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1 day ago
Garsington Opera, Wormsley Estate, StokenchurchWhile it might have been cancelled after the premiere in 1840, Christopher Alden’s frenetic staging, an effervescent Philharmonia Orchestra and a fine cast show there’s a decent evening’s entertainment i...
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4 days ago
Royal Opera House, LondonThe men prance about in fake moustaches while the women roll their eyes in this turbo-charged revival of Jan Philipp Gloger’s riotous take on Mozart’s opera‘Is that the one with the mobile phones?” someone asked me ahead of t...
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1 week ago
Longborough festival opera, Gloucestershire; Wigmore Hall; Bold Tendencies, LondonRemarkable performances and storytelling produce a visceral Ring cycle, while a part-time pianist masters a formidable Alkan concerto and Maki Namekawa channels the fre...
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3 weeks ago
Glyndebourne, SussexDouble entendres, extra dialogue and sight gags ensure that Cal McCrystal’s new staging entertains, but it’s at the expense of emotional power. In the pit, John Wilson is superlative, likewise Germán Olvera’s charismatic DaniloThe...
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3 weeks ago
Live tattooing, non-simulated sex, flesh hook body hoisting and an ejaculating helicopter – these are commonplace in the astonishing shows of Europe’s hottest director. But is her latest just too shocking?Loud cries of extreme discomfort are echoing...
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3 weeks ago
Snape Maltings, AldeburghDespite excellent performances from the singers and chamber ensemble, this stripped-back version of the folkloric opera failed to convey the horror of its storyA month after her 70th birthday, Judith Weir is one of the featur...
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3 weeks ago
Royal Opera House; Opera Holland Park, LondonAntonio Pappano bows out with a blazing performance of Giordano’s red-blooded opera, while a fine cast brings out the vitality of Rossini’s classic in spite of the weatherWhen I interviewed Antonio Pappano...