Here, I post my reviews and document my love of opera. I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to comment on any of my posts or contact me if you wish to.
Have a nice stay!
David Buchler
All in Royal Opera House
What a show…….or what a Jaho! The 2003 production by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier gave us a clean stripped back production with no gimmicks. What a relief.
It’s a mess. Not musically, but in Kasper Holten’s last production for the ROH as Artistic Director he really hasn’t come to terms with the complexities of the piece and too many gimmicks abound, which simply do not make sense. His production of Eugene Onegin was poor, but in some respects this production is really awful.
This was the main operatic success of the composer, Francesco Cilea. He has given us wonderful orchestration and at times a rather long drawn out melody, but it is not a score of gripping intensity or passion, despite the story of the celebrated Parisian actress who’s love for the handsome Count is met by a rival who eventually kills her with poison.
My original review of Rosenkavalier was sent on 21 December and there is no further addition to the production, but there are 2 significant changes to the cast, namely the new Marschallin of Rachel Willis-Sorensen and the Octavian of Anna Stephany.
What a glorious night of opera. Of course, the music to Richard Strauss’s Rosenkavalier is full of the grandest of liqueur. It was written in 1911 as one of the greatest of social comedies, with a reflective libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It was first conducted at the Royal Opera House in 1913 by Thomas Beecham.
The original novel, Manon Lescaut, written by French author, Abbe Prevost, was banned upon publication in 1731. A similar treatment to the production by Jonathan Kent would not have gone amiss.
This wonderful Offenbach opera had, as its original director in 1980, John Schlesinger. This brilliant production is still going, even if at this moment it is looking slightly tired. This is the last time...
