Mainly Opera and Ballet
What a wonderful performance to open the 2025/26 season at the Royal Opera. This new production of Tosca by the Royal Opera’s artistic director Oliver Mears is updated to modern times, and superbly conducted by music director Jakub Hruša. It elicited huge applause from the audience — see my review in The Article.
Thomas Hardy’s early novel of this name has been made into a wonderful opera by Paul Carr. This was its premiere by Dorset Opera, and the performance left me with a great feeling of inspired serenity. See my review in The Article.
Wonderful energy from the children, as various animals and woodland mushrooms, gave colour to an otherwise dull production, set in a wood yard. Some excellent singing from the Vixen, the Fox, and the humans who live in a far more circumscribed world than the animals. My review in The Article.
Terrific performances by Moldovan soprano Natalia Tanasii as Tatyana and British-Singaporean mezzo Fleur Barron as Olga in an excellent production by Michael Boyd. They headed a fine cast under the baton of Douglas Boyd (no relation), who fully brought out the emotional intensity of Tchaikovsky’s music. My review in The Article.
