Naxos capitulates, Mattila’s Ariadne reigns

By Mark Pullinger, 26 June 2014

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“For sheer magnetism and chutzpah, Karita Mattila was pretty sensational ”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 25 June 2014

Strauss R., Ariadne auf Naxos

The Royal Opera

Sir Antonio Pappano, Conductor

Christof Loy, Director

Herbert Murauer, Set Designer

Karita Mattila, The Primadonna (Ariadne)

Jane Archibald, Zerbinetta

Ruxandra Donose, Composer

Roberto Saccà, The Tenor (Bacchus)

Christoph Quest, The Major-Domo

Ed Lyon, Dancing Master

Sofia Fomina, Naiad

Karen Cargill, Dryad

Kiandra Howarth, Echo

Markus Werba, Harlequin

Jeremy White, Truffaldino

Wynne Evans, Scaramuccio

Paul Schweinester, Brighella

David Butt Philip, Officer

Sir Thomas Allen, Music Master

Ashley Riches, Wigmaker

Jihoon Kim, Lackey

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.