Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside!: Jūrmala Festival opens

By Alexander Hall, 24 July 2019

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Reviewed at Dzintari Concert Hall: Great Hall, Jūrmala on 23 July 2019

Britten, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Op.34

Vivaldi, Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione: Violin Concerto in F minor, Op.8 no. 4, RV 297 "L'inverno" (Winter)

Ellington, New World A-Comin'

Márquez, Conga del Fuego Nuevo

Lehár, The Merry Widow: Lippen schweigen, 's flüstern Geigen

Žilinskis, The Golden Horse (excerpt)

Widor, Organ Symphony no. 5 in F minor (Allegro vivace)

Franck, Prélude, Fugue and Variation, Op.18

Intars Busulis, Vocals

Iveta Apkalna, Organ

Līga Gita Zīriņa, Soprano

Aleksandrs Antoņenko, Tenor

Vestards Šimkus, Piano

Latvia's Youth Symphony Orchestra

Kārlis Gusts Zariņš, Piano

A rustic Cavelleria rusticana at the Jūrmala Festival

Alexander Hall, 26th July

Mascagni's stirring music and gripping storyline cast their spell over a festival audience at the edge of the Baltic Sea.

****1

Mistrust, rage and colonialism: Otello at the Staatsoper

Chanda VanderHart, 20th June

During the “Salce” and “Ave Maria” in Act Four Bezsmertna turned this to magical effect, thinning out and floating her shimmering soprano into gossamer threads.

***11

A tale of many Tchaikovskys: The Queen of Spades at ROH

David Karlin, 13th January

Herheim places the composer at the centre of his opera in a staging that's clever and erudite but somewhat cold; musical performances are mixed.

***11

Netrebko triumphs as Aida at The Met

Ako Imamura, 26th September

Netrebko met the audience’s high expectations, as she does every time, conquering the challenges with her remarkable artistry.

*****

Metropolitan Opera pays tribute to Hvorostovsky

Ako Imamura, 24th November

The Met Opera's concert performance of Verdi's Requiem was an emotional tribute to Dmitri Hvorostovsky.

***11

Dyka and Antonenko shine in an extravagant Turandot at the Met

Ako Imamura, 17th October

The Met succeeded in casting two strong singers for the difficult lead roles of Puccini's final opera.

***11

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Alexander Hall

Alexander Hall divides his time between London and Hamburg, where he had a career in academic administration and teaching. He reviews for Bachtrack and Opera Today, and has also reviewed for Classical Source. A connoisseur of the great orchestras of the world, his musical memories stretch back to Karajan/Berlin Phil, Mravinsky/Leningrad Phil, Bernstein/Vienna Phil, and he has seen most of the great conductors from the past, including Böhm, Klemperer, Kubelik, Ormandy and Szell.