Pretty Yende sweetens Damiano Michieletto’s acidic Don Pasquale

Lucio Gallo (Don Pasquale) and Pretty Yende (Norina)

Lucio Gallo (Don Pasquale) and Andrzej Filończyk (Malatesta)

Xabier Anduaga (Ernesto)

Pretty Yende, Andrzej Filończyk, Lucio Gallo and Xabier Anduaga

By Dominic Lowe, 04 May 2022

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“Yende threw herself into the humour... delivering some eminently Instagrammable pouts”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 3 May 2022

Donizetti, Don Pasquale

The Royal Opera

Giacomo Sagripanti, Conductor

Damiano Michieletto, Director

Paolo Fantin, Set Designer

Agostino Cavalca, Costume Designer

Alessandro Carletti, Lighting Designer

Lucio Gallo, Don Pasquale

Pretty Yende, Norina

Andrzej Filończyk, Dr Malatesta

Xabier Anduaga, Ernesto

Royal Opera Chorus

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

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

More reviews...

Dominic Lowe

Dominic Lowe recently completed a degree in Classics, and one of his great interests is the reception of Greece and Rome in opera. A regular opera-goer since his very early teens, he is particularly keen on the hidden operatic gems of the 19th century. He is largely based in the South of England.

Pretty Yende sweetens Damiano Michieletto’s acidic Don Pasquale on its Covent Garden return