The Nash Ensemble’s series at the Wigmore Hall, “Dreamer of Dreams” continued its survey of British music in the first half of the 20th century with an intriguing programme. Many underlying themes, and thoughtful juxtapositions.
Author: Anne Ozorio
Alagna sings Nemorino – L’elisir d’amore at the Royal Opera House, London,
One of the main reasons for interest in the Royal Opera’s latest revival of Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore was that tenor Roberto Alagna had chosen to return to the role of Nemorino. Though he had sung Nemorino earlier in his career, he had never sung the role at Covent Garden. The other cast members were of a high order too, with Alexandra Kurzak as Adina, Ambrogio Maestri as Dulcamara and Fabio Capitanucci as Belcore. So plenty of reasons for seeing the revival, which I caught on opening night 13 November 2012.
A Celebration of Mendelssohn Song
The Wigmore Hall Celebration of Mendelssohn Song series culminated in a recital of works by Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn and by Robert and Clara Schumann. The programme was very well chosen because Felix, Fanny, Robert and Clara knew each other..
Simon Boccanegra at Lyric Opera, Chicago
In its current production of Simon Boccanegra Lyric Opera of Chicago draws on vocal strengths as well as musical and stage direction that do honor to Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece of political and emotional intrigue in fourteenth-century Genoa.
La bohËme on Tour, WNO, Oxford
Every major opera company needs a production of La bohËme. It is one of the operas which has the potential to attract everyone, the work which will tempt the occasional opera goer into the theatre.
Mozart and Salieri — Young Artists at the Royal Opera House
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera Mozart and Salieri (1897) received its first ever performance at the Royal Opera House as the highlight of Meet The Young Artists Week at the Linbury Studio Theatre.
Exciting Glyndebourne 2013 season
Exciting developments at Glyndebourne ! Many new initiatives which could transform Glyndebourne from a summer festival to a truly international, year-round opera experience.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Wigmore Hall
The Wigmore Hall 2012-3 season (see link below) started with a gala of glamour. Dmitri Hvorostovsky attracts patrons in jewels and designer gowns.
Martin? : Julietta, ENO
The ENO gave the British premiere of Bohuslav Martin?’s Julietta many years ago, so this new production was eagerly awaited. But what will audiences new to Martin? get from this production? It’s a myth that the English language makes opera more accessible. That just means audiences focus on words, rather than really listening or understanding.
Florian Boesch on Schubert’s Die schˆne M¸llerin
Florian Boesch is singing Schubert’s Die Schˆne M¸llerin at the Oxford Lieder Festival on Sunday 14th October. This won’t be routine. Radically challenging conventional interpretation, Boesch says “I don’t believe it ends in suicide”