Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Alexander Soddy

Revolutionary zeal gives way to tyranny in The Royal Opera’s Fidelio

By Dominic Lowe, 09 October 2024

This revival of Kratzer’s production forces the audience to confront where personal responsibility starts and stops for acting under a tyrannical regime, while bringing Beethoven’s only opera to life – with a few twists.

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London

11 Oct 2024

Revolutionary zeal gives way to tyranny in The Royal Opera’s Fidelio

By Dominic Lowe

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Edinburgh

Malin Byström stars in a radiant Capriccio to close the Edinburgh International Festival

By David Smythe, 25 August 2024

Capriccio proves a fitting end to the Philharmonia’s EIF residency, with Alexander Soddy conducting a fine cast headed by Swedish soprano Malin Byström.

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Edinburgh

26 Aug 2024

Malin Byström stars in a radiant Capriccio to close the EIF

By David Smythe

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Strong performances prevent Gloger's Così fan tutte being buried by its own cleverness

By Nick Boston, 26 June 2024

Golda Schultz leads a fine cast in the fourth revival of Jan Philipp Gloger's Royal Opera production.

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London

27 Jun 2024

Strong performances counter Gloger's “clever” Così fan tutte

By Nick Boston

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Neither hope nor salvation: a sombre Parsifal with much to say in Vienna

By Orsolya Gyárfás, 01 April 2024

Elīna Garanča's Kundry proves the star of Kirill Serebrennikov's prison staging of Parsifal, a powerful exploration of religion and violence.

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Vienna

02 Apr 2024

Neither hope nor salvation: a sombre Parsifal with much to say

By Orsolya Gyárfás

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A satisfying Otello starring Jonas Kaufmann at the Wiener Staatsoper

By Ako Imamura, 25 October 2023

A revival of Adrian Noble’s abstract and dark production of Verdi’s Otello fields a strong cast led by Jonas Kaufmann, Ludovic Tézier and Rachel Willis-Sørensen.

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Vienna

26 Oct 2023

A satisfying Otello starring Jonas Kaufmann at the Wiener Staatsoper

By Ako Imamura

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Gods and cobblers: heavenly Wagner from Sir Bryn Terfel and the Philharmonia

By Roy Westbrook, 26 March 2023

Alexander Soddy steps in for an ailing Esa-Pekka Salonen to conduct the Philharmonia in Wagner and Bruckner.

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London

27 Mar 2023

Gods and cobblers: heavenly Wagner from Terfel and the Philharmonia

By Roy Westbrook

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Malin Byström and Alexander Soddy lead superb Salome revival at the Royal Opera House

By Roy Westbrook, 09 September 2022

Swedish soprano Malin Byström returns to Sir David McVicar's production at Covent Garden, where she is now probably unsurpassed in the role, vocally and histrionically.

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London

11 Sep 2022

Byström and Soddy lead superb Salome revival at the ROH

By Roy Westbrook

Berlin

Tears in the rain: La bohème at the Staatsoper Berlin

By Laura Servidei, 08 January 2020

The Staatsoper Unter den Linden revives a successful, romantic production by Lindy Hume, with Eleonora Buratto and Benjamin Bernheim as the protagonists.

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Berlin

10 Jan 2020

Tears in the rain: La bohème at the Staatsoper Berlin

By Laura Servidei

Oslo

On the waterfront: Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony closes the opera season in Oslo

By Aksel Tollåli, 21 June 2018

Ralph Vaughan Williams' towering A Sea Symphony and the orchestra of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet capped off the Oslo opera season in a singularly loud fashion.

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Oslo

22 Jun 2018

On the waterfront: A Sea Symphony in Oslo

By Aksel Tollåli

An unforgettable Good Friday Parsifal in Mannheim's historic production

By Ako Imamura, 30 March 2018

The 1957 production of Parsifal, with its traditional staging and dreamy imageries, was a perfect backdrop to showcase Wagner's celebration of stage play with music on Good Friday.

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Mannheim

31 Mar 2018

An unforgettable Good Friday Parsifal in Mannheim

By Ako Imamura

Hot ice and strange snow: an unseasonal return for Carsen’s bed-hopping Dream

By Mark Pullinger, 01 March 2018

In Siberian conditions more akin to The Winter's Tale, a revival of Robert Carsen's season setting of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream offered a warm glow at the Coliseum.

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London

02 Mar 2018

Hot ice and strange snow

By Mark Pullinger

New York City

Angel Blue impresses in her Met debut in an enthralling Bohème

By Vishnu Bachani, 06 October 2017

A revival of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1981 production was graced by an impressive case, including the Met debut of soprano Angel Blue.

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New York City

08 Oct 2017

Angel Blue impresses in her Met debut in an enthralling Bohème

By Vishnu Bachani

Electric Elektra in Mannheim

By Matthew Rye, 13 May 2017

A classic production of Strauss' searing operatic depiction of the House of Atreus is revived with a particularly accomplished cast and musical direction.

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Mannheim

14 May 2017

Electric Elektra in Mannheim

By Matthew Rye

Berlin

A dud bullet: Thalheimer’s Der Freischütz fires blanks at Staatsoper Berlin

By Mark Pullinger, 06 October 2015

Director Michael Thalheimer staging Weber’s Der Freischütz entirely in the Wolf’s Glen, albeit relocated from a “fearsome forest gorge” to what looks like a badger’s sett.

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Berlin

06 Oct 2015

A dud bullet: Thalheimer’s Freischütz fires blanks

By Mark Pullinger

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Erqui(e)cklich: Alexander Raskatovs Animal Farm an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Norman Schwarze, 02 March 2024

Das Auftragswerk Animal Farm wird vom Wiener Publikum mit viel Applaus bedacht und wirkt auch 80 Jahre nach der Veröffentlichung von George Orwells Klassiker zeitgemäß wie nie.

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Vienna

04 Mar 2024

Erqui(e)cklich: Animal Farm an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Norman Schwarze

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Paris

Le fou d’Elsa : Lohengrin par Serebrennikov à l’Opéra de Paris

By Erwan Gentric, 23 September 2023

Si la mise en scène complexe et confuse de Kirill Serebrennikov ne sert pas le drame wagnérien, la direction d'Alexander Soddy et la performance de la distribution, de l'orchestre et des chœurs rehaussent la production.

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Paris

25 Sep 2023

Le fou d’Elsa : Lohengrin par Serebrennikov à l’Opéra de Paris

By Erwan Gentric

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Sex, Alk und Schostakowitsch: Lady Macbeth von Mzensk an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Snapdragon, 31 May 2023

Ein denkwürdiger Opernabend, an dem musikalisch einfach alles stimmte.

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Vienna

02 Jun 2023

Sex, Alk und Schostakowitsch: Lady Macbeth an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Snapdragon

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Volksfeststimmung: Calixto Bieitos Carmen an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Snapdragon, 22 April 2023

Eve-Maud Hubeaux als bestechende Titelheldin, Erwin Schrott als sturer Torero und David Butt Philip glänzt als Don José – ein wahrer Genuss!

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Vienna

25 Apr 2023

Volksfeststimmung: Calixto Bieitos Carmen an der Wiener Staatsoper

By Snapdragon

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Paris

Dans les filets de Deborah Warner : Peter Grimes emporte Garnier

By Tristan Labouret, 26 January 2023

C'est peut-être l'événement de la saison à l'Opéra de Paris : dans le chef-d'œuvre de Britten, la metteuse en scène britannique fait des débuts remarqués dans la Grande Boutique.

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Paris

28 Jan 2023

Dans les filets de Deborah Warner : Peter Grimes emporte Garnier

By Tristan Labouret

Debussy von lakonischer Eleganz: Pelléas et Mélisande am Nationaltheater Mannheim

By Sarah Donata Schneider, 25 May 2019

Mit Barrie Koskys Inszenierung von Claude Debussys einzig vollendeter Oper rückt Alexander Soddy die Stille ins Zentrum der Musik.

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Mannheim

26 May 2019

Debussy von lakonischer Eleganz: Pelléas et Mélisande in Mannheim

By Sarah Donata Schneider

Im Pool der Lüste: Don Giovanni versinkt in Mannheim in prallen Frauenleibern

By Christoph Wurzel, 14 July 2018

Vor allem die großartige Musik rettet Mozarts und Da Pontes Meisterwerk; die Neuinszenierung aber hinterlässt einen zwiespältigen Eindruck.

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Mannheim

17 Jul 2018

Don Giovanni versinkt in Mannheim in einem Pool praller Frauenleiber

By Christoph Wurzel

Flatterhafte Fledermaus in Mannheim

By Sarah Donata Schneider, 08 January 2017

Nikolai Schukoff und Michael Schade sind am Festlichen Opernabend zu Gast und retten eine verstaubte Inszenierung aus den 1970er Jahren.

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Mannheim

10 Jan 2017

Flatterhafte Fledermaus

By Sarah Donata Schneider