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REVIEWS Dezember 2014

05.12.2014 | REVIEWS

Reviews vom 31.12.2014

Paris
New Life for a Fanciful Tale of Mortals and Sprites
Jean-Guillaume Bart’s “La Source,’ From Paris Opera Ballet
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London
2014 in review: opera
http://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/2014/12/2014-review-opera/

Birmingham
Christopher Morley’s Classical highlights of 2014
Andris Nelsons is going out in a blaze of glory with the CBSO, and his stunning final season is the highlight of Christopher Morley’s musical year
read more

Indianapolis
Indianapolis Opera Stages a Comeback
http://www.indianapolismonthly.com/arts-culture/indianapolis-opera-stages-comeback/

Los Angeles
Hollywood does opera: LA Opera’s approach to a centuries-old art form
http://fortune.com/2014/12/16/la-opera-christopher-koelsch/

Sidney
Opera year in review: Eugene Onegin, The Riders and Falstaff cap a season of smoke and mirrors
read more

Bücher
Schubert’s Winter Journey: Anatomy of an Obsession by Ian Bostridge, review: ‘insightful and gracefully written’
A study of Schubert’s song cycle explores the meaning of loneliness and finds a fitting climax
Mehr Info

Feuilleton
Tim Ashley’s opera guide: phantasmagorias and fairytales
Tim Ashley selects five operas full of magic and mystery and tracks down the best productions available to watch complete on YouTube
Mehr Info

Reviews vom 30.12.2014

London
Opera review of the year
Our opera editor takes a personal look back at the UK scene in 2014
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Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Royal Opera House, London — review
Francesca Hayward shines in Christopher Wheeldon’s handsome but overlong ballet
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/63ab499c-8f4a-11e4-9ea4-00144feabdc0.html

Igor Levit review – this pianist has got it all Wigmore Hall, London
Levit livened up the post-Christmas lull with a recital that showcased his huge technical range and lovely touch
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/29/igor-levit-review-wigmore-hall-london

Glasgow Vorschau
Dance International Glasgow
http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/stage/dance-international-glasgow.115213261

New York
Claude Frank, Pianist Admired for Performances of Beethoven, Is Dead at 89
read more

Seoul
Seoul Phil chief offers to resign amid alleged rights abuse
read more

Sidney
Romantic opera favourite to greet a new year
LATVIAN soprano Maija Kovalevska has exchanged a traditional white Christmas with her family in Riga for the newish custom of a New Year’s Eve performance of La Boheme at the Sydney Opera House.
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Reviews vom 29.12.2014

Budapest
2014 Most successful year for Budapest Opera in its modern history
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Istanbul
İstanbul’s classical arts scene: thorns and roses
read more

London
REVIEW: Spellbinding Nutcracker by English National Ballet
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Birmingham
Rising stars of 2015: dancer Luke Schaufuss
read more

Edinburgh
The Nutcracker, Scottish Ballet, Edinburgh Festival
Theatre Sumptuous redesign transforms old favourite into a safe new classic
read more

New York
Top Ten Performances of 2014
http://newyorkclassicalreview.com/2014/12/top-ten-performances-of-2014/

Boston
The Top Ten Performances of 2014
http://bostonclassicalreview.com/2014/12/the-top-ten-performances-of-2014/

Chicago
Freud’s goal: Keep Chicago’s Lyric Opera relevant
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St. Louis
Classical music highlights for 2014 include ‘Elixir of Love,’ Renee Fleming
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Reviews vom 28.12.2014

London Best of 2014:
Opera A vintage year as our reviewers struggle to narrow it down to a Top 10
http://www.theartsdesk.com/opera/best-2014-opera

New York
New York City Opera’s Name and Other Assets Attract Suitors
read more

A Classic Retains Its Power to Enthrall “The Nutcracker’ Still Out-Dazzles “Hansel and Gretel’
read more

San Diego
2014: The year in dance
Collaboration was key in a year of cross-genre ballet, contemporary and ethnic dance programs http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/dec/26/2014-year-in-san-diego-dance/

Ton- und Bildträger
DVD, Daniel-François-Esprit Auber: Marco Spada or The Bandit’s Daughter
Recording: The Bolshoi Theatre, March 2014
http://www.concertonet.com/scripts/dvd.php?ID_cd=3291

Reviews vom 27.12.2014

Paris
Thousands mobilise to save classical music at Salle Pleyel
 read more

Petition: Non à la fin programmée de la musique classique à la Salle Pleyel
 read more

London
Stephen Cleobury: “The next auditions are on 24 January so get in touch’
The director of the choir of King’s College, Cambridge on the annual ritual of their live Christmas Eve broadcast, that last-minute soloist – and a call for new recruits
read more

New York
Looking Back at 2014 in the Arts in New York City
http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2014/12/26/looking-back-at-2014-in-the-arts/

Toronto
Toronto’s top cultural gaffes of 2014 ROM misses out on The Greeks, the COC slips into the red and more
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Ton- und Bildträger Onward, Elektra, Ariadne and Octavian Richard Strauss Recordings Recommended by Critics
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/26/arts/music/richard

Reviews vom 26.12.2014

Prag
Opera review: Orango and Anti-Formalist Rayok
 Mehr Info

London
Mozart 250: Classical Opera plans 27-year celebration of composer
Project will track composer’s life and works year by year from age eight, when he wrote his first symphony
read more

Tom Service’s top 10 live events of the year
Gilliam’s wild imagination triumphed, Norrington was revelatory, and a deconstructed string quartet at the Wigmore Hall
read more

Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, St John’s Smith Square, review: No praise too high
 read more

New York
Met’s “Hansel and Gretel” provides entertaining holiday feast for all ages
read more

Metropolitan Opera Review – ‘La Traviata:’ Marina Rebeka’s Violetta is a Transcendent Rebel
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Klassik online BBC Radio 3: Celebrating Simon Rattle
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02f21r0

Reviews vom 25.12.2014

Madrid
Alagna and Yoncheva star in a concert Roméo et Juliette
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On storytelling: Gerhaher and Huber perform Mahler in Madrid
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New York
A Demure Christmas Ballet
Classic Develops a Lascivious Wink “Nutcracker Rouge’ Is More Naughty Than Nice
read more

Chicago
REVIEW: ‘The Merry Widow’ by Light Opera Works
read more

 Year in Review:  Top Ten Performances of 2014
http://chicagoclassicalreview.com/2014/12/top-ten-performances-of-2014/

San Diego
The backstory on the board story
Story on board behavior and San Diego Opera provided rare opportunity to step back
Mehr Info

Reviews vom 24.12.2014

München
The music is the star of the Bavarian State Opera’s surreal Die Frau ohne Schatten
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New York
Moody’s Lowers the Metropolitan Opera’s Credit Rating
read more

Renee Fleming to star on Broadway for first time
 read more

A festive break from Messiah: Hindemith’s The Long Christmas Dinner
 Mehr Info

Oakland
The Jaded Sing Hallelujah for Oakland Ballet’s Nutcracker
read more

Sidney
Too risky: Why orchestras and opera companies avoid Australian works
read more

Feuilleton
Tim Ashley’s introduction to opera: Politics
This week, five great operas that have dared to take on the establishment, and how to find the best versions on YouTube
read more

Reviews vom 23.12.2014

Amsterdam
A stellar selection of rhapsodies from Mariss Jansons at the Concertgebouw
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Brüssel
Belgian Opera House Copes With Cuts
read more

Neapel
A tale of two gypsies (and a love triangle): a waveringTrovatore in Naples
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-trovatore-luisotti-znaniecki-naples-december-2014

London
Don Quixote, Royal Opera House London, review
Akane Takada dazzles as Natalia Osipova suffers on-stage fall
read more
Un ballo in maschera, Royal Opera House, London — review
Katharina Thoma’s new production is painfully feeble, while the music fails to find Verdi’s pulse
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/cbf30022-8774-11e4-bc7c-00144feabdc0.html

The Hilliard Ensemble review – poignant farewell after 41 years Wigmore Hall, London
The last performance by the much admired early-music vocal group was always going to be an emotional occasion
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Washington
Washington National Opera’s tuneful “Little Prince’ pleases kids — or does it?
Mehr Info

Reviews vom 22.12.2014

London
Rosenkavalier, Tristan und Isolde and Mephistopheles: The opera highlights of 2014
http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/theatre/547801/Opera-highlights-2014

Un ballo in maschera; Phantom Voices – review
Royal Opera House; St Leonard’s church, London Star names Joseph Calleja and Dmitri Hvorostovsky light up an otherwise underwhelming Un ballo in maschera
Mehr Info

Ainsley / Martineau @ Wigmore Hall, London
5 best operas of 2014
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From Puccini’s Gold Rush masterpiece The Golden Girl of the West to Terry Gilliam’s madly risky staging of Benvenuto Cellini, Rupert Christiansen chooses his five best operas of 2014
read more

Thought-provoking, violent and percussive: Bavouzet’s Bartók, Ravel and Beethoven
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-bavouzet-wigmore-december-2014

The Bach Choir proves itself Britain’s brainiest cultural institution
Mehr Info

Chicago
Light Opera Works serves up a stylish and exuberant “Merry Widow”
read more/

Palm Springs
Nine stand out in Palm Springs Opera Guild competition
read more

Reviews vom 21.12.2014

Aix-en-provence
Festival d’Aix-en-Provence’s 67th Season to Feature World Premieres, French Premieres & More
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Berlin
Exquisite string playing in changed Berlin Philharmonic Programme
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London
5 worst operas of 2014
From a string of hideous productions at the Royal Opera House to singers dressed up as hot dogs, Rupert Christiansen chooses his five worst plays of the year
 read more

New York
Casting a Spell of Menace and Sweetness “Hansel and Gretel,’ a Family Holiday Treat at the Met
 read more

Hansel and Gretel at The Met: Richard Jones’ sinister fairy tale production
 read more

Kotik opera creates compelling character study from Stein texts
 Mehr Info

Geoffrey Gordon is second composer commissioned by the American Music Project
Mehr Info

Ton- und Bildträger
Handmade vinyl albums: Yours for £2,500
 Mehr Info

Gerald Finley’s Shostakovich named Recording of the Year
Limelight’s top gong goes to the Canadian Baritone’s Vocal Category winning album.
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Reviews vom20.12.2014

Prag
Sharp satires from Shostakovich staged in Prague
 read more

London
Opera Review of 2014: the start of opera becoming the domain of the elite?
Despite some unforgettable singing this year, 2014 suggests rot is developing beneath opera’s plastered surface, says Rupert Christiansen
Mehr Info

Un ballo in maschera (Royal Opera House)
The much-anticipated new production of Verdi’s melodrama misses the mark
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Un Ballo in Maschera, Royal Opera House, review:
leaden’ The stench of mediocrity was inescapable in this production of Verdi’s masterpiece, says Rupert Christiansen
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Un ballo in maschera, review: Verdi’s opera is hampered by woefully hammy acting
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Un Ballo in Maschera, Royal Opera House – opera Review
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Buchbinder’s Beethoven: grounded, but graceful
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Edinburgh
Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Ticciati review – uninhibited Tetzlaff tackles Schumann
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New York
Metropolitan Opera Review 2014-15- Le Nozze di Figaro
– Erwin Schrott, Mariusz Kwiecien, Danielle De Niese, Rachel Willis-Sorensen Lead Rich & Emotionally Engaging ‘Marriage’
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Forward Motions: New York City Opera Seeks Auction Approval
read more

Ton- und Bildträger
The best classical CDs of 2014
From Barenboim to Sandrine Piau, the Ardittis to Abbado, Andrew Clements selects his 10 favourite recordings of the year
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Strauss: Four Last Songs; Ein Heldenleben CD review – Barenboim and Netrebko in Berlin
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Reviews vom 19.12.2014

Zürich
Dreadful duplicity, misguided ardour: Luisa Miller in Zurich
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-luisa-miller-mosuc-rizzi-zurich-december-2014

Paris
A Proudly Unsentimental “Nutcracker’ at Paris Opera Ballet
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London
Gerhaher/Huber review – restrained and fascinating Mahler Wigmore Hall, London
Gerhaher seemed more than usually restrained, though his beauty of tone and subtle colouring of every phrase were as consistent as ever
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/18/gerhaher-huber-review

Willy Decker’s emotion-packed La traviata returns in triumph to The Met
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Rambert’s New Choreography : emerging and assertive talents
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Glyndebourne
Watch Glyndebourne’s Hänsel und Gretel for free this Christmas
Glyndebourne’s magical Hänsel und Gretel will be available to watch on the Telegraph website between Christmas and New Year
read more

New York
Metropolitan Opera undeterred by Anna Netrebko fraternizing with terrorists
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Chicago
Lyric chief Anthony Freud plots new directions for Chicago opera
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Houston
A Christmas Carol, Houston Grand Opera, Wortham Theater Center, Houston, Texas — review
Iain Bell’s brilliant new Dickens opera is given an astounding performance by Jay Hunter Morris
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d856a4e8-85d7-11e4-a105-00144feabdc0.html

BWW Reviews: A CHRISTMAS CAROL Mesmerizes at The Alley
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BWW Interviews: Simon Callow Talks Dicken’s Genius, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and Good Old-Fashioned Acting
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Feuilleton
Chance discovery casts new light on origins of polyphonic music
PhD student happens upon fragment in British Library suggesting modern multi-part music evolved earlier than was thought
Mehr Info

Reviews vom 18.12.2014

Mailand
Warner’s electrifying Fidelio starts the season and ends an era at La Scala
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-fidelio-barenboim-warner-la-scala-december-2014

La Scala opera house introduces five-minute grace period for latecomers
Performances at Milan opera house to begin five minutes after scheduled time to stop spectators becoming angry with ushers
read more

Berlin
Elīna Garanča stars in a funny and touching Rosenkavalier at the Deutsche Oper
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London
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet review – technically faultless, but charmless
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Cardiff
Messiah review – Cardiff Polyponic Choir celebrate their anniversary in stirring style
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New York
Listening to Mozart and Dreaming at the Same Time “Le Nozze di Figaro’ Returns to the Met
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Willy Decker’s emotion-packed La traviata returns in triumph to The Met
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-traviata-rebeka-decker-metropolitan-opera-december-2014

Behind the Scenes of a Six-Hour Opera
The Comic Opera by Richard Wagner Tests the Audience and Performers’ Endurance
http://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-the-scenes-of-a-six-hour-opera-1418766046

San Diego
San Diego Opera’s Keltner stepping down
Resident conductor leaving company after 35 years
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/dec/16/san-diego-opera-karen-keltner-departure/

Feuilleton
The 10 best classical music live events of 2014
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/16/10-best-classical-music-live-events-of-2014

5 worst classical music moments of 2014
Ivan Hewett recounts the five classical performances this year that made him fear for his eardrums
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Reviews vom 17.12.2014

Donetsk
Donetsk Opera & Ballet Theater receives money certificate issued by Anna Netrebko
http://itar-tass.com/en/non-political/766955

London
Tristan and Isolde: Should an opera production be changed if audiences dislike it?
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Max Emanuel Cencic @ Wigmore Hall, London
http://www.musicomh.com/classical/reviews-classical/max-emanuel-cencic-wigmore-hall-london

Venetian delights from Cenčić and Il Pomo d’Oro
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-max-emanuel-cencic-pomo-doro-wigmore-december-2014

New York
Stepping Back Into a Role’s Shoes
James Morris’s Unexpected Return to “Meistersinger’
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Murphy and Whiteside magical in ABT’s last NYCNutcracker run
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Chicago
When the Living Ain’t Easy
Lyric Opera of Chicago, celebrating its 60th anniversary season, is finishing up 2014 with a pair of imposingly scaled productions with stars to match: “Porgy and Bess’ and “Anna Bolena.
Mehr Info

Sidney
Australian Ballet leads the way as Sydney Opera House reopens following Martin Place siege
Mehr Info

Feuilleton
Classical review of 2014: is Europe losing its grip?
This year marked a shift in power relations within classical music, says Ivan Hewett
read more

Tim Ashley’s opera guide: sex
In the third of Tim Ashley’s guide to the best opera productions on YouTube, he looks at five of the great operas that deal with the infinite variety of sexual experience
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/16/tim-ashley-opera-guide-sex

Hat Baronin von Rothschild zwei Chopin-Stücke geschrieben?
Zwei erst im 20. Jahrhundert publizierte mutmassliche Chopin-Stücke, ein Nocturne in c-Moll und ein Walzer in a-Moll, sollen in Tat und Wahrheit Werke der Chopin-Schülerin Baronne Nathaniel de Rothschild sein. Behauptet der Pianist Philip Sears.
Mehr Info

Reviews vom 16.12.2014

Prag
The New Land: A grim and long-delayed première in Prague
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-haba-nova-zeme-national-theatre-prague-december-2014

Berlin
Misfiring, updated Turandot
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Paris
A tale of two cités: can the Philharmonie de Paris bridge the social divide?
Built on the boundary between the capital’s banlieues and its affluent boulevards, the new state-of-the-art concert hall aims for social transformation through the arts. We take a peek and ask what makes the perfect concert hall
Mehr Info

Island
An Icelandic Opera to be Staged at Christmas: RAGNHEIÐUR
Mehr Info

London
The Nutcracker, English National Ballet, London Coliseum
Wayne Eagling’s production returns for another bout of rodent control
http://www.theartsdesk.com/dance/nutcracker-english-national-ballet-london-coliseum-3

Cardiff
WNO puts opera’s ‘invisible people’ on stage
Welsh National Opera performing project puts the spotlight on the stagehands
Mehr Info

Edinburgh
Scottish Ballet: The Nutcracker review – a beautiful moonlit experience Festival theatre, Edinburgh
Tchaikovsky’s make-believe kingdoms shimmer with considerable fairy cool in a sophisticated and elegant production
http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/dec/15/nutcracker-scottish-ballet-edinburgh-review

New York
A Steady Hand at the Helm as Heat Turns Into Sparks Dohnanyi Conducts New York Philharmonic in Dvorak Works
 Mehr Info

Choreographer Unearths Surprises in Tchaikovsky’s Score Alexei Ratmansky’s “Nutcracker’ by American Ballet Theater
Mehr Info

San Francisco
San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker ushers in the holiday season
Mehr Info

Sidney
Review: Enigma Variations (Sydney Symphony Orchestra)
Donald Runnicles and Frank Peter Zimmermann offer a touch of class in Sibelius and Elgar.
Mehr Info

Reviews vom 15.12.2014

Moskau
Vishneva Shines in New Neumeier Ballet ‘Tatiana’
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London
Cencic/Il Pomo d’Oro/Minasi review – consistently breathtaking Wigmore Hall, London
The Croatian countertenor’s singing was formidable and Il Pomo d’Oro’s Riccardo Minasi brought down the house
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/14/cencic-il-pomo-doro-minasi-review

Tristan und Isolde; Harrison Birtwistle premiere; The Way Back Home – review
Royal Opera House; Royal Festival Hall; Young Vic, London Soloists at the top of their game are only half the story in Royal Opera’s thrilling revival. And a new piano concerto by Harrison Birtwistle is taut but lyrical
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A dance class with the Bolshoi ballet ahead of their first performance of Swan Lake
Prima ballerina Ekaterina Krysanova takes the Telegraph backstage to watch a training class as the Bolshoi ballet open their UK run with Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House.
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New York
James Levine leads a masterful ‘Die Meistersinger’ at the Metropolitan Opera
Mehr Info

Yuja Wang delivers stunning artistry and blazing bravura in memorable Carnegie Recital
read more

Behold The Giant
Isaac Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall
Daniil Trifonov (Piano)
http://concertonet.com/scripts/review.php?ID_review=10300

Boston
Barnatan displays exceptional artistry in Bach-inspired program
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Reviews vom 14.12.2014

London
Cats (London Palladium)
After a 12 year hiatus, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s vaudevillian classic meows back into town in style
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Les Vents Français: Musical alchemy at Wigmore Hall
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-les-vents-francais-wigmore-december-2014

Birmingham
CBSO/Litton/Ehnes review – spectacular virtuosity from James Ehnes
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New York
A Late Curtain and a New Hero Francesco Demuro Steps In to Save Met’s “La Traviata’
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Notable Performances and Recordings of 2014
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Los Angeles
Review: ‘Charmingly Strange’ Spanish-Language ‘Florencias en el Amazonas’ at LA Opera http://laist.com/2014/12/12/florencias.php

Ton- und Bildträger
Borodin: Prince Igor DVD review – powerhouse performances
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Berg: Lulu DVD reviewmusically superb but overloaded with imagery
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Feuilleton
Arvo Pärt interview: ‘music says what I need to say’
A rare audience with the monk-like Estonian minimalist who may be the world’s greatest living composer
read more

Poll: What Was the Biggest Classical Music Story of 2014?
http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/poll-what-was-biggest-classical-music-story-2014/

Reviews vom 13.12.2014

Brüssel
Morlot to Step Down as Conductor of Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie
 read more

London
The Way Back Home, Young Vic, review: Opera for children can be profound
Mehr Info

Children’s Opera Proves Seriously Entertaining
Mehr Info

Jeffers opera shows the way forward
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30431090

Pierre-Laurent Aimard, LPO, Jurowski, review: ‘Commanding clarity and accompanying virtuosity’
Mehr Info

The Way Back Home, ENO, Young Vic: ‘Not even a farting penguin can save it’
This almost Disney-ish new opera will both fail to engage adults and leave children feeling patronised, says Rupert Christiansen Mehr Info

Kyung Wha Chung: ‘I have always welcomed children to my concerts’ “
The concert hall and the theatre are probably the last havens of peace; places in which it is still expected that audiences can sit, absorb, think and contemplate without interruption. These periods of concentration are necessarily lengthy, and increasingly rare in the modern world. I believe it is important, therefore, to foster education in young people today, so that the art of true listening is not lost.”
 read more

Review: Alice is wonderful in Royal Ballet’s Adventures in Wonderland
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English Concert/Davies review – ravishingly good Christ Church, Spitalfield’s, London
This chance to hear the UK’s pre-eminent countertenor, Iestyn Davies, in an ideal venue did not go unrewarded
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New York
Dark and Deep Desires “Macbeth,’ Bloch’s Only Opera, at Manhattan School of Music
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Living large and dying beautifully: New cast brings vivid life to Met’s “Traviata”
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Reviews vom 12.12.2014

Turin
Impassioned Russian repertoire from the Mariinsky Orchestra in Turin
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-mussorgsky-gergiev-mariinsky-turin-december-2014

London
Are theatre audiences too white?
The British performing arts – and theatre in particular – are under fire for attracting predominantly white, middle-class audiences. Is this criticism fair?
read more

New York
BWW Reviews: Heigh Ho, Silver
GUGLIELMO TELL Rides into Carnegie Hall with Teatro Regio Torino with Soprano Angela Meade under Noseda
 read more

A terrific early revival of the Metropolitan Opera’s new Figaro
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-figaro-eyre-kwiecien-metropolitan-opera-december-2014

After mixed start, Trifonov’s Liszt proves trancendental at Carnegie Hall
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Harmonic Ripples in a Watery World
Hélène Grimaud Performs “Tears Become Streams Become ’
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Boston
Picker’s “Mr. Fox” proves less than fantastic at Odyssey Opera
read more

Chicago
Nachtrag zur “Anna Bolena”
Stairway to bel canto heaven?
Radvanovksy sings an ecstatic Anna Bolena in Chicago
read more

San Jose
Opera San Jose to Continue Season with World Premiere of WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREA
Mehr Info

Reviews vom 11.12.2014

München
Figaro in Munich: great singing and acting on a blank backdrop
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-figaro-pisaroni-hartig-bolton-munich-december-2014

Berlin
Medieval song contest ends in Kammermusiker award for Peter Seiffert after Berlin Tannhäuser
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-tannhauser-seiffert-deutsche-oper-berlin-december-2014

London
Vote in the WhatsOnStage Opera Poll 2014/15
The shortlist has been revealed, so get voting!
http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/vote-whatsonstage-opera-poll_36681.html

Tanz
The Mad Hatter, review: The Royal Opera House’s first hip hop production is a bonkers success
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The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, Linbury Studio Theatre, review: ‘stupendous fun’
You’d be mad to miss ZooNation’s frantic adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s tale, says Mark Monahan
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Siglo de Oro, Spitalfields Winter Festival, review: ‘tame’
Formed in 2008 by a group of London music students, Siglo de Oro takes its name from the golden age of renaissance Spanish culture
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Manchester
BBCPhil/Mena review – an inspired pairing of Bach and Bruckner Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
Juanjo Mena, the BBC Philharmonic and the Manchester Chamber Choir delivered a radiant Bach and a thrilling performance of Bruckner’s Fourth
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/09/bbcphil-mena-review-bach-bruckner

New York
Arias of the Unexpected, From Sorrow to Joy It’s Handel; It’s Not What You Think
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Chicago
Lyric Opera’s Anna Bolena is as gripping as a modern-day thriller
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Lyric Opera’s uneven “Anna Bolena” lacks a sharp cutting edge
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Reviews vom 10.12.2014

London
Elim Chan wins 2014 Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition
The 28-year-old UK conductor is competition’s first female winner
read more

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Royal Opera House, London — review

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/308566ce-7ec9-11e4-a828-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3LPwVwSnt

LPO/Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Royal Festival Hall: ‘thrilling and exactly right’
A performance of Stravinsky, Messiaen and a brand new Birtwistle piano concerto was a rare occasion on which all the parts felt exactly right, says Ivan Hewett
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New York
Metropolitan Opera Review 2014-15 – ‘Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg:’ Legendary Performances All Around
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Teatro Regio Torino’s Rossini rocks the house at Carnegie Hall
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Philip Glass’s Etudes: the sound of a lifetime
Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York Seeing the work of two decades compressed into an evening was immensely satisfying as America’s greatest living composer stakes his claim for immortality
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Cleveland
A Beethoven history lesson with the Cleveland Orchestra and Marek Janowski
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Sidney
Aida director promises ‘bigger and better’ performance for next year’s Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour
read more

Feuilleton
Tim Ashley’s opera guide: comedies
In the second in a six-part series, Tim Ashley seeks out the best opera productions available to watch complete on YouTube. This week: five comedies in which nothing is quite as straightforward as it might seem
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Reviews vom 9.12.2014

St. Petersburg
Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko donates $1mln to Donetsk Opera and Ballet Theatre
http://itar-tass.com/en/russia/765609

Opera singer Anna Netrebko poses with Ukrainian separatist flag
Russian-Austrian soprano donates 1m roubles to opera theatre in rebel-held Donetsk and says she “just wants to support art’
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Berlin
Bach’s Mass in B minor at the Konzerthaus Berlin
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-bach-mass-marcon-rias-kammerchor-berlin-december-2014

Mailand
Barenboim’s ‘Fidelio’ wows La Scala opera buffs at season opener
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/08/us-italy-lascala-opening-idUSKBN0JL0W120141208

Madrid
The universalization of Britten:Death in Venice in Madrid
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-death-in-venice-decker-madrid-december-2014

London
Weitere “Tristan”-Reviews
Tristan und Isolde, Royal Opera House – opera review
Nina Stemme returns, supreme as Isolde, blazing in anger, gloriously lyrical in love. But Tristan is now Stephen Gould, not quite her match for controlled nuance, though his thrilling heroic delivery never grates on the ear
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Tristan und Isolde, Royal Opera House, review: Overwhelming and emotionally magnificent
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Tristan und Isolde review – haunting revival of 2009 production
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/07/tristan-und-isolde-review

New York
With an Expressive Flip, a Conservative Lineup Flares to Life
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Leads the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie
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Gotham Chamber Opera puts a delightful seasonal spin on children’s classic
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Weihnachtsoratorium: Jauchzet, frohlocket doch mal anders
Weihnachten ohne Bach? Das geht. Komponisten von Heinrich Schütz bis John Adams bieten alternative Krippenoratorien an. Und der große Thomaskantor hat eh nur geklaut.
http://www.zeit.de/kultur/musik/2014-12/weihnachtsoratorium-bach-alternativen-tipps

Grenoble
Grenoble kürzt Minkowskis Subventionen
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Reviews vom 8.12.2014

Oslo theartsdesk in Oslo: Two Peer Gynts and a Hamlet
Intermittently powerful new Ibsen opera outshone by hard-hitting Norwegian theatre http://www.theartsdesk.com/opera/theartsdesk-oslo-two-peer-gynts-and-hamlet

London
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Royal Opera House, review
Absurdist, dark and almost beyond praise: Christopher Wheeldon’s take on Lewis Carroll is a dazzling extravaganza, says Laura Thompson
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Should you go to a concert with a cough?
The Korean violinist Kyung Wha Chung chided the parents of a coughing child at a performance last week. Is the concert hall any place for a wintry ailment, ask our debaters?
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Belcea Quartet/Biss review – pain and pleasure Wigmore Hall, London
Mark-Anthony Turnage’s new work Contusion, based on the Sylvia Plath poem and premiered here by the Belcea Quartet, has the makings of a modern classic
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New York
Second cast by no means second best in Met’s delightful “Figaro”
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Little Opera Theater presents an ambitious and rewarding Carlisle Floyd double-bill
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Wunderkinds at Work
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Ton- und Bildträger
Recapturing the Radical on the Podium “Pierre Boulez: The Complete Columbia Album Collection’
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Feuilleton
Fiona Maddocks: classical music’s most significant firsts of 2014
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Reviews vom 7.12.2014

London
Tristan und Isolde, Royal Opera House, review: ‘an Isolde possessed by demons’
This revival of Christof Loy’s production of Tristan und Isolde is at first enthralling but becomes increasingly distracting, says Rupert Christiansen
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Tristan und Isolde (Royal Opera House)
Christof Loy’s 2009 production revived for the first time with a superlative cast
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Stemme and Gould light up Tristan und Isolde at the Royal Opera
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-tristan-isolde-loy-royal-opera-december-2014

Stephen Gould, Covent Garden’s Tristan From Les Mis to the Ring, the American Heldentenor has sung them all
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Iestyn Davies and Elizabeth Kenny, Spitalfields Winter Festival, review:
‘the whole thing was a joy’ English lute songs poured forth with perfect ease and naturalness from Iestyn Davies and Elizabeth Kenny, says Ivan Hewett
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Birmingham
CBSO/MacMillan review – St Luke Passion’s freshness sometimes sags – Symphony Hall, Birmingham
The UK premiere of James MacMillan’s passion showed the work’s touching directness, but an ultimate lack of awe
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New York
Investors Seek to Revive N.Y. City Opera Deal Requires Court Approval and Could Be Challenged by Competing Bidders
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We’re Nothing but Busts, Mozart. Busts!
“The Classical Style,’ an Opera Buffa at Zankel Hall
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Feuilleton
Matching up to Beethoven: How do today’s composers answer the challenge of the classical giant?
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Reviews vom 6.12.2014

Berlin
Striking Mahler 6 from Berlin Philharmonic under substitute Daniel Harding
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London
Kyung-wha Chung was right to shush a toddler
The famous violinist doesn’t deserve the indignation she’s faced for her actions, says Ivan Hewett
 read more

New York
A Prelude to Encores Itzhak Perlman Returns for Solo Recital at Lincoln Center
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Chicago/ Gastspiel
Noseda, Teatro Regio hit the mark with thrill-packed ‘William Tell
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Grand Torino: Noseda, inspired cast and Italian musicians hit the bullseye in a thrilling “William Tell”
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Metzmacher makes mixed impression in CSO’s uneven Russian program
 read more

San Diego
New operas have special demands
 read more

Adelaide
Amahl and the Night Visitors: a joyful Christmas fable
 read more

Feuilleton
Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde: nothing in music history was the same again Bernstein called it “the central work of all music history’.
Wagner’s radical music-drama was deemed unperformable when first written, but time has proved the Vienna Court Opera very wrong. Tom Service selects a few of the highlights available to watch, or listen to, on YouTube.
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Reviews vom 5.12.2014

London
Celeste Aida: Garifullina shines in Rosenblatt Recital debut
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-garifullina-burnside-rosenblatt-wigmore-december-2014

Was Kyung Wha Chung right to upbraid a coughing child disturbing her recital?
read more
Kyung-wha Chung, Royal Festival Hall, review: ‘extravagant whimsy’
On her return to the concert stage, violinist Kyung-wha Chung’s performance was too often distorted and obscured, says Ivan Hewett
read more

A nervy but successful comeback: Kyung Wha Chung at the Royal Festival Hall
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-kyung-wha-chung-kenner-london-december-2014

LPO/Jurowski/Levit review – ravishing Scriabin Royal Festival HallLondon
Jurowski puts Rachmaninov’s problematic symphony in context, while soloist Igor Levit is sensational in Scriabin
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New York
Production’s Retirement Party
Schenk’s ‘Die Meistersinger’ at Lincoln Center
read more
Met’s stolid “Meistersinger” fails to reach the high notes
read more
Met Opera: A Masterful “Die Meistersinger” With Levine As Masterconductor
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wilborn-hampton/die-meistersinger_b_6263388.html

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Metropolitan Opera, New York – Review
A dutiful, revived production of Wagner’s opera is enlivened by James Levine’s conducting
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/17256cc8-7af1-11e4-b630-00144feabdc0.html

Chicago
Lyric Opera’s “Ring” to emphasize the story-telling and theatricality of Wagner’s tetralogy
Director David Pountney discussed the production of the Lyric Opera’s future “Ring” cycle Tuesday at the Civic Opera House.
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Kairo
Egypt, Cairo Opera House can dream again
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Sidney
Iphigenie en Tauride review: A dramatic feast even the gods approve of
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Dramatic power of war and grief in Iphigenie en Tauride
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Iphigénie en Tauride | Pinchgut Opera
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Feuilleton
Karajan: a new film – and the controversy continues
The conductor – who led the Berlin Philharmonic from 1956 to 1989 – is the subject of a new BBC documentary. But he remains an enigmatic figure, whose musical approach sounds a false note in today’s world
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Reviews vom 4.12.2014

Turin
Another Opera Crisis Is Averted in Italy
Gianandrea Noseda Is to Stay at Teatro Regio in Turin
read more

Florenz
Falstaff / Opera di Firenze, 29th November 2014
http://operabritanniauk.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/falstaff-opera-di-firenze-29th-november-2014/

Venedig
Atmospheric Simon Boccanegra brings out the best of La Fenice
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Carsen’s La traviata rises again at La Fenice
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-traviata-carsen-dotto-fenice-venice-november-2014

London
The Mikado, Charing Cross Theatre – opera review
Thom Southerland’s new staging of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic comes on like a budget Busby Berkeley production, all nifty dance routines and a slightly risqué air
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New York
Conjuring Cleopatra in Regal Maturity
Natalie Dessay Presents Arias From Handel’s “Giulio Cesare’
read more

Boston
Pergolesi’s comic gems in new BEMF pastiche
Mehr Info

Style and slapstick in Boston Early Music Festival’s Pergolesi double-bill

http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-pergolesi-boston-early-music-festival-november-2014

Feuilleton
Tim Ashley’s opera guide: love stories
In the first of a six-part series, Tim Ashley goes in search of the best opera productions available to watch complete on YouTube. To open the series, he looks at opera’s greatest love stories. Tell us in the comments section of your own personal favourites.
Mehr Info

Reviews vom 3.12.2014

Berlin
Verdi’s Falstaff given a playful make-over at the Deutsche Oper
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-falstaff-loy-solyom-deutsche-oper-berlin-november-2014

A musically thrilling, but bloodless Carmen at Deutsche Oper
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-carmen-margaine-deutsche-oper-november-2014

München
Rossini’s Turco in Munich: sometimes funny, but deeply flawed
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-turco-italia-loy-munich-november-2014

Bukarest
New La Traviata marks rebirth of Bucharest National Opera
read more

Oslo
Peer Gynt, Norwegian National Opera, Oslo – review
Estonian composer Jüri Reinvere’s new opera is dark and sprawlingly ambitious
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b8c84b9e-7a20-11e4-8958-00144feabdc0.html

London
Dmitri Hvorostovsky/Ivari Ilja – review: Mahler dispatched with deadly dullness
read more

Queyras/Melnikov review – playing of extraordinary refinement Wigmore Hall, London

Contrasting styles and a vast emotional range rendered the duo’s performance of Beethoven’s cello sonatas poised and intense
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New York
Opera Review: “The Barber of Seville’
A spirited production at the Met
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1117388-opera-review-the-barber-of-seville/

San Diego
San Diego Opera releases 2013-14 audit
Financial statements show company in solid shape
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/dec/01/san-diego-opera-audit/

Dallas
The Grand Nut
Texas Ballet Theater’s The Nutcracker soars with glorious dancing and Ben Stevenson’s witty action in the party scene.
read more

Melbourne/ Weitere “Falstaff”-Reviews:
Opera Australia’s Falstaff is a knight to remember
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Falstaff in Melbourne: a high-calibre, cavorting, colour-coded comedy
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Reviews vom 2.12.2014

Oslo
Lies and delusions: Jüri Reinvere’s Peer Gynt in Oslo
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Zürich
Die Frau ohne Schatten: a Strauss extravaganza in Zurich
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-frau-ohne-schatten-pountney-zurich-november-2014

Paris
Choreography That Stretches Performers and Their Art
Lyon Opera Ballet Presents Forsythe Works in Festival
read more

London
Mass art forms are falling out of fashion, director Peter Sellars warns
The opera director Peter Sellars warns a new generation prefer intimate theatre to mass art forms ‘dying like vast dinosaurs’
read more

Nina Stemme: ‘I have no interest in being a media product’
As the greatest dramatic soprano in the world returns to Covent Garden in Tristan und Isolde, she tell Rupert Christiansen how she’s grown into the role and why she’ll never sing crossover
read more

BBCSO/Minkowski review – Minkowski makes a strong case for Rott’s lost symphony Barbican, London
Rott’s debts to his close friend Mahler were all too apparent but there were moments of great beauty and tremendous energy
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/01/bbcso-minkowski-hans-rott-mahler

Birmingham
Magic and beauty in Birmingham’s Bruckner
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-bruckner-nelsons-hough-cbso-november-2014

New York
Dessay and Dumaux light up Handel’s “Cesare”
http://newyorkclassicalreview.com/2014/12/dessay-and-dumaux-light-up-handels-cesare/

Melbourne
Opera Australia’s Falstaff combines fat suits and melodic gems
read more

Reviews vom 1.12.2014

London
Weitere „Don Quixote”-Reviews
Don Quixote at the Royal Opera House: Review
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Don Quixote review – the evening belongs to Marianela Nuñez Royal Opera House, London
The Royal Ballet’s brightest star proves irresistible in Carlos Acosta’s Don Quixote
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Weitere Review zum „L’elisir”
L’elisir d’amore @ Royal Opera House, London
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New York
An Unedifying Night at the Opera
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Boston
Even with its long “Messiah” tradition, H&H delivers fresh and thrilling Handel
read more

Sidney
Prokofiev the whimsical and the heroic: after more than 30 years, the LSO returns to Australia
read more

Feuilleton
Songs of exiles: rescuing “degenerate music’ from the shadows
The Nazi campaign against so-called “degenerate music’, saw works by such composers as Weill, Schoenberg and Hindemith denounced and suppressed. More than 70 years later, much of this music is still unknown. Baritone Peter Brathwaite on his mission to bring it to a new audience.
Mehr Info

 

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