Urgent and intense: Innocence opens at the Royal Opera House

Vilma Jää (Markéta) and Jenny Carlstedt (Waitress)

Lucy Shelton (Teacher) and students

Innocence

Markus Nykänen (Bridegroom), Lilian Farahani (Bride) and Jenny Carlstedt (Waitress)

Sandrine Piau (Mother-in-Law), Jenny Carlstedt (Waitress) and Vilma Jää (Markéta)

Par Mark Valencia, 18 avril 2023

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“surrender to Saariaho’s spell and she will wrench your heart”

Critique faite à Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Londres, le 17 avril 2023

Saariaho, Innocence

The Royal Opera

Susanna Mälkki, Direction

Simon Stone, Mise en scène

Chloe Lamford, Décors

Mel Page, Costumes

James Farncombe, Lumières

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Royal Opera Chorus

Jenny Carlstedt, Waitress

Sandrine Piau, Mother-in-Law

Christopher Purves, Father-in-Law

Lilian Farahani, Bride

Markus Nykänen, Groom

Timo Riihonen, Priest

Lucy Shelton, Teacher

Vilma Jää, Markéta (Student 1)

Beate Mordal, Lilly (Student 2)

Julie Hega, Iris (Student 3)

Simon Kluth, Anton (Student 4)

Camilo Delgado Diaz, Jerónimo (Student 5)

Marina Dumont, Alexia (Student 6)

Arco Renz, Chorégraphie

Two funerals and a bedding at the Linbury Theatre

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.

*****

Terfel’s craggy Boris Godunov returns to Covent Garden

Mark Pullinger, 29th January

The second revival of Richard Jones' staging of Mussorgsky's original 1869 version of Boris Godunov once again stars the Welsh knight.

****1

Ermonela Jaho returns in triumph to The Royal Opera’s Traviata

Mark Valencia, 8th January

Richard Eyre’s 32-year-old production is rarely out of The Royal Opera’s repertoire for more than a few months at a time, but this particular revival proves very special.

*****

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Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.