Jonas Kaufmann ails, Covent Garden hails Aigul Akhmetshina

Aigul Akhmetshina (Charlotte) and Jonas Kaufmann (Werther)

Jonas Kaufmann (Werther) and Aigul Akhmetshina (Charlotte)

Gordon Bintner (Albert) and Aigul Akhmetshina (Charlotte)

Sarah Gilford (Sophie) and Aigul Akhmetshina (Charlotte)

Por Mark Pullinger, 21 junio 2023

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“Akhmetshina unleased her plush mezzo for an emotional reading”

Crítica hecha desde Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Londres el 20 junio 2023

Massenet, Werther

The Royal Opera

Sir Antonio Pappano, Dirección

Benoît Jacquot, Dirección de escena

Charles Edwards, Diseño de escena, Diseño de iluminación

Christian Gasc, Diseño de vestuario

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Royal Opera Chorus

Geneviève Dufour, Dirección de escena

Jonas Kaufmann, Werther

Aigul Akhmetshina, Charlotte

Sarah Gilford, Sophie

Gordon Bintner, Albert

Alastair Miles, Le Bailli

Christophe Mortagne, Schmidt

James Cleverton, Johann

Gabrielė Kupšytė, Käthchen

Dawid Kimberg, Brühlmann

Richard Jones’ clunky Samson et Dalila returns to Covent Garden

Dominic Lowe, 13th May

With Aigul Akhmetshina and Seokjong Baek in the title roles, there are reasons to be optimistic, but The Royal Opera’s revival of Richard Jones’ production is a mixed bag.

***11

Peter Grimes drops anchor again at The Royal Opera

Christopher Woodley, 5th May

Allan Clayton and Sir Bryn Terfel lead a strong cast in a revival of Deborah Warner's dark staging of Britten's signature work at Covent Garden.

****1

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Eleanor Knight, 1st May

Tales of love and loss as operas by Elena Langer, Charlotte Bray and Elizabeth Maconchy form a varied triple bill in this showcase for The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Artists.

****1

The Turn of the Screw at RBO Linbury: Darkness and denial

Eleanor Knight, 26th March

Natalie Abrahami’s mesmerising new production of Britten’s ghostly tale of sexual abuse is very dark indeed.

*****

A riveting Rigoletto revival at the Royal Opera House

Dominic Lowe, 25th March

Sir Mark Elder celebrates 50 years at Covent Garden by returning to his first opera there in 1976 – Verdi's Rigoletto – in a revival of Oliver Mears' excellent 2021 production.

****1

Siegfried at the RBO: Kosky and Pappano surprise and delight

David Karlin, 17th March

A revelatory orchestral performance and a cast led by Andreas Schager, Christopher Maltman and Elisabeth Strid make this a Siegfried for the record books.

*****

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Jonas Kaufmann ails as Werther, but Covent Garden hails Aigul Akhmetshina's Charlotte