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| Britten: Demise in Venice – Antony César (Tadzio), Frederico Saggese (Jaschiu) – Welsh Nationwide Opera (Picture Johann Persson) |
It was a type of evenings about which you’ll say ‘I used to be there’, Wagner’s Die Walküre at Dresden Music Pageant as their traditionally knowledgeable Ring Cycle unfolds. And there was one thing astonishing about Olivia Fuchs’ new manufacturing of Britten’s Demise in Venice for Welsh Nationwide Opera, too with its mixture of theatrical and circus arts.
Robust particular person performances had been a theme all year long. A powerful ensemble of singing actors made Welsh Nationwide Opera’s revival of Puccini’s Il Trittico a particular deal with. Kate Lindsey’s emotional roller-coaster efficiency as each Offreds anchored a powerful revival of Poul Ruders’ The Handmaid’s Story at English Nationwide Opera. Nina Stemme was again on kind with a coruscating efficiency within the title function of Strauss’ Elektra on the Royal Opera Home.
Stravinsky’s Rake’s Progress on the Grange Pageant made us
actually look after concerning the characters, at Opera Holland Park their
revival of their 2008 manufacturing of Puccini’s Tosca took us again
to the revolutionary Nineteen Sixties. The youthful vitality of the solid was
compelling in Irish Nationwide Opera’s manufacturing of Vivaldi’s L’Olympiade. Opera North’s ‘within the spherical’ manufacturing Britten’s Albert Herring was splendidly involving. And in Zurich, Benjamin Bernheim led a splendidly memorable account of Massenet’s Werther.
Reinventing classics was one other theme of the 12 months with Jack Furness’ thought-provoking tackle Hänsel und Gretel on the Royal Academy of Music, and English Touring Opera gave us a superb reinvention of Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert, while Glyndebourne’s stripped down but clever manufacturing of Bizet’s Carmen on the BBC Proms was extremely satisfying. David McVicar’s iconic manufacturing of Handel’s Giulio Cesare returned to Glyndebourne as vivid and vibrant as ever because of a terrific younger solid.
Sui generis, professionals & amateurs got here collectively at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre for Jonathan Dove’s The Monster within the Maze.
In a 12 months when there was G&S at Opera North, English Nationwide Opera and Opera Holland Park, it was Opera North’s revival of Ruddigore that stayed within the thoughts. Nonetheless with comedy, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville was quite flavour of the Summer time with new productions at Opera Holland Park, Waterperry Opera, and West Inexperienced Home Opera the place Victoria Newlyn’s new manufacturing was an entire delight.
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| Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel – Zahid Siddiqui (Witch) – Royal Academy Opera (Picture: Craig Fuller) |
- For those who go right down to the woods: a gender-fluid witch & an oppressive non secular sect on this gripping efficiency of Jack Furness’ intriguing tackle Hänsel und Gretel from Royal Academy Opera
- A thought-provoking tackle the normal story made all of the extra gripping by terrific performances all-round in a night that was vivid theatrically and powerful musically
- A terrific achievement: professionals & amateurs come collectively at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre performing Jonathan Dove’s The Monster within the Maze in celebration of Music within the Spherical at 40
- The primary UK efficiency of Dove’s group opera since its UK premiere in 2015 in an impressive celebration Music within the Spherical’s fortieth birthday with ‘an epic opera for the individuals of Sheffield and with the individuals of Sheffield’
- An interesting night of enjoyable demonstrating the very actual virtues of Gilbert & Sullivan at its greatest: Ruddigore at Opera North
- Sheer delight from begin to end as a first-rate solid brings out the musical delights and comedian potential of one among G&S’ best opera, making certain all of us left the theatre with a smile on our faces
- What lies beneath: a superb reinvention of Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert on the coronary heart of ETO’s exploration of German Romanticism
- A contemporary interpretation of German Romanticism on the centre of this intriguing and thought-provoking programme, filled with terrific performances all spherical
- A particular deal with: robust particular person performances & very good ensemble in WNO’s revival of Puccini’s Il trittico
- Partially re-cast, WNO’s newest revival of David McVicar’s tremendous manufacturing reveals a powerful ensemble of singing actors with compelling performances together with Natalya Romaniw on prime kind
- Promenade 52: Clever, vivid account of Bizet’s Carmen from Rihab Chaied, Evan LeRoy Johnson & Anja Bihlmaier at Glyndebourne’s go to to the BBC Proms
- Robust solid, a stripped down but clever manufacturing and very good conducting result in a profoundly involving and musically satisfying efficiency
- Confidence and elegance: Victoria Newlyn’s new manufacturing of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville at West Inexperienced Home Opera is an entire delight
- Performing the piece with actual engagement but by no means dropping sight of the significance of Rossini’s music, the solid actually gelled as an ensemble
- As vivid and vigorous as ever: David McVicar’s manufacturing of Handel’s Giulio Cesare returns to Glyndebourne with a terrific younger solid
- Practically 20 years previous, the enduring manufacturing returns as vibrant as ever, with very good performances from a younger solid
- Youthfully partaking: a visually fashionable new Rake’s Progress on the Grange Pageant made us actually look after about these characters
- A mix of ethical directness and engagingly youthful character gave this efficiency of Stravinsky’s opera a specific attraction
- Again to the Nineteen Sixties: Opera Holland Park returns to its 2008 manufacturing of Tosca and creates a satisfying night within the theatre
- Transposed to the coed ferment of Rome in 1968, this revival breathed exceptional life into the idea and showcased a trio of robust performances
- Doing Vivaldi proud: his L’Olimpiade carried out with verve & creativeness by Irish Nationwide Opera
- The youthful vitality of the solid was compelling in his extremely imaginative model of Vivaldi’s Olympic opera that managed to combine leisure with drama in simply the suitable steadiness, plus beautiful taking part in from the pit
- The journey continues: Dresden’s traditionally knowledgeable Ring returns with a revelatory Die Walküre
- A kind of evenings about which you’ll say ‘I used to be there’. Revelations and riveting drama because the Dresden Music Pageant unfolded the subsequent installment of its traditionally knowledgeable Ring Cycle
- One thing astonishing: Olivia Fuchs’ new manufacturing of Britten’s Demise in Venice for Welsh Nationwide Opera concerned a collaboration with circus arts, NoFit State
- Bringing music drama and circus arts collectively in Britten’s final opera to create one thing unforgettable anchored by Mark Le Brocq’s assumption of the title function
- As chilling and emotional as ever: Kate Lindsey returns as Offred in ENO’s robust revival of Poul Ruders’ The Handmaid’s Story
- Kate Lindsey’s emotional rollercoaster efficiency anchors a powerful revival of Poul Ruders’ opera
- Again with vengeance: Nina Stemme in Richard Strauss’ Elektra at Covent Backyard
- Nina Stemme again on kind with a coruscating efficiency within the title function in a brand new manufacturing that showcases the vividly dramatic performances from all the solid supported by the orchestra on prime kind
- Let the dialogue move: Benjamin Bernheim leads a splendidly memorable account of Massenet’s Werther in Zurich
- A kind of performances created by individuals who understood what is required in Massenet’s opera with some of the finely sung accounts of the title function that I’ve ever heard. Pure magic
- Eavesdropping on their dramas: Opera North’s ‘within the spherical’ manufacturing Britten’s Albert Herring
- A splendidly involving revival of Giles Havergal’s intimate, within the spherical manufacturing of Britten’s comedy brings out the work’s humanity
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| Wagner: Die Walküre – Åsa Jäger, Simon Bailey – Dresdner Musikfestspiele (Picture: Oliver Killig) |
