Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Michael Sumuel

Showing 13 of 13 reviews

Seattle Opera's Figaro brims with rejuvenating comic energy and warmth

By Thomas May, 07 May 2022

A light, amiable touch predominates in the Peter Kazaras production of Le nozze di Figaro, with a focus on the opera's impeccable comic pacing.

****1

****1

Seattle

08 May 2022

Seattle Opera's Figaro brims with rejuvenating comic energy

By Thomas May

Los Angeles

LA Master Chorale shines in Mozart's C minor Mass

By Matthew Richard Martinez, 31 March 2022

The soloists and LA Master Chorale lead the way in a performance of Mozart's “Great” C minor Mass conducted by Zubin Mehta.

***11

***11

Los Angeles

01 Apr 2022

LA Master Chorale shines in Mozart's C minor Mass

By Matthew Richard Martinez

Seattle

Seattle Opera’s fast-track Don revealed in stark black and white

By Stephen Pritchard, 19 March 2021

Cut-down Mozart meets monochrome cinema. This certainly won’t be the most sumptuous Don you’ll ever see, but it is committed, imaginative and admirably compact.

***11

***11

Seattle

19 Mar 2021

Seattle Opera’s fast-track Don revealed in stark black and white

By Stephen Pritchard

Unknown

A labour of love and determination: L’Enfant et les sortilèges

By David Smythe, 16 November 2020

Virtual Opera made real as Ravel's miniature masterpiece is recorded remotely around the world and melded with Leanne Vandenbussche’s picture-book drawings and the London Philharmonic Orchestra's soundtrack to create magic.

****1

****1

Unknown

18 Nov 2020

A labour of love and determination: L’Enfant et les sortilèges

By David Smythe

Glyndebourne

Tears on the picnic lawn: Madama Butterfly makes her bow at the Glyndebourne Festival

By Mark Pullinger, 19 May 2018

After dipping its toe in the cherry blossom for Glyndebourne's Tour in 2016, Annilese Miskimmon's staging of Puccini's gut-wrencher hits the main festival.

***11

***11

Glyndebourne

20 May 2018

Tears on the picnic lawn: Madama Butterfly at Glyndebourne

By Mark Pullinger

London

Proms at... Bold Tendencies Multi-Storey Carpark

By Frances Wilson, 26 August 2017

A novel venue provided the unusual setting for an engaging and impressive performance by the Multi-Story Orchestr and Multi-Story Youth Choir of music by JS Bach, Kate Whitley and John Adams.

*****

*****

London

26 Aug 2017

Proms at... Bold Tendencies Multi-Storey Carpark

By Frances Wilson

San Francisco

Mozart's genius shines clearly in San Francisco Opera's darkly comic production of Don Giovanni

By Donna Stoering, 04 June 2017

Dangling and turning like shards of a giant overhead chandelier in Don Giovanni’s banquet hall, this is an evocative multimedia production that tantalizes the senses while shining new light on Mozart's genius.

****1

****1

San Francisco

06 Jun 2017

Mozart's genius shines clearly in San Francisco Opera's darkly comic production of Don Giovanni

By Donna Stoering

Oslo

Rossini ex machina: Stefan Herheim’s Cenerentola in Oslo

By Aksel Tollåli, 21 January 2017

With his first foray into Rossini, Norwegian director Stefan Herheim turns La Cenerentola into a brilliantly funny spectacle, filled with thought provoking humour and outstanding singing.

*****

*****

Oslo

23 Jan 2017

Rossini ex machina: La Cenerentola in Oslo

By Aksel Tollåli

Glyndebourne

Enchanted Wood: dream of a Dream at Glyndebourne

By Mark Pullinger, 11 August 2016

“Out of this wood do not desire to go!” Tytania orders Bottom. Glyndebourne's revival of Peter Hall's classic production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is eerily enchanting, weaving its spell right from the queasy double bass glissandos, which slither into Britten's score.

*****

*****

Glyndebourne

12 Aug 2016

Enchanted Wood: dream of a Dream

By Mark Pullinger

San Francisco

A Carmen for Our Time from Bieito in San Francisco

By Maria Nockin, 27 May 2016

Calixto Bieito’s production of Georges Bizet’s Carmen isn't without controversy. San Francisco Opera gave us raw sexuality unvarnished by any degree of social refinement.

****1

****1

San Francisco

30 May 2016

A Carmen for Our Time from Bieito in San Francisco

By Maria Nockin

Glyndebourne

Dark deeds under the microscope: Britten's Rape of Lucretia at Glyndebourne

By David Karlin, 05 July 2015

The Rape of Lucretia may be something of a problem piece, but Fiona Shaw's production is an excellent piece of ensemble theatre set around some very fine performances of music of rare beauty.

****1

****1

Glyndebourne

06 Jul 2015

Dark deeds under the microscope: Britten's Lucretia

By David Karlin

Chicago

Kwiecień doesn't quite steal the show in Robert Falls' Don Giovanni

By Dan Wang, 05 October 2014

This production's consistent visual beauty forms the setting for this Don’s musical approach. It is a testament to this ensemble that Mariusz Kwiecień can’t steal the show in spite of his utterly commanding physical and vocal presence as the Don.

***11

***11

Chicago

09 Oct 2014

Kwiecień doesn't quite steal the show

By Dan Wang

San Francisco

Stylishly sung San Francisco revival of Handel's "Xerxes" is not to be missed

By Stephen Raskauskas, 11 November 2011

“A revival of a revival of a revival” might describe Handel’s practice of reviving his own works. This highly acclaimed revival production of Handel's Xerxes received it best performance to date with a star-studded cast.Xerxes tells the tale of two brothers, Xerxes and Arsamenes, both competing for the same bride – Romilda.

*****

*****

San Francisco

20 Nov 2011

Stylishly sung San Francisco revival of Handel's "Xerxes" is not to be missed

By Stephen Raskauskas