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Performer: Espen Langvik

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Heart-wrenchingly manipulative Butterfly

Despite an excellent cast and some glorious singing, Stephen Langridge's oft-revived 2012 production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly never quite takes flight. 
***11
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Privilege begets privilege: Figaro in Oslo

Looks can be deceiving in this beautifully sung revival of Thaddeus Strassberger's Oslo production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.
****1
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Question mark: Turandot in Oslo

Andreas Homoki's 2004 Turandot makes its way to Oslo, but fails to impress with less-than-halfbaked concepts and underwhelming singing.
*1111
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When the curtains close: Le nozze di Figaro at the Norwegian National Opera

Entering the Norwegian National Opera for their season opener of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, I imagined it would be a pretty conventional production and was hoping for some good singing. Turns out, I was only partly right.
*****
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Easter in Italy: Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at the Norwegian National Opera

Nothing says “Happy Easter” like a bit of alcohol-fuelled murder on the church steps, right? With their new double bill of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, the Norwegian National Opera certainly seems to think so!The two productions were done on practically the same sets, albeit with a few differences, which did create a rather wonderful sense of continuity from the fir
****1
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This is all: Britten's The Rape of Lucretia at the Norwegian National Opera

Britten’s opera The Rape of Lucretia is, as the title implies, not an easy opera subject-wise. It is based on André Obey’s play Le viol de Lucrèce, which in turn is partially based on Shakespeare’s poem The Rape of Lucrece. This was Britten’s third opera, and the first of his so-called chamber operas, operas with small orchestras and small casts.
*****
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