Indomitable: Billy Budd in Frankfurt

By Matthew Rye, 26 May 2018

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“Erik Nielsen kept a tight ship, the orchestra unleashing waves of sonic richnes”

Reviewed at Oper Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main on 25 May 2018

Britten, Billy Budd

Oper Frankfurt

Erik Nielsen, Conductor

Richard Jones, Director

Antony McDonald, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Michael McCown, Captain Vere

Björn Bürger, Billy Budd

Thomas Faulkner, John Claggart

Michael Porter, Novice

Hans-Jürgen Lazar, Red Whiskers

Theo Lebow, Squeak

Barnaby Rea, Bosun

Mikołaj Trąbka, Donald

Brandon Cedel, Lieutenant Ratcliffe

Alfred Reiter, Dansker

Magnús Baldvinsson, Mr Flint

Simon Bailey, Mr Redburn

Mimi Jordan Sherin, Lighting Designer

Norbert Abels, Dramaturgy

Tilman Michael, Choirmaster / chorus director

Nikolaus Henseler, Choirmaster / chorus director

Opera Frankfurt Orchestra

Frankfurt Opera Children's Choir

Frankfurt Opera Chorus

It's party time onstage: Carl Nielsen's Maskarade at Oper Frankfurt

Kevin W Ng, 20th November

Carl Nielsen's Maskarade makes a welcome rare appearance, with a great time had by everyone onstage and off.

***11

Christof Loy’s Lonely Hearts Club at Oper Frankfurt

Mark Pullinger, 26th March

This is no Liederabend with singers taking their turn to file up to the piano. It’s a fully staged drama in which baritone Vladislav Sulimsky’s character reflects on his past loves and losses.

*****

Words or music? Collaboration or resistance? A new Capriccio in Frankfurt

John Johnston, 24th January

Camilla Nylund’s rich, ample voice bloomed in the glorious setting of the sonnet, cosseted by burnished horn playing, in Strauss' unsurpassed operatic farewell to the soprano voice.

****1

Iain Paterson's Dutchman drops anchor in Frankfurt

John Johnston, 20th May

Iain Paterson's house debut as the Holländer was sufficient reason to drop anchor in the Main for this revival of David Bösch's 2015 production.

***11

A dark and stunning new Rigoletto

Ako Imamura, 28th April

Oper Frankfurt's new production of Rigoletto focuses on the dark side of the tragedy with excellent singing from the two principals.

****1

Perfect Pelléas: Debussy's opera seduces in Frankfurt

Matthew Rye, 1st April

Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande is beautifully realised in Claus Guth's now classic production, revived with a new cast of principals at Oper Frankfurt.

*****

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Matthew Rye

Matthew read music at Oxford and worked in music journalism for 30 years as a writer, critic and editor. He wrote numerous programme and CD booklet notes, spent 13 years as a Daily Telegraph critic, worked at BBC Music Magazine and was reviews editor of The Strad. He also wrote for The Wagner Journal and Opera and blogged at ferneklang.blogspot.co.uk. He was general editor of 1001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die (Cassell Illustrated, 2007) and was the author of a new series of eBooks, Masterpieces of Music (Erudition).