Florid campery in Vivaldi’s Dorilla in Tempe

Manuela Custer (Dorilla) and José Maria Lo Monaco (Elmiro)

Marco Bussi (Admeto)

Dorilla in Tempe

Laura Margaret Smith (Eudamia) and Rosa Bove (Filindo)

Veronique Valdés (Nomio–Apollo)

By Mark Pullinger, 24 October 2019

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“in flamboyant period style, with eye-popping costumes, it looks a treat”

Reviewed at National Opera House: O’Reilly Theatre, Wexford on 23 October 2019

Vivaldi, Dorilla in Tempe, RV709

Wexford Festival Opera

Andrea Marchiol, Conductor

Fabio Ceresa, Director

Massimo Checchetto, Set Designer

Giuseppe Palella, Costume Designer

Manuela Custer, Dorilla

Josè Maria Lo Monaco, Elmiro

Rosa Bove, Filindo

Veronique Valdés, Nomio

Marco Bussi, Admeto

Laura Margaret Smith, Eudamia

Simon Corder, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of Wexford Festival Opera

Delius’ The Magic Fountain disappoints at Wexford

Eleanor Knight, 19th October

Frederick Delius' gigantic score is worth a listen but Christopher Luscombe doesn’t circumvent the problems of directing this opera in 2025.

**111

Handel’s Deidamia a triumph for Wexford Festival Opera

Eleanor Knight, 18th October

A rare opportunity to see Handel’s final operatic work, Deidamia, conducted – and staged – by George Petrou at Wexford Festival Opera.

*****

Spanish Civil War Trouvère opens Wexford Festival Opera

Eleanor Knight, 17th October

The 74th Wexford Opera Festival opens with the French revision of Il trovatore that Verdi reforged for the Paris Opera.

***11

Orpha Phelan delivers farcical Donizetti at the Wexford Festival Opera

Andrew Larkin, 20th October

Superlative singing, hilarious antics and an energetic production make Donizetti's Le Convenience ed inconvenience an exhilarating success.

****1

Stanford's hilarious The Critic proves a Wexford knockout

Andrew Larkin, 19th October

Conor Hanratty's humorous production is a triumph from beginning to end, a must see at this year's Wexford Festival.

*****

Mascagni's Le maschere struggles to take flight in Wexford opener

Andrew Larkin, 18th October

Excellent singing, an amusing production and lively staging showcases Mascagni's Le maschere in the best possible light at Wexford Festival Opera.

***11

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Florid campery as Vivaldi’s Dorilla in Tempe travels from Venice to Wexford