The two one act comic operas in this double bill were written as entirely separate works, in 1836 and 1841 respectively. But Stefania Bonfadelli pairs them brilliantly as two sides…
Author: Curtis Rogers
Donizetti’s Historical Epic Caterina Cornaro Has an Added Contemporary Dimension at Bergamo
Caterina Cornaro was a real figure in history, daughter of a Venetian nobleman who became Queen of Cyprus in the mid-15th century when the Republic was at the height of…
The Donizetti Opera Festival’s Temperate and Thoughtful Interpretation of Il furioso nell’isola di San Domingo
Nineteenth-century Romantic opera is notorious for its trope of the person who goes mad – usually a woman whose struggle between her own individual desires, and the expectations imposed on…
Katie Mitchell’s Farewell to Opera with an Utterly Absorbing and Stimulating The Makropulos Case for The Royal Opera House
Who would want to live for 300 years? That is the question posed by Janáček’s all too rarely seen but fascinating opera The Makropulos Case: initially an open one perhaps,…
Delius’s Problematic Conception in The Magic Fountain Not Overcome in Wexford’s Production
The inspiration for Delius’s The Magic Fountain (1895) stems from his time in Florida, when he ran an orange plantation for his father. It was the first in a trilogy…
Wexford’s Riveting Blend of Comedy and Tragedy in Handel’s Last Italian Opera
In the last three or so of his operas, Handel demonstrated a fascinating move towards mixing elements of comedy within the format of opera seria that he had worked with…
Verdi’s Il trovatore Becomes Subdued in its French Version at Wexford
Famous for presenting rare operatic repertoire, it might come as a surprise to find Il trovatore programmed to open this year’s Wexford Festival. Presented in its French version, however, this…
The Trees are Alive with the Sound of Music in Glyndebourne’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Glyndebourne’s programming of Britten’s adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for its autumn season might seem somewhat eccentric. But with summer now a fading memory and as October wears on,…
Forthright musical ebullience makes up for an uninspiring production of Handel’s Giustino
The Royal Opera House continues its series of Handel’s operas and oratorios premiered at the theatre which once stood on the same site with Giustino (1737). Coming from the end…
Youthful flair in Paisiello’s Don Quixote at Naples
Paisiello was one of the composers closely associated with the important operatic tradition of 18th century Naples. By the time he came to study in the city in the mid-1750s,…