Dulwich Opera Company’s Carmen was a convincingly successful show. This was mainly due to succinct musical direction and rigorous dramatic direction. It also meant that the proximity of the action was a fascinating treat, and by the artists being young, and easy on the eye.
Author: Gary Hoffman
Franz Schreker: Die Gezeichneten
There is a host of fine operas out there languishing more or less
unperformed (in some cases, quite unperformed). A few of them might even
qualify as ‘great’. (Feel free to remove inverted commas, should
that be your thing.) Franz Schreker’s Die Gezeichneten, whatever
its proponents might claim, is certainly not one of those: not even close.
Fidelio at Princeton Festival
Fidelio is a great opera, but not an easy one to
perform. Much of the music is stirring, including some among the most
profoundly moving passages in all opera. The revolutionary political idealism
that underlies the opera is inspiring, particularly to those in German-speaking
lands, where it inspires reverence.
Dutch National Opera puts on a spellbinding Marian Vespers
A body lies in half-shadow, surrounded by an expectant gathering. Our Father is intoned in Gregorian chant. The solo voices bloom into a chorus with a joyful flourish of brass.
Henze: Elegie f¸r junge Liebende
Hans Werner Henze’s compositions include ten fine symphonies, various
large choral and religious works, fourteen ballets (among them
one, Undine, that ranks the greatest of modern times),
numerous prominent film scores, and hundreds of additional works for orchestra,
chamber ensemble, solo instruments or voice. Yet he considered himself, above
all, a composer of opera.
Werther at Manitoba Opera
If opera ultimately is about bel canto, then one need not look any
further than Manitoba Opera’s company premiere of Massenet’s
Werther, its lushly scored portrait of an artist as a young man that
also showcased a particularly strong cast of principal artists. Notably, all
were also marking their own role debuts, as well as this production being the
first Massenet opera staged by organization in its 44-year history.
Seattle: A seamlessly symphonic L’enfant
Seattle Symphony’s “semi-staged” presentation of
L’enfant et les sortilèges was my third encounter with
Ravel’s 1925 one-act “opera.” It was incomparably the most
theatrical, though the least elaborate by far.
Color and Drama in Two Choral Requiems from Post-Napoleonic France
The Requiem text has brought out the best in many composers. Requiem
settings by Mozart, Verdi, and Fauré are among the most beloved works
among singers and listeners alike, and there are equally wondrous settings by
Berlioz and Duruflé, as well as composers from before 1750, notably Jean
Gilles.
LALO and COQUARD: La Jacquerie
La Jacquerie—here recorded for the first time—proves to
be a wonderful opera, bringing delight upon delight.
Three Rossini Operas Serias
Rossini’s serious operas once dominated opera houses across the
Western world. In their librettos, the great French author Stendahl—then a
diplomat in Italy and the composer’s first biographer—saw a post-Napoleonic
“martial vigor” that could spark a liberal revolution. In their vocal and
instrumental innovations, he discerned a similar revolution in music.