Ned Rorem’s Evidence of Things Not Seen received its European premiere at the Oxford Lieder Festival.
Category: Performances
The Turn of the Screw at ENO
Shadows and reflections flicker and dart alarmingly across Tanya McCallin’s dark, gloomy sets for David McVicar’s The Turn of the Screw, first seen in 2007, in a disturbing production that chillingly conveys both infinite mystery and claustrophobic terror.
Ravel and L’Heure Espagnole at Covent Garden
Greed, lust and folly … Richard Jones’ comic double bill, first seen in 2007 and faithfully revived here by Elaine Kidd, certainly sharpens the spotlight on those eternal human foibles.
Der Rosenkavalier at the MET
The Met’s production of Der Rosenkavalier still arouses gasps
from audience members as the curtain rises on each set — and laughter at
appropriate moments — and tears at others.
Baldassare Galuppi: Jahel
Dr. Charles Burney, who in August 1770 heard Galuppi’s singing girls
at the Incurabili, one of Venice’s four competing Ospedali or
musical orphanages, admired both their excellent performing standard
(“indeed all were such as would have merited and received great applause
in the first operas of Europe”), and the quality of the music that the
aging maestro was still able to write for them: “ it is generally allowed
here that his last operas, and his last compositions for the church, abound
with more spirit, taste, and fancy, than those of any other period of his
life”.
La Fille du RÈgiment in San Francisco
There is a buzz of excitement in the War Memorial Opera House on Friday nights that is akin to the Saturday afternoon buzz at the Met.
Ruxandra Donose stars in L’heure Espagnole at the Royal Opera House
Ruxandra Donose sings ConcepciÛn in Ravel’s L’heure Espagnoie in a double bill with Gianni Schicchi at the Royal Opera House. ConcepciÛn is an unusual personality, so Miss Donose’s characterization is interesting.
Achim Freyer’s production of Wagner’s Siegfried at Los Angeles Opera
Saturday October 17th found the Los Angeles Dodgers out of town for the weekend, but traffic still clogged the freeways leading to their stadium.
Brilliantly Simple ‘Tolomeo’ by ETO
ETO’s production of Tolomeo for one night only at the Britten Theatre, capitalizes brilliantly on the necessary simplicity of this chamber-like opera, written at a time when Handel could no longer call upon fabulous sets and stunning effects, relying only upon great singing – and what singers he wrote it for, in fact the grand trio of Senesino, Cuzzoni and Bordoni.
Tosca at Lyric Opera of Chicago
For the first production of its 55th season Lyric Opera of Chicago has staged a revival of Puccini’s Tosca with a cast of notable singers led by music director Sir Andrew Davis.