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Reviews März 2014

02.03.2014 | REVIEWS

 Reviews vom 31.3.2014

London
Francesco Cavalli’s “L’Ormindo’
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Cavalli’s delightful L’Ormindo graces new Globe playhouse
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LPO/Nézet-Séguin – review
Soloist James O’Donnell revealed the impressive tonal range of the Royal Festival Hall’s refurbished organ in Poulenc’s 1938 Concerto and Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony
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I Can’t Sing!, Palladium, London – review
Harry Hill’s musical takes aim at the TV talent show phenomenon – but doesn’t hit the bull’s-eye
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San Diego
Opera drama: We must fight to keep it alive
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Feuilleton
Faust proves the devil has the best tunes
The story of the man who sells his soul for worldly gain has been a powerful influence on composers and writers for centuries. As three new Fausts open at the Royal Opera House, novelist Philip Hensher journeys into the abyss
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Salzburg
Eugen Onegin im Salzburger Landestheater
Ein Beitrag in portugiesischer Sprache im CONCERTO, Sao Paolo
http://www.concerto.com.br/textos.asp?id=413

 

Reviews vom 30.3.2014

London
Injury Keeps Russian Dancer From Performing With Royal Ballet
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Olivier Latry, Royal Festival Hall, review
French virtuoso Olivier Latry showcases his enticingly strange sounds on the Royal Festival Hall organ
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New York
Mystical and Searching, and Very Last-Minute
Mr. Honeck conducted the New York Philharmonic Thursday night at Avery Fisher Hall.
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Milwaukee Florentine Opera’s ‘Julius Caesar’ has hits, misses
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Dallas
Opera Review: How Dallas Opera’s Barber of Seville Merges the Whimsical and Profound
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San Diego
Employees Fight to Keep San Diego Opera Alive
The company is set to begin shutting down operations next month
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The story behind the opera closing – is like an opera
 Mehr Info

Hobart
Opera review: Orlando (Glimmerglass Festival at Hobart Baroque)
Mehr Info

Reviews vom 29.3.2014

London
The Sleeping Beauty, Royal Opera House, ballet review
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Prince of the Pagodas, Coliseum, London – review
David Bintley’s choreography is the prisoner of Benjamin Britten’s interminable score
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The Prince of the Pagodas, Birmingham Royal Ballet, London Coliseum
For all its lush design, this valiant effort is still not the definitive Britten ballet
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Reviews vom 28.3.2014

Wien
Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s recital delights the Staatsoper audience
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-hvorostovsky-staatsoper-march-2014

London
Tanz
James Thiérrée: Tabac Rouge, Sadler’s Wells, review
The latest production by Charlie Chaplin’s grandson, James Thiérrée, will leave you scratching your head, says Mark Monahan
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Matthew Rose the driving force in Mendelssohn’s Elijah
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-elijah-blackheath-march-2014

New York
One Free Spirit Amid the Fog and the Frenzy Geneva Ballet and Melodrama at the Joyce
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Durham, North Carolina
American Dance Festival Announces Lineup
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New York
Andrea Chénier at The Met: A size too small
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-chenier-metropolitan-march-2014

Boston
Dudamel, LA Philharmonic thrill with Technicolor symphonies by Corigliano, Tchaikovsky
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Chicago
Muti returns to CSO with distinctive Schubert
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Feuilleton
Italy’s Financial Woes Play Out on the Opera Stage
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Rufus Wainwright: Why I love composer Olivier Messiaen
‘I listen to Messiaen’s work over and over – and once stole from him. But only one bar’
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Reviews vom 27.3.2014

Wien
Gräfin Mariza with more than just a twist at the Volksoper
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-grafin-mariza-volksoper-march-2014

Moskau
Lady of the Camellias, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow – review
John Neumeier’s character-rich ballet has found a company that is equal to its challenges
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London
L’Ormindo, Royal Opera/Shakespeare’s Globe, review
Cavalli’s early baroque opera was given a lively and amusing staging at the candlelit Wanamaker Playhouse
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L’Ormindo by Francesco Cavalli review – ‘An exquisite evening’
San Wanamaker Playhouse, London
Cavalli’s erotic comedy, the first opera at this candlelit Jacobean theatre, is a first-rate production in a well-nigh perfect venue
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L’Ormindo, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse – opera review
Kasper Holten’s marvellously inventive production of Cavalli’s L’Ormindo is both pacy and genuinely amusing
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L’Ormindo, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse – opera review
An inventive and witty production authentically lit by beeswax candles
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Sigiswald Kuijken / Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Queen Elizabeth Hall, review
The cello of the shoulder is the latest in a long list of strange beasts we’ve seen at ‘early music’ classical concerts, says Ivan Hewett
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Birmingham
Zurich Chamber Orchestra/Roger Norrington – review
Symphony Hall, Birmingham
This all-Mozart programme displayed Norrington’s mellowness, with a lively sense of chamber music intimacy
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Reviews vom 26.3.2014

New York
Weitere “Chenier”-Reviews
Noseda, orchestra and fine cast make a heroic case for Met’s “Chenier”
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Metropolitan Opera 2013-14 Review – ‘Andrea Chenier’
Zeljko Lucic & Patricia Racette Shine in Umberto Giordani’s Masterwork “Marcelo Alvarez took on the role for the first time in his Met career and was a mixed bag. The tenor boasts a bright lyric sound in his middle range, but seemingly has trouble maintaining the brilliance when the vocal line calls for him to open up in the passaggio and upper notes.”
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Interview
Baritone in a Hurry to Reach Valhalla
Michael Volle’s Opera Profile Is Rising
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Indianapolis
Indianapolis Opera cancels final show of season
The company cited financial concerns and alluded to the need for a sustainable plan moving forward
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Feuilleton
Is Opera Dead? Is the Met Next?
The audience that can afford to pay $280 for an opening night ticket is a microscopic percentage of this planet’s population.”
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Baden Baden
Richard Eyre on taking the waters in Baden-Baden
In his monthly column, Richard Eyre reflects on following in the footsteps of Dostoevsky and Hockney as he tests the waters in Baden-Baden
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Versailles
Artaserse: A Countertenor Extravaganza at Versailles
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-arteserse-versailles-march-2014

London
Rimsky-Korsakov, Snegurochka, The Snow Maiden
A Snow Maiden to melt the iciest of hearts
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-snow-maiden-ucopera-march-2014

LSO/Gardiner/Ibragimova review
‘The optimum balance of gravitas and grace’
Barbican, London
The eloquent Alina Ibragimova ensured that this performance of Schumann’s Violin Concerto lived up to its sensational backstory
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New York
An “Andrea Chénier’ Short on Star Power
A revival of Umberto Giordano’s opera opened on Monday at the Met.
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Washington
Eschenbach’s NSO contract extended through 2016-17
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Slipped Disc editorial: Why Christoph Eschenbach attracts controversy
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Dallas
Weitere Review zur “Toten Stadt”
Review: The Dallas Opera Works Hard to Pull Off Die tote Stadt
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San Francisco
Maya Beiser: All Vows, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco – review
The cellist showed off stunning technical resources in repertoire tailored to her talents
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Tokyo
Lady of the Camellias: Paris Opera Ballet in Tokyo
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-paris-ballet-lady-camellias-tokyo-march-2014

Sidney
REVIEW: Opera Australia’s Madama Butterfly Is A Brilliant Outdoor Spectacular
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Reviews vom 25.3.2014

London
Who will replace Roger Wright at BBC Radio Three and the Proms?
Roger Wright is leaving the two most powerful and politically contentious jobs in classical music. Ivan Hewett assesses his performance
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Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Festival Hall, London – review
Lorin Maazel encouraged hard, brassy playing and brought out the bombast in Strauss http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/814c3b6c-b0ea-11e3-9f6f-00144feab7de.html

New York
Bohemians in Chaos, With Flair and Drama
Anita Hartig Stars in “La Bohème’ at the Met
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Chicago
San Diego loses a major opera company: Could it happen in Chicago?
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La Clemenza di Tito closes out Lyric Opera’s 2013 season with striking performances
The new-to-Chicago production showcased flawless operatic talents
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Carlotte
Opera Carolina’s “Dutchman’ flies high
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San Diego
Terminating San Diego Opera is too drastic a solution
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Montreal
All-star cast dazzles in Handel’s Solomon
Mehr Info

 

Reviews vom 24.3.2014

Birmingham
Robert Ashley: That rare thing, a great American opera composer
Just weeks after his death, two works by Robert Ashley get their UK premieres – Ivan Hewett remembers a genius whose music stands comparison to Mozart and Verdi’s
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Glasgow
Macbeth review: Scottish Opera’s awkward compromise Citizens,
Glasgow Instead of Verdi’s full orchestra we get a chamber ensemble – an awkward compromise in terms of timbre and balance
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New York
Mehta, Israel Phil and soloists come up short in Carnegie program
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Los Angeles
LA Opera’s New ‘Lucia’ Survives its Odd Scenic Detour
http://laist.com/2014/03/23/la_opera_lucia.php

Palm Beach
Lent the wrong tenor, the women provide the highlights in Palm Beach Opera’s “Tales of Hoffmann
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Dallas
Weiteres zur “Toten Stadt”
Fever Dream
With Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt, the Dallas Opera delivers a spectacular staging of a late-romantic masterpiece. read more

Review: Dallas Opera’s “Die tote Stadt’ is mostly worth the wait
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Sidney
Opera review: Madama Butterfly (Handa Opera/Opera Australia)
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Opera review: Madama Butterfly
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Madama Butterfly | Opera Australia
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Reviews vom 23.3.2014

Brüssel
Arthur, La Monnaie, Brussels
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St. Petersburg
Mariinsky Ballet: ‘We feel our work is our life’
As the Mariinsky Ballet prepares for a major London season, Sarah Crompton goes behind the scenes with the great Russian company at its recently revamped St Petersburg home
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New York
Works Seldom Heard, From Haunting to Jubilant American Classical Orchestra Performs Handel Rarities
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The Tentative, the Vibrant and Then the Impassioned Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Visits Carnegie Hall
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Boston
The Sorrows of Hades and the Glories of Spring
Boston Early Music Festival Offers Charpentier Short Operas
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Washington
Washington National Opera’s Elixir of Love at the Kennedy Center, Reviewed
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Perez, Costello are game in WNO’s “L’elisir d’amore’
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Dallas
Opera Review: Die tote Stadt
In Dallas Offers Rare Look at Powerful Piece
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San Diego
A stirring Requiem for San Diego
Opera’s senseless, premature death Critic’s Notebook: The performance of Verdi’s Requiem ahead of San Diego Opera’s closing is a rousing rebuke to that disturbing decision.
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San Franciso
S.F. Opera Looks to the Future, Eyes Wide Open
https://www.sfcv.org/article/sf-opera-looks-to-the-future-eyes-wide-open

Feuillton
Opera in America: Is it Circling the Toilet?
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Reviews vom 22.3.2014

Mailand
La Scala’s new boss takes aim at ‘crazy’ catcalling of the loggionisti opera fans
Pavarotti and Alagna both suffered from the jeers of La Scala’s aficionados. Now manager Alexander Pereira has had enough
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London
Will children ever care about opera?
As English National Opera launches a new initiative to promote opera in schools, Rupert Christiansen goes along to see whether it will make any difference
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Philharmonia/Maazel – review
Royal Festival Hall, London Lorin Maazel captured the transcendent qualities of the Alpine Symphony and the dance of Also Sprach Zarathustra in a celebration of Richard Strauss’s 150th anniversary
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London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Festival Hall, review
London Philharmonic Orchestra were on cracking form, while performances from conductor David Zinman and pianist Emanuel Ax made this concert something special
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New York
It’s ladies night for the new cast in the Met’s venerable “La Boheme” “
Anita Hartig made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimi in Puccini’s “La Boheme” Wednesday night.”
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San Diego
San Diego Opera will close, in ‘a sign of the times’
The departure reflects the increasing challenge of funding arts programs.
 read more

 

Reviews vom 21.3.2014

Amsterdam
A legitimate masterpiece: Béjart Ballet dances Bolero and Light
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London
Kings of the Dance, Coliseum, London – review
Ivan Vasiliev’s commanding performance in “Le Jeune Homme et la Mort’ is the evening’s highlight
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Kings of the Dance review – ‘Descends into a vanity project’
London Coliseum
Despite the all-star ensemble, talent and testosterone can’t make up for a lack of taste – not to mention more compelling choreography
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New York
Interview
Political Views Test the Harmony
Zubin Mehta, of the Israel Philharmonic, on That Nation’s Affairs
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Chicago
Fleming, Kaufmann share the love with Lyric Opera audience
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Dallas
Hats Off!
An inteview with Danish director Mikael Melbye, who makes a surprising announcement about the Dallas Opera’s production of Korngold’s masterpiece Die tote stadt.
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Houston
A Coffin in Egypt, Houston Grand Opera – review
Frederica von Stade makes her comeback in Ricky Ian Gordon’s gentle and reflective new opera
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Los Angeles
L.A. Opera Debuts Glass Harmonica for ‘Lucia’
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/la-opera-debuts-glass-harmonica-689769

Long Beach
Long Beach Opera: Controversy Dominates ‘The Death of Klinghoffer’
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Opera Review: The Death of Klinghoffer
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Feuilleton
Interview
For Opera Powerhouse Dolora Zajick, ‘Singing Is Connected To The Body’
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Bottrop
Der Ring des Nibelungen im Lichthof des Berufskollegs
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Reviews vom 20.3.2014

München/ Prinzregententheater
Valentina Lisitsa lässt das Publikum wählen
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London
The Commission/Café Kafka, Linbury Studio Theatre, London – review
A scheme to encourage young opera writers yields two works of admirable originality and scale of ambition
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Organ launch concert, Royal Festival Hall, London – review
A new piece by Peter Maxwell Davies marked the restoration of the 60-year-old instrument
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Organ gala, Royal Festival Hall, review.’muddled and counterproductive’
The concert that unveiled the restored Festival Hall organ after an absence of eight years was a poor advertisement for the instrument, says John Allison
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Organ Gala Launch – review  Royal Festival Hall, London
This ill-conceived evening was not the chance to hear the refurbished instrument properly put through its paces that organ fans have waited so long for
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New York
Paul Taylor, Lincoln Center, New York – review
The choreographer’s common-sense approach sometimes produces great dance – but not always
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West Coast Visitors Arrive, Then Look Back Los Angeles Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall

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Dubai
Dubai to get 2,000-seat opera house in
The Opera District Dubai Opera within The Opera District in Downtown Dubai to take the shape of a traditional dhow.
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Feuilleton
Interview
Juan Diego Flórez: the best tenor in the world?
“He says he will sing Werther on stage in about two years’ time, first in Bologna, then the following season in Zurich.”
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Reviews vom 19.3.2014

Paris
Paris Opera Ballet Wins Jerome Robbins Award
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Nancy
CCN-Ballet de Lorraine, Opéra National de Lorraine, Nancy, France – review
Surrealist ballet “Relâche’ was the highlight of the company’s latest triple bill
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London
Weitere Review zur “Frau ohne Schatten”
A Strauss Back in the Footlights
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I Capuleti e i Montecchi/Chelsea Opera Group – review
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
This high-voltage concert revival of Bellini’s version of Romeo and Juliet was one of the group’s finest achievements
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The Commission/Café Kafka, opera review
Linbury Theatre, London
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A double bill of new opera at the ROH
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-kafka-commission-linbury-march-2014

San Francisco SO/
Michael Tilson Thomas, Royal Festival Hall, London – review
Under Michael Tilson Thomas the ensemble’s performances were technically proficient but lacking emotional engagement
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Christian Gerhaher/Gerold Huber review
‘Meticulous but uninvolving’
Wigmore Hall, London
A programme devoted to Schumann’s Lieder from a single year allowed the stellar German pair to show off their technical mastery, but emotion was kept firmly in check
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Nottingham
Threepenny Opera review – ‘All the more furious from disabled actors’
Nottingham Playhouse
This tubthumping update of The Beggar’s Opera seems, at times, unfocused despite its powerful casting
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Edinburgh
Edinburgh international festival highlights to reflect on war
Event to coincide with centenary of first world war but conflicts including apartheid and the Trojan war will also be remembered
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New York
Noch einmal “Sonnambula”
Sleepwalker With Love Trouble Avoids a Rude Awakening
Diana Damrau Takes On “La Sonnambula’ at the Met
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Vienna Love Fest Comes to Sober and Sassy End
Zubin Mehta Leads Final Concert in Festival
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Long Beach
Review: Long Beach Opera’s ‘Death of Klinghoffer’ illuminates world
John Adams’ controversial ‘Death of Klinghoffer’ gets a spirited Southern California premiere by Long Beach Opera.
Mehr Info

 

Reviews vom 18.3.2014

Wien
Vorstellung vom 12. März
112 years in the making: Adriana Lecouvreur’s belated première in Vienna
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Berlin
Haitink 1 – 3 Berlin Philharmonic: the score for Bruckner’s “Romantic
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-berlin-haitink-bruckner-march-2014

London
The Magic Flute, English Touring Opera, review
ETO’s Magic Flute outshines its more expensive and overblown rivals, says John Allison
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Weitere Review zur “Frau ohne Schatten”
Die Frau ohne Schatten, Royal Opera House, London – review
Claus Guth’s production offers a Freudian interpretation of Richard Strauss’s biggest opera
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New York
Domingo Celebrates 700th Performance at New York’s Met
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=1783533&CategoryId=13003

Eschenbach, Vienna Phil offer gorgeous Mahler, uneven Schubert
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Miami Beach
Miami Lyric Opera offers a pleasurable “L’Amico Fritz”
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Salt Lake City
Review: Utah Opera delivers superb “Turandot’
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Dallas
Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition Crowns Winners
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Los Angeles
Review: L.A. Opera’s ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ sweeps away resistance
Albina Shagimuratova is a force in the title role in L.A. Opera’s production of Donizetti’s ‘Lucia di Lammermoor,’ and Saimir Pirgu brings persuasive energy to the role of Lucia’s star-crossed lover.
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Toronto
National Ballet of Canada’s Swan Lake
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-national-ballet-canada-swan-lake-march-2014

Brisbane
Opera review: Rigoletto (Opera Queensland) Verdi’s masterpiece makes rather a grand metaphor for Berlusconi’s Italy
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Hobart, Tasmanien
Interview
Julia Lezhneva on Hobart, coloratura and wombats
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Reviews vom 17.3.2014

Lyon
Lyon Opéra staff don’t want Serge Dorny back
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London
Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten – review
Royal Opera House, London
With Semyon Bychkov conducting and singers who never disappoint, the performance is musically exceptional, even if director Claus Guth’s dramatic treatment can feel muddled
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Die Frau ohne Schatten, opera review:
An ideal cast make for a breath-taking performance in this brilliant new production of Strauss in Covent Garden
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Revelatory playing in the Royal Opera’s Die Frau ohne Schatten
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Die Frau ohne Schatten, Royal Opera
Compelling dream-interpretation of Strauss’s myth graced by fine singing and conducting
http://www.theartsdesk.com/opera/die-frau-ohne-schatten-royal-opera

New York
Metropolitan Opera 2013-14 Review – ‘La Sonnambula’:
Glorious Diana Damrau & Javier Camarena Transcend Incoherent Production
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Met Opera: Damrau and Camarena Turn “La Sonnambula” Into a Dream
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Damrau rises above disastrous staging in Met’s narcoleptic “Sonnambula
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Boston
Lyric Opera offers energetic, traditional “Rigoletto’
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A fine cast does justice to an unjust world in BLO’s “Rigoletto
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Wien/ Konzerthaus
Carla Bruni im Wiener Konzerthaus: Madame 100 Volt
Mit den Augen eines Kindes blickt sie in die Welt, mit der Stimme einer Gutenachtgeschichtenerzählerin singt sie. “Sarko” blieb zu Hause
Mehr Info
München/ Philharmonie
Carla Brunis Konzert in der Philharmonie in der AZ-Kritik
Die ehemalige Première Dame Frankreichs im Gasteig
Mehr Info

Hamburg/ Schauspielhaus
Buhrufe bei Premiere von “Carmen Disruption”
Für die Produktion über Einsamkeit in Zei

 

Reviews vom 16.3.2014

Pisa
Andrea Chénier: Teatro Verdi di Pisa, 7th March 2014
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London
Die Frau ohne Schatten (Royal Opera)
Strauss’s psychological fairy tale brilliantly staged by Claus Guth on his Covent Garden debut
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Die Frau ohne Schatten, ROH, review
An exciting and exhausting evening in the company of Strauss’s grand pretentious opera
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The ephemeral world of Pilobolus: Shadowland in London
read more
New York
Recovered Enough to Play Hobbled
Thomas Hampson Makes His Debut as Wozzeck
read more

Embracing the Recital, With Arms Wide Open
Natalie Dessay Performs Chansons and Lieder at Carnegie Hall
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Hot Baton Takes Turn at Festival Andris Nelsons
Conducts Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall
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Los Angeles /Vorschau
For Albina Shagimuratova, opera is a special kind of love and madness
Coloratura soprano Albina Shagimuratova, performing ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ at the L.A. Opera, talks about a most demanding — and ‘beautiful’ — role.
read more

 

Reviews vom 15.3.2014

London
Anna Netrebko withdraws from the Royal Opera’s Faust:
If the star doesn’t turn up, why should the audience have to? The audience should be given the chance of a refund
read more

La Clemenza di Tito, Cadogan Hall, review
Urgent conducting and crisp orchestral playing raise the spirit of this Classical Opera Company production, says Rupert Christiansen
read more

How Handel’s Messiah helped London’s orphans –
and vice versa George Handel’s oratorio is Britain’s best-loved choral work. But without its links to the Foundling Hospital, one of Georgian London’s leading charities, we might never have known it
read more

New York
Hampson is a moving Wozzeck in belated role debut
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Close Enough to See the Scriabin’s Colors
Evgeny Kissin, Russian Pianist, Plays at Carnegie Hall
read more

Grandeur, Delicacy and Duels in Nielsen Symphonies
New York Philharmonic Continues an Exploration
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His Swans Are Primal, Yet Very Precise Jean-Christophe Maillot Brings “Lac’ to City Center
read more

Boston
Dessay brings her Gallic art to wide-ranging song recital
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San Francisco
San Francisco Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon’s magical Cinderella
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Sidney /Interview
Opera Australia boss Lyndon Terracini: democratise or die
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Reviews vom 14.3.2014

Madrid
Souls spreading their wings: Gerhaher and Huber marvel with Schumann in Madrid
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-gerhaher-huber-madrid-march-2014

London
Artemis Quartet, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London – review
The Berlin-based ensemble demonstrated its flexibility in a programme of Beethoven and Brahms
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London/Cardiff
Opera’s fallen women
No room for morals in Mariusz Trelinski’s bleak new production of Henze’s Boulevard Solitude for WNO; plenty of room for levity in Royal Opera’s La Fille du regiment
http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts/opera/9156811/sex-and-drugs-and-opera/

New York
Personal Mix of Familiar and Fresh,
With a Show-Tune Encore Julia Bullock Gives New York Recital Debut at Merkin Concert Hall
read more

Tokyo
Philharmonic Orchestra, Alice Tully Hall, New York – review
Animated maestro Eiji Oue kept things tough, taut and energetic for the ensemble’s US debut
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Auckland
New Zealand Opera appoints new General Director
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Buchrezension
Opera from the Other Side
Evan Baker: From the Score to the Stage: An Illustrated History of Continental Opera Production and Staging
read more
Ton- und Bildträger
Wagner/Rienzi review – Sebastian Weigle rethinks a divisive opera
Christiane Libor/Claudia Mahnke/Peter Bronder/Frankfurter Opern-und Museumsorchester/Sebastian Weigle
(OEHMS)
read more

 

Reviews vom 13.3.2014

Prag
Not a dry eye in the house: Rusalka at Czech National Theatre
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London
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Barbican, London – review
The programme included rarely performed Russian songs and the baritone gave his considerable all
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Dmitri Hvorostovsky/Ivari Ilja – review

Barbican, London
An all-Russian programme culminated in Hvorostovsky’s intense and vivid rendering of Sviridov’s Petersburg cycle
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Belén Maya and Manuel Liñán, Sadler’s Wells, London – review
Both dancers exhibit thrilling skills that banish flamenco cliché but Liñán’s gift is transcendental
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The Russian Ballet Icons Gala: a stunning array of choreography and performances
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New York
Traces of Lives, From Scores to Cigarettes “Vienna’s Musical Giants’ Brings Artifacts to Carnegie Hall
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Beethoven in Broad Strokes, and With Mugging Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall
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Lips Locked, With Musical Chairs
Focus Cia de Dança Performs at the Joyce Theater
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Sarasota
Jérusalem, Sarasota Opera, Florida – review
Verdi’s rarely staged opera is a reworking of his “I Lombardi’ – and arguably an improvement on it
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Sarasota Opera makes a powerful case for Verdi’s “Jerusalem
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San Diego
Nachtrag zum “Maskenball”
Glitter and Be Vengeful: San Diego Opera’s A Masked Ball
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Long Beach
Vorschau
Long Beach Opera tackles controversy with ‘The Death of Klinghoffer’
Other companies have shied from ‘The Death of Klinghoffer,’ about the Achille Lauro hijacking and killing of Leon Klinghoffer, but Long Beach Opera embraces ‘moving piece.’
read more

Feuilleton
The Alagnas introduce their baby to opera
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 Reviews vom 12.3.2014

Wien
“Figaro” 2. Vorstellung
Harnoncourt offers a richly varied Le nozze di Figaro in Vienna
read more

Prag
Don Giovanni where it began, at the Estates Theatre in Prague
read more

London
Le docteur Miracle, Pop-up Opera
The Running Horse Bizet’s culinary operetta with random seasoning, no elixir and no meat
read more

Le Docteur Miracle/Pop-Up Opera – music Review
The young, classically trained singers are energetic, engaging and only occasionally strained in this rare performance of Georges Bizet’s work
read more

New York
Mit neuem “Wozzeck”-Einspringer Daniel Sutin
Metropolitan Opera 2013-14 Wozzeck-Review
– Wozzeck: James Levine Leads Harrowing, Painful & Revelatory Rendition of Alban Berg’s Masterpiece
read more

Mahler Remixed, Zankel Hall, New York – Review
An electro-rock reworking of the Austrian composer’s music in which guitar and Mahler were difficult to discern
read more

Flashes of Red Break
Through in a Brooding Spanish Landscape Eva Yerbabuena Stars in Flamenco Festival
read more

Washington
Tenor Michael Fabiano leads Washington Concert Opera’s “Il Corsaro’
Mehr Info

Cleveland
Brett Mitchell steps in for ailing Cleveland maestro in Britten’s Spring Symphony
http://bachtrack.com/de_DE/review-spring-symphony-cleveland-march-2014

Sarasota
Sarasota Opera’s “Trovatore” eventually sparks Verdian fire
read more

Feuilleton
Symphony guide: John Adams’s Harmonielehre
It might not be called a symphony, but Adams’s 1985 work is one of the late 20th century’s most significant and sophisticated examples of the form
read more

 

Reviews vom 11.3.2014

Washington
Delightful NSO “Rosenkavalier’ features Fleming, Montsalvo and newcomer Houtzeel
read more
NSO Fetes Strauss with Stellar ‘Rosenkavalier’
read more

London
BWW Reviews: ENGLISH TOURING OPERA – THE MAGIC FLUTE, Hackney Empire, March 8 2014
read more

Fun-filled Magic Flute from ETO in Hackney
read more

Noch eine Review zum konzertanten Rameau
Les Indes galantes, Barbican, London – review
The period ensemble was full of joie de vivre and, at three hours, the score was all too complete
read more

Und noch eine “Fille”-Review
All froth and little substance: La Fille du régiment at Covent Garden
read more

New York
Metropolitan Opera 2013-14 Review
Vittorio Grigolo in Recital
A Visceral & Exciting Performance Filled With True Vocal Nuance & Beauty
read more

A Night of Song, Delivered Passionately and With Heart
Vittorio Grigolo Performs Solo Recital at the Metropolitan Opera
read more

San Diego
Maskenball” mit Krassimira Stoyanova und Piotr Beczala
‘Masked Ball’ soars at Civic It all comes together in superb SD Opera production of Verdi’s masterpiece
read more

A Golden Age Masked Ball

http://www.concertonet.com/scripts/review.php?ID_review=9691

Sarasota
Sarasota Opera serves up rollicking Rossini with an inspired “Barber”
read more

Adelaide
Tectonics Adelaide program one review – a classical experiment
Adelaide festival: Grainger Studio
Sparks fly when the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra rubs up against a clutch of avant garde musicians
read more

Feuilleton
Mortier-Nachruf in der New York Times
Gerard Mortier, Opera Visionary and Patron of New Work, Dies at 70
read more

Reviews vom 10.3.2014

London
Villa-Lobos, Total Immersion, Barbican Centre
The BBC Symphony Orchestra’s latest concert showed how delicate Villa-Lobos can be, says Ivan Hewett
read more

New York
After the Deluge, It’s Back to the Stage Martha Graham Dance Company Recovers
read more

Boston
CONCERT REVIEW: Nelsons’ preview a sign of great things to come
read more

Chicago
Haymarket’s double bill a stylish bow to the French baroque OPERA REVIEW
“Acteon” and “Le Jugement de Pan” at Haymarket Opera Company
 read more

Haymarket Opera enchants with Charpentier
 read more

Sarasota
Sarasota Opera’s static “Dutchman” offers more ebb than flow
read more

Feuilleton
Interview
The Prime of Miss Emma Matthews
Australia’s top coloratura sings Mozart and talks training, top notes, bel canto, bosoms and Bonynge.
 read more

Interview
Xavier Sabata is Breaking Bad at Hobart Baroque
How the countertenor, who started out as an actor, found his voice singing baroque opera’s shadier characters. read more

Makabres Ranking
The 13 strangest composer deaths in classical music
read more

Reviews vom 9.2.2014

New York
Domingo Undimmmed
Plácido Domingo Defies the Gravity of Age
read more

Paris
L.A Dance Project 2 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris
 read more

London
Noch eine Review zur “Fille”
La Fille du régiment, Royal Opera House, London
 read more

Opera Les Indes Galantes Les Talens Lyriques, Barbican Hall, review
Jean-Philippe Rameau’s opéra-ballet is charged with a wicked energy and panache, says Rupert Christiansen
read more

Les Talens Lyriques/Christophe Rousset review
glorious score and well-nigh perfect cast’ Barbican, London The playing was beautifully textured and the singing perfectly honed for Rameau’s masterpiece of discreet eroticism
read more

20-year-old conductor wows London
read more

Interview Alina Ibragimova: from Russia with dedication
 read more

New York
Matthias Goerne Fills In as Lead at the Met
read more

As a last-minute sub, Matthias Goerne leads a powerful “Wozzeck” at the Met
read more

First Nighter: The Met’s New ‘Wozzeck’ with Matthias Goerne Confidently Stepping In
read more

On short notice, Goerne sings 2nd Wozzeck in week
 read more

 

Reviews vom 8.3.2014

London
Arianna in Creta, Britten Theatre, London – review
The opera reminded us why it is often neglected but the heroic arias are among Handel’s best
Mehr Info

Pierrot Lunaire à Kings Place
 read more

New York
Goerne für Hampson als Wozzeck eingesprungen: Met Opera Lead Takes a Sick Day
read more

Notes Composed for the Nose
The Met Conductor Fabio Luisi Seduced by Creating his Own Perfumes
read more

New York
Met Opera Union Foresees Plunging Pay“The Metropolitan Opera’s singers, dancers and stage managers would lose between 22% and 39% of their compensation if the company’s proposed work-rule changes are implemented, according to a preliminary analysis by their union.”
read more

First to Die in “Sweeney Todd’: Decorum at the Philharmonic
read more

Goerne and Eschenbach lull a miller to his death at Carnegie Hall
 read more

Chicago
Static drama, glorious singing, in Lyric Opera’s season finale
‘La Clemenza di Tito’ at Lyric Opera of Chicago
 read more

DiDonato and Polenzani rule in Lyric Opera’s sleek, stylish “Tito”
read more

“Clemenza di Tito’ at Lyric Opera of Chicago basks in the glow of stellar performances
read more

Montreal
Montreal scores a coup with visit by Paris Opera Ballet
 read more

Feuillton
CPE Bach: top ten pieces
CPE Bach was once more famous than his father, the great JS Bach. To mark the younger Bach’s bicentenary, Ivan Hewett picks 10 pieces that demonstrate his genius
read more

 

Reviews vom 7.3.2014

Mailand
A Modern Media Spin on Ivan the Terrible Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Tsar’s Bride
read more

Neapel
Look back in sorrow: Onegin’s icy heart melts in Naples
read more

Cambridge
50 years ago – how John Eliot Gardiner changed music
His student performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers on 5 March 1964 put a rocket under the musical establishment; John Eliot Gardiner has not stopped entertaining and enlightening audiences ever since.
Mehr Info

Monteverdi Choir 50th anniversary concert, King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, UK – review
Five decades after he redefined Monteverdi’s significance, John Eliot Gardiner still exudes musical exhilaration
read more

London
Leif Ove Andsnes review
‘It was a beautifully judged performance, if not a terribly personal one’
Barbican Hall, London
After his exuberant but elegant recital of an all-Beethoven programme, one wonders why it took the pianist so long to take on the composer
read more

New York
Notes Composed for the Nose
The Met Conductor Fabio Luisi Seduced by Creating his Own Perfumes
read more

No “Messiah,
but It Does Bring the House Down American Classical Orchestra Performs Handel’s “Samson’
read more

Iconoclasm Out of Austria
Talea Ensemble Performs in Vienna: City of Dreams Festival
read more

Companhia Urbana de Dança, Joyce Theater, New York – review
The Brazilian troupe’s dancers oozed invention and individuality in two very different works
read more

Boston
Nelsons’ first BSO season will offer a personal mix of premieres and populism
read more

Washington
Washington National Opera 2014-15 Season Announced
Isabel Leonard, Ailyn Perez, Eric Owens and Christine Goerke Headline Season
read more

Dallas
Ankündigung
Dallas Opera’s DIE TOTE STADT Opens 3/21
read more

Montreal
Nagano tackles three “monstres sacrés” in Montréal
read more

 

Reviews vom 6.3.2014

Amsterdam
The Firebird/The Dream, Het Muziektheater, Amsterdam – review
Alexei Ratmansky’s choreography is overwhelmed by Stravinsky’s rich and complex score
read more

Madrid
Alceste, Teatro Real, Madrid – review
Krzystof Warlikowski’s Gluck production weaves together the houses of Windsor and Admetus
read more

London
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa’s final curtain call
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has announced her cameo in La Fille du Regiment at London’s Royal Opera House will be her last.
read more

Weitere “Rodelinda”-Review
Handel’s Rodelinda at ENO
Helen Wallace enjoys Richard Jones’s witty production of Rodelinda
http://www.classical-music.com/blog/handels-rodelinda-eno
Arianna in Creta – review
Britten theatre, London
This opera’s characters and drama are far from convincing, but it was beautifully performed at the London Handel festival
read more

New York
Ist die Met besucherfreundlich?
Let Sippy Cups Into the Metropolitan Opera Could attending the Metropolitan Opera be made a bit more pleasant?
read more

 

Reviews vom 5.3.2014

London
La Fille du Régiment – review
Royal Opera House, London
This revival of Laurent Pelly’s production of Donizetti’s comedy marks Kiri Te Kanawa’s return to Covent Garden and an impressive performance from Juan Diego Flórez
read more

Opera review: La fille du regiment, Royal Opera House, London
read more

Noch eine “Rodelinda”-Review
Rodelinda, Coliseum, London – review
Directed by Richard Jones, ENO’s production plays Handel’s opera as political slapstick
Mehr Info

Britten’s “Bunyan’: A Giant Returns to Stage
Mehr Info

John Adams: A composer scavenging for his art

read more

New York
The Worst of Times
Now Metropolitan Opera to Cut Labor Salaries and Set Costs, Outraged Unions Await Negotiations
read more

Noch eine “Wozzeck”-Review
Wozzeck, Carnegie Hall, New York – review
Vienna’s finest produced a first-class concert performance of Berg’s masterpiece
read more

BWW Reviews: Sensational SALOME Seduces Carnegie Hall Audience
Mehr Info

Janie Taylor & Sébastien Marcovici Farewell, Lincoln Center, New York – review
Two stalwarts brought the curtain down on their New York City Ballet careers
read more

Even Among the Stars, the Corps Stands Out Taking Stock of City Ballet’s Secret Weapon
read more

Montreal
Effect over Substance in Natalie Dessay’s Montreal art song recital
read more

Sidney
l Turco in Italia, Opera Australia, 12th February 2014
read more

Todesmeldung
Addio a Renato Cioni, grande tenore dell’Elba
La morte per un malore improvviso all’ospedale di Portoferraio. Aveva 84 anni, proveniva da una famiglia di artisti: è stato uno dei più grandi cantanti lirici italiani del XX secolo. Domani i funerali in Duomo
Mehr Info

Linz /Bruckner-Uni
Fenja Lukas siegte beim ersten Linzer Operetten-Wettbewerb
Elf Finalisten sangen an der Bruckner-Privatuniversität vor einer prominent besetzten Jury um die Wette.
Mehr Info

 

Reviews vom 4.3.2014

Rom
A Diva and a Conductor Bond Over Puccini Anna Netrebko in “Manon Lescaut,’ at the Rome Opera
read more

London
Natalia Osipova: “I have never lost the feeling of flying’
Natalia Osipova is learning to tame her Russian flamboyance in favour of British restraint, the Royal Ballet principal tells Mark Monahan, but her impossibly lofty leaps are here to stay
read more

Philharmonia/Dohnányi/Helmchen review –
‘His performance of Ein Heldenleben was a striking achievement’
Royal Festival Hall, London
Dohnányi’s reading of Strauss was emotionally complex while Helmchen’s Beethoven achieved great poetic depth
read more

Glyndebourne
Features
Spotlight: Glyndebourne Festival Opera Inks Stream Deal
read more

New York
A Struggling Soldier and a Seductive Beauty:
Two Tales of Yearning Vienna State Opera Presents “Wozzeck’ and “Salome’
read more

BWW Reviews: Carnegie Hall’s Audience Votes for WOZZECK from Vienna State Opera

Mehr Info

Noch eine “Werther”-Review
Metropolitan Opera 2013-14 Review – Werther
Pure Genius from Jonas Kaufmann, Sophie Koch, Cast & Production in Revival of Massenet’s Masterpiece
read more

Vancouver
Review: Strong singing in Vancouver Opera’s Don Giovanni
Mehr Info

 

Reviews vom 3.3.2014

Glyndebourne
Robin Ticciati: ‘When I conduct it feels like sorcery’
The dynamic new music director of the Glyndebourne Festival has plenty of ideas for bring new audiences to the world-famous opera house. As we launch a priority booking service for Telegraph readers, he talks to Rupert Christiansen
read more

New York
Goerne proves a haunting and memorable Wozzeck at Carnegie Vienna festival
 read more

Phoenix
Review: Soprano rises to occasion as “fallen woman’ in “Traviata’
read more

Feuilleton
Interview mit Sophie Koch
Étoile
Being a French singer of French repertoire is a huge responsibility, but right now Sophie Koch is doing it to great acclaim. This month, she makes her Met debut as Charlotte in Werther. Jessica Duchen travels to Paris to meet the mezzo.
http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2014/3/Features/Etoile.html

Ton- und Bildträger
Rachmaninov: Songs, review
The first complete recording of Rachmaninov’s solo vocal oeuvre is electrifying, says Rupert Christiansen
read more

Berlin/ Bar jeder Vernunft
In der Liebe sind wir alle Narren
Das Musical „La Cage aux Folles” in der Bar jeder Vernunft hat das Zeug zum Kultstück. Und ist erschreckend aktuell, etwa vor dem Hintergrund der Diskrimierung Homosexueller in Russland. .
Mehr Info

 

Reviews vom 2.3.2014

London
Rodelinda, ENO, review
Richard Jones’s new production of Handel’s Rodelinda is destined to be a huge success, says Rupert Christiansen
 read more
Rodelina, classical review:
Iestyn Davies triumphs in Richard Jones’ new version of Handel’s opera
read more
ENO’s Rodelinda: the best and worst of opera
read more
Rodelinda (ENO)
Fine musicianship, but an ill-judged production of Handel’s opera makes for a disappointing night at Coliseum
 read more

All the fun of the fair: A vibrant, busy La bohème at the Royal Albert Hall
read more

New York
A Shakespearean Mash-Up With Scintillations of Sorcery
“The Enchanted Island’ Returns to Met Opera
read more

Operas Unfolding at a Different Met

Gotham Chamber Opera Performs at a Museum
read more

Finding Poetry in Pairs Kimberly Bartosik Plays With Couples in New Work

read more

Seattle
Seattle Opera’s The Consul
 read more

Sidney
Opera review: Eugene Onegin (Opera Australia
)
read more

Tokyo
American Ballet Theatre’s All Star Gala in Tokyo
read more

Ton- und Bildträger
Der fliegende Holländer/ Le Vaisseau fantôme (Naïve)
http://www.opera-read  read more

 

Reviews vom 1.3.2014

Berlin
Channeling Bach, a Follow-Up
Plays to High Expectations Berlin Philharmonic Performs a New “St. John Passion’
 read more

London /Nicht nur in Wien
Anna Netrebko withdraws from the Royal Opera’s Faust
The revolving doors continue to spin as Covent Garden loses another major artist
 read more

The Sleeping Beauty, Royal Opera House, London – review
The Prologue is ideal, though later acts are somewhat rushed
 read more

The Sleeping Beauty at The Royal Opera House review: An absolute dream to watch
read more

Cardiff
Boulevard Solitude, Welsh National Opera/Wales Millennium Centre, review
Hans Werner Henze’s Boulevard Solitude, with Polish director Mariusz Treliński at the helm, is unremittingly dark but flavoured with sweet melancholy
read more

Boulevard Solitude review Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Director Mariusz Treliński fails to define Henze’s dramatic narrative, but Sarah Tynan, Benjamin Bevan and Adrian Thompson are first-rate
read more

New York
With new cast members Met’s Baroque “Island” pastiche still enchants
read more

Met Opera Seeking Concessions in Union Talks
 read more

Authenticity Is Just Part of an Allure Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
read more

After slack start, Welser-Most, VPO reach the heights with Bruckner
read more

Chicago
Pierre Boulez builds an intriguing Chicago SO program
 read more

Los Angeles
Weitere “Billy Budd”-Review
Review: Billy Budd at L.A. Opera
read more

 

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