A questionable Concertgebouw programme?

By Nicolas Nguyen, 24 September 2014

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“The way he coloured his voice in “Pourquoi me réveiller” literally made me shiver”

Reviewed at Concertgebouw: Main Hall, Amsterdam on 23 September 2014

Diana Damrau, Soprano

Piotr Beczała, Tenor

Nicolas Testé, Bass

Noord Nederlands Orkest

Pavel Baleff, Conductor

Christian Spuck's loveable Leonce and Lena returns to Ballett Zürich

Sarah Batschelet, 8th December

Spuck’s Leonce and Lena is a feel-good treat that lifts the spirits measurably and makes a fine case for the modern genre.

****1

Georges Bizet’s “Les pêcheurs de perles” in Zurich

Sarah Batschelet, 16th December

In Georges Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles, two men’s vow of eternal friendship is threatened by their love for the same woman. Only one man lives to tell the tale.

****1

Kapitonova enchants in Ratmansky's Swan Lake

Mark Pullinger, 3rd June

Ratmansky's staging is more than a reconstruction. It's a staging that's moving and joyful in its own right.

****1

Vaudeville and validation in Ravel double bill

Sarah Batschelet, 8th May

In the nearby city of Winterthur, Zurich’s fine International Opera Studio (IOS) recently premiered two short operas by Maurice Ravel, a flashy L’Heure espagnole and a lyrical L’Enfant et les sortilèges.

***11

Von der Oper zum Broadway

David Renke, 24th March

Thomas Hampson unternahm in der Münchner Philharmonie mit seinem Programm einen Streifzug durch knapp drei Jahrhunderte Musikgeschichte - zusammen mit dem Mozarteumorchester Salzburg unter der Leitung von Pavel Baleff.

****1

Pelléas et Mélisande as a dark, shining fairy tale in Geneva

Elodie Olson-Coons, 26th October

A maximalist production of Pelléas et Mélisande at Geneva's Grand Théâtre shines, but tries a little too hard.

****1

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Nicolas Nguyen

Nicolas is a French Amsterdammer, e-commerce professional and a bit of an opera buff. His experience in the area of music is that of a dilettante. His passion for the opera and vocal music comes from his love for both music and languages which are so perfectly combined in these art forms.

Piotr Beczala, Diana Damrau and Nicolas Testé at the Concertgebouw