A delightful wildlife soirée at the Edinburgh Fringe

By David Smythe, 08 August 2019

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Reviewed at St Andrew's and St George's Church, Edinburgh on 7 August 2019

Arne, Cuckoo

Schubert, Die Forelle (Schubart), D.550

Poulenc, Le Bestiaire, FP 15a

Grieg, En Svane (A Swan), Op.25 no.2

Ravel, Histoires naturelles: Le paon

Mussorgsky, The Song of the Flea

Joan Busby, Mezzo-soprano

Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Bass

Walter Blair, Piano

Clown court: Offenbach's Fantasio at Garsington

Matthew Rye, 14th June

The UK stage debut of Offenbach’s neglected Fantasio reveals a musical sizzler, but directorially it needs a more sympathetic touch than Garsington musters.

***11

An immaculately executed Bartered Bride at Garsington

David Karlin, 29th May

Natalya Romaniw is a natural as our maligned heroine: Paul Curran creates staging of bewildering comic complexity and pulls it off with panache.

****1

“Or not to be”: Hamlet revived for Glyndebourne’s tour

Mark Pullinger, 21st October

A restless score, a stylish modern setting and gripping central performances from David Butt Philip (trading Laertes at the festival for the title role here) and Jennifer France (Ophelia) do much to commend this new work

***11

Light and shade: Pelléas et Mélisande at Wormsley

Matthew Rye, 18th June

Debussy’s opera of half-lights succeeds in taming the glare of the midsummer sun in Garsington’s new staging.

****1

Excellent in parts: Meistersinger at Covent Garden

David Karlin, 11th March

Holten's masonic lodge setting of Meistersinger gets a lot right but is occasionally uneven; Terfel and Hughes Jones are constantly good to listen to.

***11

Robert Carsen's legendary Dream returns to Aix

Mark Valencia, 4th July

A trip down memory lane sends our man in Aix into raptures as Robert Carsen's production of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream comes home to Provence.

*****

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David Smythe

David the farmer was drawn into music through choirs, orchestras, taking part in and directing 'serious' opera as a student. Passionate about live classical music, particularly chamber opera, unusual pieces and events and giving the next generation the tools to engage with the classical world.

Now the Hungry Lion Roars: a delightful wildlife soirée at the Edinburgh Fringe