Die Walkure and the Kundry in Parsifal given by the young mezzo-soprano Gergana Rusekova. In my review of Die Walküre, I wrote, ‘Immediately, we are aware of the striking vocal gifts and personality of Gergana Rusekova, ‘Vater! Vater! Sage, was ist dir?’ And a couple of weeks later, in Parsifal, she was even more impressive, ‘The Kundry of Gergana Rusekova was world-class in both singing and characterisation – every word was clear and beautiful at times when revealing her plight and in other scenes of her lustful desire.’