Festen, Royal Opera, February 2025
February 14, 2025This new work by Mark Anthony Turnage is an operatic adaptation of Thomas Vinterberg’s claustrophobic family drama that unfolds over the course of a single evening. The title means celebration, in this case of the 60th birthday of Helge, paterfamilias and sexual abuser — see my review in The Article.
Jenufa, Royal Opera, January 2025
January 20, 2025Wow. Under the baton of Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša, now music director designate of the Royal Opera, this was a terrific performance of Janáček’s opera Jenufa. As the emotional tension ratcheted up there is no doubt that the original play had been turned into a great opera — see my review in The Article.
The Pirates of Penzance, English National Opera, Dec 2024
December 6, 2024This was a very welcome revival of Mike Leigh’s colourful production, which appeals, as Gilbert always intended, to both the eye and the ear. The singing was not on the same level as when the production was new, but everything otherwise worked very well – see my review in The Article.
The Elixir of Love, English National Opera, November 2024
November 21, 2024Quite why director Harry Fehr decided to update this opera to a 1960s television sitcom about the air war against Germany in World War Two I do not know, but the fact that the garish uniforms were the wrong colour blue might suggest this was very much tongue-in-the-cheek. Fine singing and conducting though — see …
Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Royal Opera, Nov 2024
November 9, 2024E. T. A. Hoffmann was an inspired writer of stories that melded fantasy and reality, and three in particular informed this opera by Offenbach. It is unquestionably the greatest work by this French master of operetta, and a new production at Covent Garden is hugely welcome — see my review in The Article.
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