Bernstein’s devastating double bill of raw emotion cuts to the bone

Wallis Giunta (Dinah)

Henry Neill (Sam)

A Quiet Place

Grant Doyle (Sam)

Robin Bailey (Analyst), Kirsty McLean and Peter Edge (Trio)

By Stephen Pritchard, 11 October 2024

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“it burns with such emotional intensity you can feel the heat pouring off the stage”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House: Linbury Theatre, London on 10 October 2024

Bernstein, Trouble in Tahiti

Bernstein, A Quiet Place

The Royal Opera

Nicholas Chalmers, Conductor

Oliver Mears, Director

Annemarie Woods, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Fabiana Piccioli, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Royal Opera Chorus

Sarah Fahie, Movement director

Henry Neill, Sam, Junior

Wallis Giunta, Dinah

Kirsty McLean, Soprano Chorus

Guy Elliott, Tenor Chorus

Peter Edge, Baritone Chorus

Grant Doyle, Sam

Rowan Pierce, Dede

Nick Pritchard, Funeral Director

Freddie Tong, Doc

Sarah Pring, Mrs Doc

Rebecca Afonwy-Jones, Susie

Robin Bailey, Analyst

Eddie Wade, Bill

Elgan Llŷr Thomas, Francois

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.

*****

Turandot drowned in an orchestral tsunami at The Royal Opera

David Karlin, 15th December

Andrei Șerban’s 40 year old take on Puccini's tale of the ice princess largely stands the test of time, but Netrebko and Eyvazov are short of their best form.

***11

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Stephen Pritchard

Stephen Pritchard began singing as a treble at the age of eight and progressed to become a tenor in Portsmouth Cathedral Choir, the Gibbons Consort and now the English Chamber Choir. Writing about music has been at the core of his 40-year career in journalism, chiefly at the Observer. He has been known to play a pretty mean jazz double bass.

Leonard Bernstein’s devastating double bill of raw emotion cuts to the bone