Phyllida Lloyd’s reading of Verdi’s Macbeth –
first seen in 2002 and here revived for the second time – could certainly
not be described as ‘subtle’, either dramatically or visually.
Category: Performances
Macbeth, Royal Opera
Die Meistersinger von N¸rnberg, Glyndebourne
Glorious sunshine for Glyndebourne Opera’s Die Meistersinger von N¸rnberg on the eve of Richard Wagner’s birthday.
Richard Coeur-de-Lion, New York
AndrÈ-Modeste GrÈtry, the greatest opera composer ever to come from Belgium, made his way to Paris in 1767 at the age of 26.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, ENO
On my travels, I often hear occasional opera-goers complain about having wasted time and money on a production that, on the night, bears no relation to their expectations.
IphigÈnie en Tauride at the Washington National Opera
The Washington National Opera has concluded its 2010-11 season with
Gluck’s 1779 masterpiece IphigÈnie en Tauride, arguably the
great Viennese composer’s greatest achievement and his swan song (if one
does not count that unfortunate flop of 1780, Echo et Narcisse —
and luckily, one hardly ever does).
James MacMillan’s Clemency, Royal Opera
James MacMillan has reunited with his librettist, the poet Michael Symmons Roberts, to produce his new opera Clemency.
Don Giovanni, Florida Grand Opera
By Leporello’s count (in the “Catalogue aria”), Don
Giovanni tallies over 2,000 sexual exploits.
Orfeo ed Euridice, Metropolitan Opera
Gluck’s Orfeo is, intentionally, free of clutter. If you cut
out the scenes of balletic rejoicing just before the finale (and I can’t
think of any good reason not to do so), it’s less than ninety minutes of
music.
Die Walk¸re, Metropolitan Opera
There’s a lot to be said for lowered expectations. After last
fall’s cramped, over-busy staging of Das Rheingold, I was
prepared for a rough night at Die Walk¸re—and enjoyed the
occasion very much, the staging, the direction, most of the singing, even the
costumes.
Houston makes sense — and music — of Ariadne
Ariadne auf Naxos, the next major endeavor of the Richard Strauss/Hugo von Hofmannsthal collaboration after Der Rosenkavalier in 1911, has been a special challenge for American opera companies.