After the bitter disappointment of
Month: October 2013
Armide, Amsterdam
There is a cornucopia of ideas on display in Gluck’s Armide at Amsterdam’s Het Muziektheater, but sadly only a few of them seemed to serve the piece.
London’s Vespers Ring the Right Bells
Even before it opened, Royal Opera’s Les vÍpres siciliennes was the must-see production of the season.
Verdi’s Otello at Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago has opened the season with a revival of its 2001 production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello.
Angel Blue, Wigmore Hall
Having impressed UK audiences in La Boheme (for ENO) and American Lulu (for the Opera Group/Scottish Opera),
Madame Butterfly at ENO
First seen in 2005, and since feted in London (several times), New York and Lithuania, Anthony Minghella’s cinematic production of Madame Butterfly remains a breath-taking visual banquet.
Fun Loving H.M.S. Pinafore Opens Arizona Opera
The star of the show was the agile Robert Orth as Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. A fine operatic baritone, Orth’s patter was machine gun fast, crisp, and completely understandable.
Intriguing Duo in San Francisco
Venerable San Francisco Opera kicked off its fall season with a wholly pleasing revival of a landmark production, complemented by an engrossing world premiere.
The Tragedy of Carmen, Syracuse Opera
Carmen Lite: Singing shines in Syracuse Opera’s pocket-sized The Tragedy of Carmen