Reviews vom 30.4.2014
London
The London Coliseum: A revolution at the opera
It will open all day to the public, and have a coffee shop in the foyer. On stage, there will be musicals as well as arias. John Berry, artistic director of the ENO, reveals to David Lister radical plans for the august institution
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English National Opera aims to lure masses with musicals and meals
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LSO/Daniele Gatti review
A Mahler 7 of enormous weight and grip
Gatti drew remorseless energy from the London Symphony Orchestra, with an overall tautness and starkness Barbican, London
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/28/lso-gatti-barbican-mahler-7-review
Daniele Gatti and the LSO revel in Mahler’s discomfiting Symphony no. 7
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-mahler-gatti-lso-apr-2014
Tanz
The Tempest Replica, review: ‘hauntingly odd and original’
Crystal Pite’s new work at Sadler’s Wells dives under the skin of Shakespeare’s paly
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Leeds
Rehearsing La Bohème at Opera North
Revival director Michael Barker-Caven talks us through images from rehearsals for Opera North’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème. The opera is double-cast and opens at Leeds Grand Theatre on 29 April, then tours.
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Boston
Voigt’s mostly American program mixes comedy with drama
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Chicago
This is ‘Sound of Music’ on a grand scale, with a lovely Maria
THEATER REVIEW: “The Sound of Music” by the Lyric Opera
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Fort Worth
Weitere “Cosi”-Review
She’s All That
Fort Worth Opera scores another winner with its 2014 Festival production of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte.
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Berkeley
Handel to Mozart to Morris in a Pastoral Tale of Love and Jealous Rage
Mark Morris Stages “Acis and Galatea’
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San Diego
San Diego Opera Association Votes Not To Sell Company’s Assets
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Reviews vom 29.4.2014
London
La Calisto, Hampstead Garden Opera
Cavalli’s gods and goddesses take up residence in North London
http://www.theartsdesk.com/opera/la-calisto-hampstead-garden-opera
The Venice Carnival’s spirit lives on in HGO’s La Calisto
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A Fledermaus with intermittent fizz
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-fledermaus-wilson-apr-2014
Glasgow
BBCSSO/Donald Runnicles, City Halls, Glasgow – review
A scorching, go-for-broke performance of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony
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New York
James Levine leads ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ at the Metropolitan Opera
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Fort Worth
Review: A dazzling “Così fan tutte’ at the Fort Worth Opera Festival
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Toronto
Opera review: Opera Atelier’s Persée
Mehr Info
Feuilleton
How the first world war inspired Britain’s favourite piece of classical music
Despite its bucolic associations, Vaughan Williams’s the Lark Ascending was composed to a backdrop of military manoeuvres
Mehr Info
The new ring-tone composers
Ring-tones: aural delight or irritation in its purest form? Ivan Hewett investigates
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Reviews vom 28.4.2014
London
Faust/Queyras/Melnikov: Haydn, Beethoven and Schumann review –
lovingly meticulous piano trio Queen Elizabeth Hall, London Isabelle Faust, Alexander Melnikov and Jean-Guihen Queyras performed this period-instrument programme with warmth, colour and detail
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Arditti Quartet 40th Birthday, Milton Court: ‘a parade of marvels’
Ivan Hewett salutes the group that sounds like ‘an infuriated menagerie of alien beasts’
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Birmingham
Quatrain/Kin./Les Rendezvous, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Crescent Theatre
Ashton carries the honours in a trio of young men’s ballets
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Glasgow
BBC SSO/Runnicles: Mahler’s Ninth review ‘a forthright, noble performance’
City Halls, Glasgow
The BBC Scottish Symphony orchestra and Donald Runnicles paired Mahler with Arvo Pärt in a typically bold and impactful programme
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Boston
Boston Baroque wraps season with dazzling Monteverdi
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Houston
More Carmen Miranda than stunning Carmen:
Houston Grand Opera closes with a whimper after Ring glory
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Houston Grand Opera presents a vital ‘Carmen’
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Toronto
Canadian Opera Company’s Roberto Devereux: review
Canadian Opera Company’s absolutely thrilling production of Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux puts the “grand” back into “grand opera.”
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COC’s Roberto Devereux delivers with style, eventually
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Roberto Devereux Explores the Price of Love and Power
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-devereux-radvanovsky-coc-apr-2014
Reviews vom 27.4.2014
St. Petersburg
Complexions Contemporary Ballet at Dance Open Festival
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Neapel
Otello, or The dark side of the Moor unveiled in Naples
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London
Kathleen Ferrier Awards, review:
‘a vintage year’ There were some excellent singers at the Wigmore Hall, but did the right one win asks Rupert Christiansen
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Glyndebourne
Interview: soprano Kate Royal in “Der Rosenkavalier”
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Bristol
Mitsuko Uchida review
– brilliant Beethoven and grandiloquent Schubert St George’s, Bristol Back on stage after a hand injury, the pianist brought her intense musicality to Schubert’s G major Sonata, D984 and Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations read more
New York
10 More Years: Alberto Vilar, Met Opera Money Manager and Valery Gergiev Crony, Gets Longer U.S. Prison Sentence
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Beverly Hills
Review: Frederica von Stade is regal in ‘A Coffin in Egypt’
Frederica von Stade compellingly stars as a wealthy and remorseful Texas widow in Ricky Ian Gordon’s opera ‘A Coffin in Egypt’ at the Wallis in Beverly Hills.
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San Diego
San Diego Opera places general director Ian Campbell on leave
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Phoenix Review: Arizona Opera’s ‘Don Pasquale’
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Reviews vom 26.4.2014
Neue Oper Wien klagt über Budgetloch:
“Wir können heuer noch überleben”
Mehr Info
Berlin
Berlin Philharmonic Starts Its Own Record Label
Mehr Info
Barenboim and Argerich: two musical legends share the stage
Martin Kettle on an extraordinary weekend at Berlin’s Festtage festival
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London
Which Shakespeare plays make the best ballets?
Christopher Wheeldon has staged a Winter’s Tale to rival the many Romeo and Juliets. But as Shakespeare turns 450, which of the great adaptations still have legs?
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Coventry Basel SO/Davies review
– minimalist works maximise power and excitement Warwick arts centre, Coventry Dennis Russell Davies underscores the strengths of Basel SO with contemporary works by Pärt, Glass and Adams
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New York
An Opera, Without Singing, in a Museum
Robert Ashley’s Shape-Shifting 1968 Work, Revived
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Philadelphia
Opera Philadelphia to Take On Andy Warhol
“The company’s plans for 2015 also include “ANDY: A Popera,” a work about Andy Warhol with music by Heath Allen, a Philadelphia composer and pianist.”
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Minnesota
Minnesota Orchestra Board Rehires Vanska as Music Director
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Feuilleton
Dame Kiri’s final bow?
The opera star writes exclusively for Limelight about ending her stage career and the good times ahead.
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Reviews vom 25.4.2014
Wien
The Staatsoper’s new Lohengrin: too much opera for such confined staging
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-vienna-lohengrin-apr-2014
London
Vorschau
Thebans: ‘Families are terrifying things’
Composer Julian Anderson and librettist Frank McGuinness on turning Sophocles’ Oedipus into a taut musical drama at ENO
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Vorschau
BBC Proms 2014: Match of the Day and CBeebies
BBC Sport themes and music from CBeebies shows will feature in the 2014 Proms season in a bid to bring new audiences to classical music
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Proms 2014: Top ten concerts
As this summer’s BBC Proms programme is announced, Ivan Hewett selects the best concerts
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Connolly/Neven/Martineau review
‘Reminds us just how Wagnerian Duparc is’
Wigmore Hall, London
Deploying two low voices also allowed us to focus on the pervasive darkness of mood within the music
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New York
Cendrillon, Juilliard Opera, New York – review
The conservatory students put their neighbours at the Met to shame
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Nachtrag „I puritani”
Metropolitan Opera 2013-14 Review
‘I Puritani:’ Olga Peretyatko Dazzles in Dramatically Inert Production of Bellini’s Masterwork
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Toronto
Ben Heppner to Retire From Singing
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Reviews vom 24.4.2013
Moskau
Giselle, La Sylphide, The Little Mermaid, Stanislavsky Theatre, Moscow – review
The Stanislavsky gives the Bolshoi a run for its money with less familiar versions of the classics
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London
Federico Colli, Queen Elizabeth Hall – classical review
“The new Michelangeli! the new Maurizio Pollini! Such things have already been said of 26-year-old Federico Colli, winner of the 2012 Leeds Piano Competition, who has now made his debut in the Southbank International Piano Series.” read more
Birmingham
Khovanskygate: A National Enquiry, Freedom Tent, Birmingham – review
Graham Vick’s provocative adaptation of Mussorgsky’s opera casts a powerful spell
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Khovanskygate, Birmingham Opera Company, review: ‘bold and energetic’
Khovanskygate is a version of Mussorgsky’s opera with irresistible imaginative panache, says Rupert Christiansen
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Khovanshchina, Birmingham Opera Company
Musorgsky problem opera takes on new life in the big top
http://www.theartsdesk.com/opera/khovanshchina-birmingham-opera-company
Khovanskygate review
Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham
Mussorgsky’s epic arguably gets one too many contemporary glosses in Birmingham Opera Company’s new staging, but there’s no doubting the musical quality
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/23/khovanskygate-review
New York
Weitere “Cenerentola”-Reviews
La Cenerentola, Metropolitan Opera, New York – review
Joyce DiDonato sings with casual brilliance in the Met’s hyperactive Rossini production
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A Joyce to Behold, with Princely Help: The Met’s Cenerentola
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Camarena subs magnificently for Florez in the Met’s “Cenerentola“
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Dallas
The Dallas Opera Announces Exit of Artistic Director Jonathan Pell. Sort Of.
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Reviews vom 23.4.2014
Amsterdam
Mariss Jansons announces Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra departure
The conductor’s 10-year reign as chief of the world-renowned Amsterdam orchestra will end after 2014-15 season
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London
Dennis Russell Davies: why minimalism is big Basel Symphony
Orchestra’s chief conductor, Dennis Russell Davies, tells John Allison why he’s boldly touring the UK with minimalist music
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English Concert/Labadie/Invernizzi/Prina review
‘Total technical mastery’
Wigmore Hall, London
Roberta Invernizzi, Sonia Prina and conductor Bernard Labadie gave an extraordinary performance of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater
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New York
DiDonato and Camarena Shine in “La Cenerentola’ at the Met
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Cleveland
The Cleveland Orchestra and Herbert Blomstedt take a fresh look at Dvořák and Tchaikovsky
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-blomstedt-cleveland-apr-2014
Chicago
Slatkin and CSO pack the house for a successful (and rare) American program
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San Diego
BWW Reports: San Diego Opera Continues Its Battle for Survival
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Los Angeles
Interview
Q&A: Opera Queen Renée Fleming Takes on Los Angeles
Turns out the Super Bowl and the LA Opera do have something in common
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Reviews vom 22.4.2014
Baden Baden
Manon Lescaut, Easter Festival, Festspielhaus, Baden-Baden, Germany – review
Richard Eyre’s production of Puccini is a feeble staging of a bad opera
Mehr Info
Conductor Rescues a Puccini Classic
Simon Rattle Anchors Baden-Baden Festival With “Manon Lescaut’
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Johannes-Passion, Easter Festival, Baden-Baden, Germany – review
Peter Sellars and Simon Rattle join forces to tell the Passion story as a narrative for every age
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Amsterdam
In “Dutch Doubles,’ 4 Choreographers, Inspired by 4 Artists
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London
Weitere “Traviata”-Reviews:
La traviata, Royal Opera House, London – review
Diana Damrau delivered haunting soft singing and moments of drama of truly unbuttoned force
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/560fb1ce-c93e-11e3-99cc-00144feabdc0.html
A trio of top stars in the Royal Opera’s La traviata
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-la-traviata-royal-opera-house-april-2014
New York
The Met as Mosh Pit for a Fill-In Star
Javier Camarena to Sing in “La Cenerentola’
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Asking How Much Opera Singers’ Work Is Worth
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San Jose
Review: Opera San Jose stages static ‘Don Giovanni’
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Sidney
Concert review: Jordi Savall’s Jerusalem Project (Sydney)
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Feuilleton
Looney Tunes Echo Backstage as Opera Dies: Manuela Hoelterhoff
Mehr Info
How to do justice to Christ’s Last Words Haydn’s meditations on Christ’s
Seven Last Words are among the great pieces of Easter music. But could Ruth Padel, steeped in Darwin and Freud, write poetry about this cornerstone of Christianity?
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Wolfsburg/ Tanzfestival Movimentos
Denken mit dem Körper
Mehr Info
Reviews vom 21.4.2014
Berlin
Tannhäuser; Simon Boccanegra – review
A tremendous Tannhäuser led the way in Daniel Barenboim’s whirlwind Staatsoper festival in Berlin
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Lyon
France’s festival of Britten
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London
La Traviata review – ‘A soprano of matchless intelligence’ Royal Opera House, London
Diana Damrau, as Violetta in this revival of the Richard Eyre staging, is breathtakingly controlled in her singing and dramatically outstanding
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La Traviata, Royal Opera
Opera lovers will not want to miss Damrau’s authoritative, vocally triumphant Violetta
http://www.theartsdesk.com/opera/la-traviata-royal-opera-0
La Traviata (Royal Opera) Diana Damrau is sensational as Violetta at The Royal Opera
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New York
A TV Opera, Live. Olé!
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Tanz Vicky Shick’s “Pathétique/Miniatures in Detail’
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Ottawa
Music review: Opera Lyra’s Butterfly has an uneven flight
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Feuilleton
Handel’s Messiah: the sound of our better selves Although
Handel’s Messiah has become synonymous with charity, it’s the music that really matters
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Reviews vom 20.4.2014
London
Uchida, LPO, Jurowski, RFH A lucid journey through three centuries of great German music http://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music/uchida-lpo-jurowski-rfh
New York
Allowing a Puritan to Marry for Love
“I Puritani’ Revisits the English Civil War
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Met Opera: Olga Peretyatko Shines in Bellini’s ‘I Puritani’
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Peretyatko makes spectacular Met debut in “Puritani”
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“In the Garden of Souls’ and Gardens of Childhood
Ballet NY at Ailey Citigroup Theater
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San Diego
S.D. Opera closure postponed to May 19
Newly reconstituted board will use time to raise money for 2015 season
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Los Angeles
Opera great Frederica von Stade stars in “A Coffin in Egypt’
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Reviews vom 19.4.2014
London
CPE Bach’s St John Passion, review: ‘a major event’
John Allison heads to Cadogan Hall for the first performance since 1784 of this work by Bach’s second-eldest son
Mehr Info
St John Passion review – ‘Brisk and concentrated’ Cadogan Hall, London
Nicely timed for CPE Bach’s tercentenary this year, this was likely to have been the work’s first airing since the late 18th century
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/18/st-john-passion-review
Will the real CPE Bach please stand up? A newly revealed St John Passion at Cadogan Hall
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Rodin, Eifman Ballet, Coliseum, review: too little, too late
This dramatisation of the relationship between Rodin and his lover and muse is too melodramatic and too limited in its choreography, says Jane Shilling
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San Diego
San Diego Opera board president resigns at Thursday meeting
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Toronto
Sondra Radvanovsky tackles opera’s Triple Crown
With Canadian Opera Company’s Roberto Devereux, opening April 25, Radvanovsky will have sung all three Donizetti queens, including Anna Bolena and Maria Stuarda
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Reviews vom 18.4.2014
London
Buntes Shakespeare-Ballett
The Winter’s Tale» von Christopher Wheeldon in London
Mehr Info
Mailand
Deals by the Incoming La Scala Chief Cause a Stir
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London
Rodin, Coliseum, London – review
Boris Eifman weilds his choreographic sledgehammer in this study of the sculptor and his mistress
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Aberdeen
Carol Ann Duffy’s Rapunzel by BalletLORENT in Aberdeen
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-balletlorent-rapunzel-aberdeen-apr-2014
New York
James Levine: ‘I doubted I’d ever make it back’
America’s greatest conductor, the Metropolitan’s James Levine, tells John Allison how he beat paralysis to return to the podium – in a wheelchair
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Tanz
Princesses, Crocodiles and Gaga from LeeSaar The Company
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San Diego
San Diego Opera board member’s 2013 memo reads like a crystal ball
http://www.sdcitybeat.com/sandiego/blog-1546-san-diego-opera-boar.html
Melbourne
Opera review: Eugene Onegin, Opera Australia
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Feuilleton
The 10 Greatest Pieces of Music for Easter
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Reviews vom 17.4.2014
München
Ballettwoche (Ballet Week), Nationaltheater, Munich – review
An impressive showcase for the work of Bavarian State Ballet director Ivan Liška
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Moskau
Golden Mask Festival, Moscow – review
The Moscow arts festival’s most original offerings came from beyond the Urals
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London
The Messiah: Handel’s gift to the poor of London
One of the world’s greatest choral works has its roots in the composer’s compassion for the shamed and destitute
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Markus Werba and Gary Matthewman, Wigmore Hall, London – review
The Austrian baritone was a fluent, confident singer, but the pianist was a scene-stealer
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The London Mozart Players: Threatened orchestra plays on, managed by its own members
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Sergei Rachmaninov symphony manuscript to go under the hammer
Sotheby’s estimates 320-page document detailing composer’s second symphony will fetch up to £1.5m at auction in May
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New York
Das war in Ordnung, Mandryka
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Boston
Fleming, Pollini and Tilson Thomas on tap in Celebrity Series’ 2014-15 season
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San Diego
5 Myths About the Opera
http://voiceofsandiego.org/2014/04/15/5-myths-about-the-opera/
Idaho
Opera Idaho anounces its 2014-15 season
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Reviews vom 16.4.2014
Amsterdam
Age of Anxiety: Dutch National Opera’s unsettling Arabella
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-arabella-loy-dutch-opera-apr-2014
Madrid
Alone in the universe: Muti conducts Verdi’s Requiem in Madrid
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-muti-verdi-requiem-apr-2014
London
Lac, Coliseum, London – review
Subtitled “After Swan Lake’, this is a sorry production
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Edinburgh
St Matthew Passion review –
‘Thoughtful, lyrical and beautifully spacious’
Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
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Boston
Maazel Withdraws From Boston Symphony Concerts
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Minnesota
Minnesota Opera’s ‘Magic Flute’ goes Hollywood
Minnesota Opera’s production puts Mozart’s classic into a silent-screen motif. It’s outrageous — in a good way.
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Houston
Das Rheingold A Stunning Spectacle of Music, Voices and Stagecraft at HGO
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The ‘Ring’ Circus Begins in Houston
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BWW Reviews: Houston Grand Opera’s DAS RHEINGOLD is Full-Throttle Spectacle
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Review: Houston begins a sci-fi Wagner “Ring’
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Feuilleton
Voices of Experience: How Singers Protect Their Most Important Asset
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Reviews vom 15.4.2014
Salzburg
Arabella, Salzburg Easter Festival – review
Richard Strauss’s opera is a disappointing offering at the Festspielhaus
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Madrid
What is in a name: Lohengrin at the Teatro Real in Madrid
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-lohengrin-madrid-apr-2014
London
The Winter’s Tale, Royal Opera House, London – review
A skilful dance-theatre adaptation of Shakespeare by Christopher Wheeldon
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LSO/Valery Gergiev, Barbican, London – review
Outside the Barbican, campaigners protested; inside, the music was impressive
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Slavonic, dramatic, overwhelming –
Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass at the Royal Festival Hall
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-glagolitic-hrusa-apr-2014
Górecki Symphony No 4, Royal Festival Hall, review
Górecki’s overdue swansong is dramatic and tender , says Ben Lawrence
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New York
Metropolitan Opera 2013-14 Review – ‘Arabella’: Malin Bystrom & Michael Volle
Showcase Artistic Brilliance in Strauss’ Rarely-Performed Gem
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Maestro Stands In, Despite Protests
Valery Gergiev Conducts the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
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San Diego
San Diego Opera: hoping for an encore
Final curtain saddens opera fans, employees
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/apr/13/san-diego-opera-final-curtain/
Melbourne
Everything old seems fresh again as
Opera Australia breathes life into Verdi
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Feuilleton
Neville Marriner: ‘My wife has told me to keep June free’
Mehr Info
Reviews vom 14.4.2014
Luzern
Claudio Abbado memorial concert review
– ‘in his absence he could not have felt more present’
The Lucerne Festival Orchestra did their late, great conductor Claudio Abbado proud in a powerfully affecting performance in Lucerne
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London
Gounod’s Faust at the Royal Opera House – review
Gounod’s erotically-charged Faust has thrilled audiences since its Paris premiere in 1859.
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The Apostles review – ‘Intelligently articulated’
Barbican, London
Elgar’s treatment of the passion story shone most when it focused on Judas – and this was where Andrew Davis’s performance came alive
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Bristol
Psycho Live! thrills and chills at Colston Hall
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-psycho-herrmann-bristol-apr-2014
New York
Interview
“I Like to Be Crazy on the Stage’
The Soprano Olga Peretyatko’s Met Debut
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Tanz
The Body as Helix in an Infinite Cosmos
Shen Wei Revives “Map,’ a Work from 2005
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Fairfax, Virginia
Virginia Opera’s Carmen, Reviewed
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Virginia Opera’s colorful “Carmen’ fills the house in Fairfax
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Reviews vom 13.4.2014
Paris
Handel’s Tamerlano dazzles Versailles
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-tamerlano-versailles-apr-2014
London
tauberbach, les ballets C de la B, Sadler’s Wells
Belgian dancemaker presents a rich but overlong meditation on illness and difference
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Jakub Hrůša conducts the Philharmonia in Czech masterworks
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-hrusa-philharmonia-apr-2014
New York
Metropolitan Opera’s April 10 performance of Puccini’s “La Bohème”
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Highlighting the Classical, Hitting the Mystical, Flirting With the Demonic
The Pianist Paul Lewis Makes His Philharmonic Debut
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Evoking Creation, Occasionally
With a Big Bang Matthias Pintscher Leads Juilliard Orchestra in “Bereshit’
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Miami Opera review: UM Frost’s “Jackie O’ is a wild, satisfying ride
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Fort Worth 2015 for Fort Worth Opera
Next season, Fort Worth opera will do La Traviata, Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet, the new work Dog Days, and the third Frontiers.
read more
Ton- und Bildträger
CD Review: “Jarmila Novotná: Opera Recital’ An opera singer who could act
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DVD
Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov, Calixto Bieito, review
Calixto Bieito modernises Pushkin’s tragedy with thrilling stagecraft and theatrical clarity, says Rupert Christiansen
read more
Reviews vom 12.4.2014
Berlin/Staatsoper
German Choreographer Takes on Wagner
Mehr Info
Amsterdam
Dutch National Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor a bel canto treat
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-lucia-pratt-jordi-dno-apr-2014
Göteborg
The Merchant of Gothenburg: the return of La Juive
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-juive-goteborg-apr-2014
London
The Winter’s Tale, Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, review
Christopher Wheeldon’s extraordinary three-act version of The Winter’s Tale feels like something entirely new, says Sarah Crompton
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The Winter’s Tale, Royal Opera House, ballet review
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A New “Winter’s Tale’ for Royal Ballet
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New York
Tenor Michael Fabiano Wins 2014 Richard Tucker Award
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A Light Touch on Ecstasy, Melancholy and Wonder
The Soprano Lucy Crowe Gives Her New York Recital Debut
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Detroit
Father-daughter team shines in Detroit revival of Bolcom’s “A View from the Bridge”
read more
San Diego
SD Opera board chief fires back at critics
Cohn says board now wants to save doomed company; Symphony rumor shot down
read more
Reviews vom 11.4.2014
London
ENO appoints Vlaamse Opera’s Henriette Gotz as executive director
Mehr Info
Interview
Meet…Tara Erraught
http://jessicamusic.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/meettara-erraught.html
Deborah review – ‘Easily stands comparison with Handel’s greatest work’
St George’s, Hanover Square, London
This unfairly neglected oratorio was conducted with ferocious energy and commitment, while the playing and choral singing were both exemplary
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Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Royal Festival Hall, review
The audience was treated to something very special with this delicately coloured performance, says Ivan Hewett
Mehr Info
New York
Tanz
There’s Brightness When the Fog Clears
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Ambiguous Schubert and humane Beethoven from Mitsuko Uchida
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-uchida-diabelli-carnegie-apr-2014
Toronto
Opera Review: With Hercules, COC’s big idea doesn’t help an in-between opera
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Feuilleton
Sir Thomas Allen appointed music adviser to Scottish Opera while the Vienna Phil win $1m prize
The Scottish Opera may have found an experienced adviser in Thomas Allen, but they’ll need money to fully realise its potential – something which is not lacking at the Vienna Phil
read more
Vienna Philharmonic: worthy winner of the Birgit Nilsson Prize
It’s time to set the record straight on the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the deserving winner of opera’s richest prize, says Rupert Christiansen
read more
Theater
Peter Brook at 89 keeps slipping into new suits
Retirement isn’t on the director’s calendar. He keeps working up projects, including ‘The Suit,’ which is paying a tour visit to UCLA.
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Reviews vom 10.4.2014
St. Petersburg
Mariinsky International Ballet Festival, St Petersburg – review
English and Russian traditions were woven into a triumphant rendition of Ashton’s “Sylvia’
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London
The Crackle, Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, review
ROH’s Youth Opera Company provided a glimmer of light in Matthew Herbert’s otherwise drab debut opera, says Rupert Christiansen
read more
Vogt, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Jansons, Barbican
Perfection then tiredness from a fine orchestra on its third evening in London
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BBCSO/Davis: The Dream of Gerontius review – ‘Splendour and clarity’
Barbican, London
Sir Andrew Davis, the BBC Symphony and its chorus take Elgar’s masterwork to soulful heights of emotion
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New York
If the Devil Taps You, Pretend You Didn’t Feel It “The Soldier’s Tale’ Is Presented by Yale in New York
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Dehli
India gets a taste of western classical from Scottish Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has been touring Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai in a bid to inspire Indian children to explore western classical music
http://www.theguardian.com/music/classicalmusicandopera
Todesnachricht
John Shirley-Quirk has died
English bass-baritone whose distinctive voice and acting skills defined the Britten era passes away at 82.
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Reviews vom 9.4.2014
Paris
A stormy reception for Rossini’s Otello in Paris
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-otello-bartoli-osborn-paris-april-2014
London
Results: The International Opera Awards 2014 Are Announced,
Posthumous Prize for Gerard Mortier
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Faust review – ‘Sonya Yoncheva is a star in the making’
Royal Opera House, London
The Bulgarian soprano stands out in an all-star cast in David McVicar’s production of Gounod’s old favourite, while the director’s stagecraft ensures it never fails to entertain
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Through His Teeth, Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, London – review
A new work commissioned to stand alongside the Royal Opera’s revival of Gounod’s “Faust’
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The Crackle, Linbury Studio Theatre, London – review
A new opera on the theme of Goethe’s “Faust’ seeks novelty but achieves only banality
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New York
Operatic Drama Swells in Labor Talks at the Met
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Toronto
An Achingly Human Hercules
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-hercules-sellars-canadian-opera-apr-2014
San Diego
Amid turmoil, San Diego Opera carries on with masterful Furlanetto in a thoughtful Don Quixote
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-san-diego-opera-don-quixote-apr-2014
BWW Reviews: Furlanetto Conquers La Mancha – With Dignity
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Reviews vom 8.4.2014
Berlin
A Parsifal that thrills and bewilders
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-deutsche-oper-parsifal-apr-2014
Moskau
Bolshoi’s “Giselle,’ Geared to Virtuosity and a Vocal Audience
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Tours
Bérénice, Opéra de Tours, France – review
The pit’s contribution was consistently enjoyable in this new production of Albéric Magnard’s opera
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London
Winterreise, Royal Opera House, review
Jonas Kaufmann’s Winterreise proved the performer is at the peak of his artistry, says Rupert Christiansen
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Jonas Kaufmann, Royal Opera House, London – review
The German tenor embarked on a calm, measured journey of real eloquence
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The Dream of Gerontius, Andrew Davis, BBCSO: ‘remarkable’
Sir Andrew Davis brought his vast operatic experience to bear on this performance of The Dream of Gerontius, says John Allison
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Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Jansons – review
Barbican Hall, London
Continuing his Bruckner series, Mariss Jansons conducted a high-quality performance of the Seventh Symphony, but it was the Ninth Symphony that impressed the most
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New York
Full-Throttle Emotions and Blind Faith
“Madama Butterfly’ Stars Kristine Opolais at the Met
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Reviews vom 7.4.2014
London
Do change the record about the ‘elitism’ of opera
The Royal Opera House is really not inaccessible with tickets starting at £4
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Powder Her Face, Ambika P3, London
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Vorschau
Julian Anderson’s “Thebans’ at the English National Opera
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New York
Metropolitan Opera 2013-14 Review
Madama Butterfly: Kristine Opolais’ Genius Brings Puccini’s Glorious Masterwork to a New Level
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Soprano rises above misguided staging in Met’s “Butterfly”
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Soprano makes Met Opera history by debuting in two major roles within 24 hours
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The Seasonal Cynosure
New York, Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
04/04/2014 – Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion, BWV 245
http://concertonet.com/scripts/review.php?ID_review=9748
Feuilleton
The International Opera Awards: a reminder of a vibrant operatic scene
Amid signs of gloom, the International Opera Awards are a welcome reminder of just how vibrant the operatic scene is, says Ivan Hewett
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When UK pop was born: the 18th century
We take it for granted that music is all around us and endlessly accessible. But did you know that gigs, muzak, and the music business itself were all born in the 18th century in the UK?
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Reviews vom 6.4.2014
Budapest
A fine Dutchman in Budapest
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-dutchman-hungarian-opera-apr-2014
London
Faust, Royal Opera House, review
David McVicar’s Faust is a smashing show, with an electrifiying Bryn Terfel showing what a wonderful operatic actor he is
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Faust (Royal Opera)
Gounod’s unashamedly lyrical version of Goethe’s poem returns to Covent Garden with Calleja, Terfel and Keenlyside
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New York
Weitere “Arabella”-Reviews Met Opera:
‘Arabella’ Returns With Six Bright New Voices
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Two principals lift maladroit conducting in Met’s “Arabella”
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Davidson on the Secret Star of the Metropolitan Opera’s Arabella
http://www.vulture.com/2014/04/secret-star-of-the-met-operas-arabella.html
From “Butterfly’ to “Bohème,’ in a Flash
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Chicago
Salonen, CSO thrilling and majestic in Sibelius rarity
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San Diego
Opera board member donates million
Carol Lazier gives $1 million to encourage San Diego Opera board to explore options http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/apr/04/san-diego-opera-lazier/
Toronto
Vorschau
Peter Sellars takes opera to war with Hercules
Director, who uses War in Iraq as backdrop for COC production, says Handel wrote the soundtrack to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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Feuilleton
The world of violin maker Florian Leonhard
Violin maker Florian Leonhard talks to Ellie Pithers about music, his childhood, and matchmaking
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10 best opera houses around the world
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Reviews vom 5.4.2014
Berlin
A Winter’s Tale: Jonas Kaufmann sings Winterreise
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-kaufmann-winterreise-berlin-aor-2014
London
Powder Her Face review
Made memorable by Roocroft’s duchess Ambika P3, London Thomas Adès’ opera on the downfall of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, can seem heartless, but Amanda Roocroft’s nuanced performance is full of pathos
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Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Jansons, Barbican, London – review
The first of three programmes in a Bruckner-dominated London visit http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/fc206f58-bbd4-11e3-a31c-00144feabdc0.html
English National Ballet: Lest We Forget review Compelling quartet on war Barbican, London
In theming her programme around the first world war, Tamara Rojo has also grounded it in a narrative that runs as deep in her audience’s folk memory as any classic fairytale
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/apr/03/enb-lest-we-forget-review
Lest We Forget, Barbican, London – review
Three choreographers contribute to English National Ballet’s commemoration of the first world war
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Francesco Piemontesi/Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, review:
‘life-affirming’ This was a stylish and subtle performance from Italian pianist Francesco Piemontesi, says Ivan Hewett
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New York
A Baritone Shines in Strauss Opera at the Met
Michael Volle and Malin Bystrom in “Arabella”
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Les Arts Florissants serves up an exuberant “Platée”
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A busker’s Platée from Les Arts Florissants in New York
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-platee-new-york-apr-2014
A Master of Texture Conjures the Sky and the Sea
Pablo Heras-Casado Conducts the New York Philharmonic
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Joan Miller, Modern-Dance Champion, Dies at 77
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Chicago Glover, Music of the Baroque soar in Haydn’s “Creation”
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Calgary
Calgary Opera announces 2014-25 season
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Reviews vom 4.4.2014
Die vollkommene Leichtigkeit des Klangs
Von Lukoil unterstützt setzt sich Teodor Currentzis geschickt als neuer Taktstock-Guru in Szene. Er machte Perm am Ural zum Mekka der Klassik. Seine Einspielung vom “Figaro” ist grandios. Ein Porträt
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Budapest
The other face of Schrott Rojotango at the Budapest Spring Festival
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Baden Baden
Festival shock: Angela Gheorghiu cancels Faust
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London
Gastspiel in der ENO
Prince Igor: Kolobov Novaya Opera Theatre of Moscow – review
The distinctive qualities of the Russian instrumental tradition come across with impressive character in this Prince Igor, yet the archaic staginess of its costumes and sets lets it down
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Prince Igor, London Coliseum, review
The Kolobov Novaya Opera’s production of Prince Igor at the London Coliseum is magnificent, says Rupert Christiansen
Mehr Info
Sir Neville Marriner at 90 – review
Royal Festival Hall, London
Marriner led the orchestra with his habitual good-humoured perfectionism, revealing its distinctive polished and balanced sound in Mozart, Saint-Saëns and Elgar
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/02/neville-marriner-at-90-review
Maurizio Pollini’s absorbing Beethoven at the Royal Festival Hall
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-maurizio-pollini-beethoven-apr-2014
Tapping into the history of dance
For Savion Glover tap is more than expression – it’s an education. As he brings his new show to Sadler’s Wells he talks to Hermione Hoby
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Lest We Forget, English National Ballet, Barbican
Strongly styled pieces inspired by the First World War show Tamara Rojo’s company on fine form
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New York
Opera Review: “Andrea Chénier’
A rousing Italian opera about a French poet
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Reviews vom 3.4.2014
Moskau
Cultural Exchange, Facilitated by a Bandit David Hallberg Stars in “Marco Spada’ at the Bolshoi
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London
Prince Igor, Coliseum, London – review
The Novaya Opera has turned Borodin’s nationalist pageant into a kitsch and tawdry spectacle
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Prince Igor, London Coliseum, opera review
Production has too many echoes of Gilbert and Sullivan and Monty Python
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Prince Igor, Novaya Opera, London
Coliseum Carry On Up the Dnieper barely redeemed by decent musical values
http://www.theartsdesk.com/opera/prince-igor-novaya-opera-london-coliseum
Prince Igor (Novaya Opera, Coliseum)
Borodin’s tuneful epic makes a rare appearance on these shores in a visiting production from Moscow’s newest opera company
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Les Talens Lyriques/Rousset review –
‘A sense of suspended communion’ /Wigmore Hall, London
A perfect partnership between the string players brought Rameau’s tasting menu of aural delights to life in this recital
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New York
An Enigma, Bound by Chaos, Staged by a Veteran Choreographer “Vestigal,’ by the Wendy Osserman Dance Company
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Chicago
Sterling Schubert Second closes Muti’s spring residency in style
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Vancouver
Iestyn Davies: From Dowland’s Lute Songs to Muhly’s Old Bones
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-iestyn-davis-vancouver-march-2014
Feuilleton
What makes a great composer?
Ivan Hewett analyses what qualities are needed to make a great composer and takes issue with the suggestion that Stravinksy is not among the finest
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Reviews vom 2.4.2014
Brüssel
Au monde, La Monnaie, Brussels – review
Philippe Boesmans’ new opera is enigmatic but pleasingly accessible
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London
Ballet and opera on the big screen prove more popular than the real thing
The Royal Opera House says more people will watch its performances on cinema screens next season than at Covent Garden
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La Bohème production faces final curtain at Covent Garden after 41 years
Royal Opera House and Royal Ballet announce their 2014/15 seasons, which will include eye-catching world premieres
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Operatic Gem Among the Candles
“”L’Ormindo’’ by Francesco Cavalli
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The Sleeping Beauty, Royal Opera House, London – review
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Nina Stemme, Wigmore Hall, review
Nina Stemme’s performance at Wigmore Hall was almost superhuman in its transcendent beauty, says Rupert Christiansen
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Gerald Finley, Wigmore Hall, London – review
By Richard Fairman The baritone showed his adventurous side in a spine-tingling recital of Liszt and Sibelius songs
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New York
Presenting Onstage the Sounds (and Faces) of the Future Winners of Grand Finals of Metropolitan Opera Auditions
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Miami
Opera review: Florida Grand Opera does fine work with Puccini’s “Tosca’
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Cleveland
Christoph von Dohnányi: A triumphant return to Cleveland
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-dohnanyi-cleveland-mar-2014
San Diego
Opera votes to postpone closure
Opera board gives itself time to further examine finances and consider options
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/mar/31/san-diego-opera-postpone/
Houston
BWW Reviews: Opera in the Height’s LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR is Evocative and Atmospheric
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Bild- und Tonträger
L’Amour, Juan Diego Flórez, Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, review
A fresh and interesting programme that begins to explore the treasure trove of French 19th-century opera, says Rupert Christiansen
Mehr Info
Reviews vom 1.4.2014
St. Petersburg
La Fille mal gardée, Mikhailovsky Theatre, St Petersburg – review
The Russian audience was initially bemused but warmed as Ashton’s ballet wove its spell
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London
Royal Opera and ballet seasons are full of promise
Forthcoming seasons of Royal Opera and Royal Ballet looks encouragingly strong and imaginative, says Rupert Christiansen
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ROH-Spielplan 2014/15
http://www.roh.org.uk/news/opera-and-music-201415
LSO, Gergiev, Barbican
Big symphonies by an exquisite Russian piano miniaturist make strong impact
http://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music/lso-gergiev-barbican
Bristol
Bristol Old Vic announces a second season of classical proms concerts
Week-long initiative aims to present classical music in imaginative and contemporary ways, performers include Bryn Terfel and Lisa Batiashvili; John Eliot Gardiner will give a talk on JS Bach
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New York
Winners Named in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
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Noch eine “Boheme”-Review
Metropolitan Opera 2013-14 Review
La Boheme: Vittorio Grigolo, Anita Hartig & Youthful Cast Bring Unbridled Passion & Nuance to Puccini’s Masterpiece
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Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Opera stages attractive, pleasing ‘La Boheme’
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