Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Phillip Rhodes

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Terrifically strong principals in Irish National Opera’s new Rigoletto

By Andrew Larkin, 01 December 2024

Michael Chioldi, Soraya Mafi and Bekhzod Davronov shine in Julien Chavez’ energetic production in Dublin’s Bord Gais Theatre.

****1

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****1

Dublin

01 Dec 2024

Terrifically strong principals in Irish National Opera’s Rigoletto

By Andrew Larkin

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London

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.

****1

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****1

London

11 Oct 2024

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

By Dominic Lowe

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Glasgow

McVicar’s magic only improves with age: Scottish Opera’s La traviata returns

By David Smythe, 08 May 2024

Scottish Opera’s stylish revival is very finely sung with Hye-Youn Lee as Violetta, Ji-Min Park as Alfredo and Philip Rhodes as Germont.

****1

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****1

Glasgow

09 May 2024

McVicar’s magic only improves with age: Scottish Opera’s La traviata

By David Smythe

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Sydney

Fresh breezes bring change: Opera Australia’s new Traviata delights

By Zoltán Szabó, 04 January 2024

Sarah Giles' new production replaces Elijah Moshinsky's venerable staging, and the talented cast delivers a successful performance.

*****

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*****

Sydney

10 Jan 2024

Fresh breezes bring change: Opera Australia’s new Traviata delights

By Zoltán Szabó

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Glasgow

Fulljames' police thriller Carmen closes Scottish Opera season

By David Smythe, 16 May 2023

Fine singing from Justina Gringytė, Alok Kumar and Hye-Youn Lee lead a strong supporting cast, with Dane Lam conducting the Scottish Opera Orchestra and Chorus on top form.

****1

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****1

Glasgow

17 May 2023

Fulljames' police thriller Carmen closes Scottish Opera season

By David Smythe

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London

No punches pulled in an excellent Covent Garden Rigoletto

By David Karlin, 23 February 2022

The second cast of the season for Oliver Mears' new Royal Opera production augments the intelligent staging with superb singing and acting.

*****

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*****

London

24 Feb 2022

No punches pulled in an excellent Covent Garden Rigoletto

By David Karlin

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Leeds

Crowd-pleasing, yet provocative: Opera North's new Carmen

By Richard Wilcocks, 02 October 2021

Bizet's Carmen at Leeds Grand Theatre, directed by Edward Dick and conducted by Garry Walker, provides thought-provoking modern resonances as well as an uplifting, tune-filled experience.

****1

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****1

Leeds

03 Oct 2021

Crowd-pleasing, yet provocative: Opera North's new Carmen

By Richard Wilcocks

Edinburgh

Scottish Opera’s Falstaff delights at the Edinburgh International Festival

By David Smythe, 08 August 2021

David McVicar’s Jacobean-inspired production is a true delight, a finely sung production led by Roland Wood as Verdi's fat knight.

****1

****1

Edinburgh

09 Aug 2021

Scottish Opera’s Falstaff delights at the EIF

By David Smythe

Auckland

Simon O'Neill and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra standouts in Fidelio

By Simon Holden, 08 May 2021

Giordano Bellincampi presides over a fleet and crisp performance of Beethoven's only opera, performed in Auckland Town Hall.

***11

***11

Auckland

10 May 2021

Simon O'Neill and the APO standouts in Auckland Fidelio

By Simon Holden

Glasgow

A little touch of magic in Scottish Opera's Hansel and Gretel

By Simon Thompson, 10 February 2021

Clever stage touches and great voices are enough to win over even the stoniest of hearts.

****1

****1

Glasgow

10 Feb 2021

A little touch of magic in Scottish Opera's Hansel and Gretel

By Simon Thompson

Leeds

Exuberant revival of Opera North's Marriage of Figaro

By Richard Wilcocks, 01 February 2020

Opera North's revival of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro directed by Jo Davies and conducted by Antony Hermus at Leeds Grand Theatre is still full of comic exuberance.

****1

****1

Leeds

02 Feb 2020

Exuberant revival of Opera North's Marriage of Figaro

By Richard Wilcocks

Cardiff

Carmen in Cardiff: Welsh National Opera's powerful new production is a triumph

By Mark Valencia, 28 September 2019

Virginie Verrez acted not with fire and ice but with gallic insouciance.

****1

****1

Cardiff

30 Sep 2019

Carmen in Cardiff: WNO's powerful new production is a triumph

By Mark Valencia

Cardiff

Bowler hats and lobsters: WNO's surreal Magic Flute returns

By Rohan Shotton, 17 February 2019

Dominic Cooke’s Magritte-inspired production returns to Wales Millennium Centre to keep the audience giggling.

***11

***11

Cardiff

19 Feb 2019

Bowler hats and lobsters: WNO's surreal Magic Flute returns

By Rohan Shotton

Amsterdam

A dystopian police state for Reisopera's new Tosca

By Nicolas Nguyen, 06 November 2018

A fine cast convinces in Dutch Reisopera's new Tosca, staged in a dystopian police state.

***11

***11

Amsterdam

08 Nov 2018

A dystopian police state for Reisopera's new Tosca

By Nicolas Nguyen

Blandford Forum

Sins of the fathers: Le Cid at Dorset Opera Festival

By Dominic Lowe, 26 July 2018

Dorset Opera Festival's bold decision to programme Massenet's obscure opera about a medieval Castilian hero proves to be a major success.

****1

****1

Blandford Forum

28 Jul 2018

Sins of the fathers: Le Cid at Dorset Opera Festival

By Dominic Lowe

Leeds

Murder on the dance floor: an underwhelming Ballo in maschera from Opera North

By Mark Pullinger, 03 February 2018

If you had received an invitation to a masked ball at which there turned out to be no masks and no dancing, it's understandable you'd feel disappointed.

**111

**111

Leeds

04 Feb 2018

Murder on the dance floor: an underwhelming Ballo

By Mark Pullinger

Leeds

Opera North presents stark contrasts with Cavalleria rusticana and Trial by Jury

By Richard Wilcocks, 27 September 2017

Opera North's Little Greats festival continues with two deeply contrasting short operas - a grimly tragic and austere version of Macagni's Cavalleria rusticana and a frothy and hilarious production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury.

****1

****1

Leeds

29 Sep 2017

Opera North presents stark contrasts with Cavalleria rusticana and Trial by Jury

By Richard Wilcocks

Leeds

Opera North's Little Greats: jealousy, murder and childhood fantasy

By Richard Wilcocks, 16 September 2017

Charles Edwards and Annabel Arden direct Leoncavallo's Pagliacci and Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortilèges in a contrasting pairing of two short operas in Opera North's 'Little Greats' season.

****1

****1

Leeds

17 Sep 2017

Opera North's Little Greats: jealousy, murder and childhood fantasy

By Richard Wilcocks

Alresford

A striking Carmen at Grange Festival

By Katherine Cooper, 15 June 2017

Sex and violence bubbles beneath the surface in this near-faultless staging of Carmen.

*****

*****

Alresford

19 Jun 2017

A striking Carmen at Grange Festival

By Katherine Cooper

Leeds

Snowflakes and sunflowers: rare Rimsky-Korsakov opera revived by Opera North

By Mark Pullinger, 21 January 2017

Opera North's new production of The Snow Maiden is the first professional staging in the UK for over 60 years, although the magic is intermittent

***11

***11

Leeds

22 Jan 2017

Snowflakes and sunflowers in Leeds

By Mark Pullinger

Leeds

Opera North's Andrea Chénier full of modern relevance

By Richard Wilcocks, 19 January 2016

Opera North's Andrea Chénier at Leeds Grand Theatre directed by Annabel Arden is full of modern relevance and a fine start to the new season

****1

****1

Leeds

20 Jan 2016

Opera North's Andrea Chénier full of modern relevance

By Richard Wilcocks

Auckland

High-octane Tosca in Auckland

By Simon Holden, 17 September 2015

Fine singing from Simon O’Neill and Orla Boylan in New Zealand Opera's production of Tosca.

****1

****1

Auckland

19 Sep 2015

High-octane Tosca in Auckland

By Simon Holden

London

The power of love: Between Worlds at the Barbican

By Charlotte Valori, 11 April 2015

A new co-commissioned production from English National Opera and the Barbican sees Tansy Davies tackle the most harrrowing of modern subjects: 9/11.

*****

*****

London

13 Apr 2015

The power of love: Between Worlds at the Barbican

By Charlotte Valori

Auckland

A star in the making: Marlena Devoe wows as Lucia in Auckland

By Simon Holden, 10 October 2014

The audience for Lucia di Lammermoor was treated to a young, very believable cast showcasing a star in the making in the form of New Zealand-born Samoan soprano Marlena Devoe.

****1

****1

Auckland

11 Oct 2014

Marlena Devoe wows as Lucia in Auckland

By Simon Holden

Leeds

A brilliant pairing by Opera North: La Voix Humaine and Dido and Aeneas in Leeds

By Richard Wilcocks, 14 February 2013

The evening begins with La Voix Humaine: “Elle” is staring at us fixedly for what seems like a minute, smoke from the cigarette in her fingers providing the only movement. She sits in an oblong frame surrounded by light bulbs, indicating a substantial mirror of the sort you might find backstage. The orchestra begins, and the music is edgy.

****1

****1

Leeds

18 Feb 2013

A brilliant pairing by Opera North: La Voix Humaine and Dido and Aeneas in Leeds

By Richard Wilcocks