Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Jennifer France

Strauss à la Fellini: Ariadne auf Naxos at Opera North

By Richard Wilcocks, 18 February 2023

Rodula Gaitanou sets Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal's comedy in the Cinecittà film studios of the 1950s.

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Leeds

18 Feb 2023

Strauss à la Fellini: Ariadne auf Naxos at Opera North

By Richard Wilcocks

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Life is (too) sweet: ENO brings It's a Wonderful Life to the operatic stage

By Matthew Rye, 25 November 2022

English National Opera's It’s a Wonderful Life makes for a feel-good evening of theatre, but it requires a sweet tooth.

***11

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London

25 Nov 2022

ENO brings It's a Wonderful Life to the operatic stage

By Matthew Rye

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Stars and symbols, love and loss: Edward Gardner, Jennifer France and the LPO

By Alexander Hall, 28 September 2022

“A place to call home” and “Exiles and Dreamers” is how the LPO marketed this concert. No need for such additional flourishes in an interesting juxtaposition of Tchaikovsky, Dutilleux, George Walker and Dvořák.

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London

28 Sep 2022

Stars and symbols, love and loss: Gardner, France and the LPO

By Alexander Hall

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The power of the sea, the cruelty of the mob: Peter Grimes at The Royal Opera

By David Karlin, 17 March 2022

Deborah Warner's intelligent new Covent Garden staging provides the perfect backdrop for a strong singing cast in Britten's maritime masterpiece.

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London

17 Mar 2022

Potent sea, cruel mob: Peter Grimes at The Royal Opera

By David Karlin

Midsummer fire: Tippett sets the new LPO season alight

By Matthew Rye, 25 September 2021

An incandescent concert performance of Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage launches a new era for the London Philharmonic under principal conductor Edward Gardner.

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London

25 Sep 2021

Midsummer fire: Tippett sets the new LPO season alight

By Matthew Rye

Brush up your Janáček: foxy tales at Opera Holland Park

By Mark Pullinger, 13 July 2021

Jennifer France stars in Stephen Barlow's staging of The Cunning Little Vixen, set in the perfect surroundings of Holland Park.

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London

13 Jul 2021

Brush up your Janáček: foxy tales at Opera Holland Park

By Mark Pullinger

Even crazier than the books: Gerald Barry's Alice's Adventures Underground at Covent Garden

By David Karlin, 04 February 2020

Barry goes for out-weirding Carroll at a fast and furious pace. There's plenty of fun and it's beautifully staged – but is that enough?

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London

04 Feb 2020

Even crazier than the books: Gerald Barry's Alice

By David Karlin

High Wycombe

Clown court: Offenbach's Fantasio at Garsington

By Matthew Rye, 14 June 2019

The UK stage debut of Offenbach’s neglected Fantasio reveals a musical sizzler, but directorially it needs a more sympathetic touch than Garsington musters.

***11

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High Wycombe

14 Jun 2019

Clown court: Offenbach's Fantasio at Garsington

By Matthew Rye

Bacchic ebullience in Beethoven from Thomas Adès at the Barbican

By Benjamin Poore, 26 May 2019

The culmination of Thomas Ades' Beethoven cycle with the Britten Sinfonia channels Beethoven's atavistic energies.

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London

26 May 2019

Bacchic ebullience in Beethoven from Thomas Adès

By Benjamin Poore

Anthropocene: a timely chiller from Scottish Opera

By David Smythe, 26 January 2019

Climate change, challenged egos and a strange Ice woman tell a gruesome tale in Anthropocene, a finely sung new opera from Stuart MacRae, with libretto from Louise Welsh, set in the Arctic with a cinematic score.

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Glasgow

26 Jan 2019

Anthropocene: a timely chiller from Scottish Opera

By David Smythe

Birmingham

Jennifer France and the CBSO faultless in New Year's Concert at Symphony Hall

By Robert Gainer, 06 January 2019

Following the recipe of the New Year Concert from Vienna, the CBSO demonstrated their ability, but not much originality in this predictable programme.

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Birmingham

06 Jan 2019

France and the CBSO faultless in New Year's Concert

By Robert Gainer

Ariadne aus Glasgow: Strauss’ opera gets a few twists at Opera Holland Park

By Matthew Rye, 17 July 2018

A spirited and seamless production of Strauss’s Ariadne is aided by some excellent singing and playing at London’s premier summer opera festival.

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London

17 Jul 2018

Ariadne aus Glasgow: a few twists at Opera Holland Park

By Matthew Rye

Lessons in Love and Violence: icy beauty and dramatic tension

By David Karlin, 10 May 2018

George Benjamin and Martin Crimp's second full scale opera is a refinement of the craft showed in Written on Skin – but the lessons are less in love and violince than in power, tension and beauty of the score.

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London

10 May 2018

Lessons in Love and Violence: ice and drama

By David Karlin

Scottish Opera’s Ariadne auf Naxos is witty and passionate

By David Smythe, 24 March 2018

Antony McDonald’s take on Ariadne auf Naxos, a co-production from Scottish Opera and Opera Holland Park, sparkles with wit.

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Glasgow

24 Mar 2018

Scottish Opera’s Ariadne auf Naxos is witty and passionate

By David Smythe

Dove’s Flight: Witty and poignant tale of airport life at Scottish Opera

By David Smythe, 24 February 2018

Jonathan Dove’s witty Flight at Scottish Opera is finely sung by a tight ensemble with standout performances from Jennifer France and James Laing.

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Glasgow

24 Feb 2018

Witty and poignant tale of airport life at Scottish Opera

By David Smythe

Glyndebourne

“Or not to be”: dislocated Shakespeare as Brett Dean’s Hamlet is revived for Glyndebourne’s tour

By Mark Pullinger, 21 October 2017

A restless score, a stylish modern setting and gripping central performances from David Butt Philip (trading Laertes at the festival for the title role here) and Jennifer France (Ophelia) do much to commend this new work

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Glyndebourne

21 Oct 2017

“Or not to be”: Hamlet revived for Glyndebourne’s tour

By Mark Pullinger

Proms at... Wilton’s: Conference of the Birds

By Danny Riley, 02 September 2017

The Birmingham Contemporary Music Group present an ambitious mixture of experimental chamber music and disquieting monodrama.

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London

02 Sep 2017

Proms at... Wilton’s: Conference of the Birds

By Danny Riley

Blandford Forum

Threesome? Sheep? Le Comte Ory at Dorset Opera

By Dominic Lowe, 25 July 2017

A simple, but funny production with a strong cast and an enthusiastic chorus brought Rossini's comedy to life.

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Blandford Forum

25 Jul 2017

Threesome? Sheep? Le Comte Ory at Dorset Opera

By Dominic Lowe

High Wycombe

Le nozze di Figaro at Garsington

By Katherine Cooper, 04 June 2017

A slick production from the Garsington Opera Company, who use the location of the Wormley Estate to their full advantage.

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High Wycombe

04 Jun 2017

Le nozze di Figaro at Garsington

By Katherine Cooper

Perth

La scala di seta: sparkling comedy from Scottish Opera in concert

By David Smythe, 07 April 2017

Jennifer France and Nicholas Lester are a compelling double act in Rossini’s sparkling comedy La scala di seta from Scottish Opera in Concert.

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Perth

07 Apr 2017

Sparkling Rossini comedy from Scottish Opera

By David Smythe

Karlsruhe

Music for the Angels: Dixit Dominus and others at Karlsruhe

By Sandra Bowdler, 26 February 2017

Excellent choral concert for Handel Festival at Karlsruhe, featuring works by Vivaldi and Handel, which also highlight up-and-coming countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński.

***11

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Karlsruhe

26 Feb 2017

Music for the Angels: Dixit Dominus and others at Karlsruhe

By Sandra Bowdler

Amsterdam

Ariadne’s centennial: a feast at Nederlandse Reisopera

By Nicolas Nguyen, 06 October 2016

The Nederlandse Reisopera celebrates Ariadne auf Naxos’centennial with a superb new production directed by Laurence Dale which looks as laving as it is pleasing to the ear.

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Amsterdam

06 Oct 2016

Ariadne’s centennial: a feast at Nederlandse Reisopera

By Nicolas Nguyen

Gloucester

Mahler 8: Three Choirs Festival goes out in a flawed blaze of glory

By Simon Cummings, 30 July 2016

Adrian Partington directs a well-managed but ultimately disjointed performance of Mahler’s most idealistically challenging symphony.

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Gloucester

30 Jul 2016

Three Choirs Festival goes out in a flawed blaze of glory

By Simon Cummings

Gags, rhymes and melodies: Opera Holland Park's Die Fledermaus

By David Karlin, 19 July 2016

After a sparkling Act I, energy fades slightly on a sweltering night in London, but Opera Holland Park's Die Fledermaus has a lot going for it.

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London

19 Jul 2016

Gags, rhymes and melodies: Die Fledermaus

By David Karlin

Mixed verdict: Jommelli's Vologeso thrown to the lions

By Mark Pullinger, 28 April 2016

A concert performance wasn't perhaps the best way to make a case for Jommelli's Il Vologeso, presented as part of Classical Opera's Mozart 250 series.

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London

28 Apr 2016

Jommelli's Vologeso thrown to the lions

By Mark Pullinger

Manchester

Birdsong from the trenches: powerful performances from the Hallé

By Peter Connors, 07 April 2016

A superb concert from the Hallé and Sir Mark Elder included John Casken's 2014 oboe concerto Apollinaire's Bird, a rare piece by Elgar and Vaughan Williams' powerful Fourth Symphony.

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Manchester

07 Apr 2016

Birdsong from the trenches: Casken's Apollinaire's Bird

By Peter Connors

A very finely sung Ariodante from Scottish Opera

By David Smythe, 20 February 2016

Intelligently staged and brilliantly sung, Scottish Opera can be justly proud of their new production of Ariodante. It is all about the oranges really.

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Glasgow

20 Feb 2016

A very finely sung Ariodante from Scottish Opera

By David Smythe

Taking wing: Dove’s Flight a soaring success for Opera Holland Park

By Mark Pullinger, 10 June 2015

Flight represents a brave new departure for Opera Holland Park, the first contemporary opera to take to its main stage, in a striking staging with top quality musical performances.

*****

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London

10 Jun 2015

Taking wing: Dove’s Flight a soaring success

By Mark Pullinger

Comedy and tragedy: Opera North's Gianni Schicchi and La Vida Breve serve up a fine double bill

By Richard Wilcocks, 18 February 2015

Tragedy giving way to comedy – a recipe which still works, as demonstrated in Opera North's fine double bill of Gianni Schicchi and La vida breve.

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Leeds

18 Feb 2015

Comedy and tragedy: Gianni Schicchi and La Vida Breve

By Richard Wilcocks

Opera North's sunny and life-affirming Bartered Bride

By Richard Wilcocks, 29 October 2014

Smetana's The Bartered Bride by Opera North at Leeds Grand Theatre directed by Daniel Slater is a confident revival of an old success.

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Leeds

29 Oct 2014

Opera North's sunny and life-affirming Bartered Bride

By Richard Wilcocks

High Wycombe

Garsington Opera's Fidelio proves entertaining but emotionally flat

By Ilana Walder-Biesanz, 06 June 2014

Garsington Opera takes a comedic approach to Beethoven's Fidelio. The result is amusing and musically strong, but lacking in both dynamic staging and emotional depth.

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High Wycombe

06 Jun 2014

Garsington Opera's Fidelio proves entertaining but emotionally flat

By Ilana Walder-Biesanz

Huddersfield

Israel in Egypt with the Huddersfield Choral Society

By Andrew H. King, 01 November 2013

Handel and the Huddersfield Choral Society go way back, and their union is probably listed somewhere in the Old Testament.

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Huddersfield

01 Nov 2013

Israel in Egypt with the Huddersfield Choral Society

By Andrew H. King

Opera North's triumphant Peter Grimes returns to Leeds

By Richard Wilcocks, 14 September 2013

A very welcome and triumphant revival of Peter Grimes begins Opera North’s Festival of Britten season, soon to be followed by A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Death in Venice. The work has often been described as Britten’s greatest, the paeans of praise beginning soon after its first performance just after the Second World War, often involving the word “enigma”.

*****

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Leeds

14 Sep 2013

Opera North's triumphant Peter Grimes returns to Leeds

By Richard Wilcocks

A very Gallic bel canto: Béatrice et Bénédict at Royal Academy Opera

By David Karlin, 23 November 2011

When you go to a student opera production, even at an institution as prestigious as the Royal Academy of Music, you don't expect to see one of the opera world's conducting legends in the pit. But that's precisely what we had at last night's performance of Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict, in the shape of Sir Colin Davis (CH, CBE), a man with several thousand opera performances on the clock.

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London

23 Nov 2011

A very Gallic bel canto: Béatrice et Bénédict at Royal Academy Opera

By David Karlin

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Paris

Il viaggio, Dante à Garnier : l'épure de Dusapin face aux visions de Claus Guth

By Jean-Pierre Rousseau, 21 March 2025

Dans son dernier opéra, le compositeur s'aventure vers la contemplation, tandis que le metteur en scène n'hésite pas à aller à l'encontre de la partition...

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Paris

21 Mar 2025

Il viaggio, Dante : l'épure de Dusapin, les visions de Claus Guth

By Jean-Pierre Rousseau

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Munich

Die Macht der Erinnerung: Weinbergs Die Passagierin an der Bayerischen Staatsoper

By Michael Vieth, 13 March 2024

Nach den Bildern von Tobias Kratzers Inszenierung und Weinbergs suggestiver Musik zur Passagierin in München bleibt ungläubige Verwunderung, wie dieses Werk vierzig Jahre von der Musikwelt übersehen werden konnte.

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Munich

13 Mar 2024

Die Macht der Erinnerung: Weinbergs Die Passagierin in München

By Michael Vieth

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Aix-en-Provence

Le Dante peu poétique de Pascal Dusapin à Aix-en-Provence

By Romain Daroles, 08 July 2022

En création mondiale au Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, Il viaggio, Dante du compositeur français échoue à transmettre la dimension poétique de l'œuvre originelle et bascule dans des ressorts psychologiques dignes d'une série TV.

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Aix-en-Provence

08 Jul 2022

Le Dante peu poétique de Pascal Dusapin à Aix-en-Provence

By Romain Daroles

Bradford on Avon

Retten, was zu retten ist: Lucio Papirio bei den digitalen Händel-Festspielen Halle

By Jens Klier, 30 May 2021

Zur Aufführung gelangte ein neuzeitlich premiertes Opern-Pasticcio, dem das junge Ensemble mit innewohnender Entdeckerlust und stimmlichen Fähigkeiten zu einem – damals noch versagten – Erfolg verhalf.

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Bradford on Avon

30 May 2021

Lucio Papirio bei den digitalen Händel-Festspielen Halle

By Jens Klier

Paris

Into the Little Hill : George Benjamin clôt le Festival Présences 2020

By Julius Lay, 16 February 2020

Pour conclure le Festival Présences, quoi de mieux que des percussions et de l'opéra ? Avec des créations de Bastien David et Isabel Mundry par l'Ensemble intercontemporain, voici la fin du portrait de George Benjamin.

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Paris

16 Feb 2020

Into the Little Hill : George Benjamin clôt Présences 2020

By Julius Lay

Amsterdam

Lessons in Love and Violence: George Benjamins neue Oper über Angst und Entsetzen im politischen Alltag

By Michael Klier, 25 June 2018

George Benjamins neue Oper beschreibt eindringlich einen durch Liebe hilflosen König – Hannigan und Degout füllen die tiefgründige Musik mit hingebungsvollem Emotionsspiel.

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Amsterdam

25 Jun 2018

Lessons in Love and Violence für den politischen Alltag

By Michael Klier