An uneven Turn of the Screw on a 19th-century Bronx estate

The opera can be summed up by a line sung by the Countess in Act 4: “You’re killing her with all this noise.”

New York’s three year old, wonderfully innovative On Site Opera, has scored another success with a four-performance run of Giovanni Paisiello’s 1782 Il barbiere di Siviglia. 

The opera can be summed up by a line sung by the Countess in Act 4: “You’re killing her with all this noise.”

New York’s three year old, wonderfully innovative On Site Opera, has scored another success with a four-performance run of Giovanni Paisiello’s 1782 Il barbiere di Siviglia. 

“Nibble, nibble, like a mouse – who is nibbling at my house?” As a preschooler, I used to giggle with glee when I would hear this quote from the wicked witch in Hansel and Gretel. No doubt the story was dark, yet Eloise Wilkin’s delightful illustrations and the touching message of brother/sister love enticed me to return frequently to this beloved tale during nightly story time.

The 2012 Fort Worth Opera Festival, now nearing its conclusion, presented the last of its three performances of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro on Friday evening. A traditional approach governed everything from the modest yet handsome sets to the conservative musical interpretation.