Ambrogio Maestri lifts Budapest's Falstaff

By David Karlin, 23 May 2016

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“Maestri seemed to infect the rest of the cast with the spirit of the work”

Reviewed at Erkel Színház (Erkel Theatre), Budapest on 22 May 2016

Verdi, Falstaff

Hungarian State Opera

Balázs Kocsár, Conductor

Arnaud Bernard, Director, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Ambrogio Maestri, Sir John Falstaff

Gunyong Na, Ford

Péter Balczó, Fenton

Beatrix Fodor, Alice Ford

Bernadett Wiedemann, Mistress Quickly

Bori Keszei, Nannetta

Erika Gál, Meg Page

János Szerekován, Bardolfo (Bardolph)

Géza Gábor, Pistola (Pistol)

Zoltán Megyesi, Dr Caius

Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra

Hungarian State Opera Chorus

All that glitters is not gold in Budapest's new Lohengrin

Orsolya Gyárfás, 16th November

Klára Kolonits's radiant Elsa proves the main attraction in the Hungarian State Opera's visually appealing but conceptually lacking new Lohengrin.

**111

A thrilling, opulent La Bayadère at Hungarian National Ballet

Gianmarco Segato, 14th June

Hungarian National Ballet's La Bayadère revitalizes tradition with a new reconstruction of its forgotten final act.

*****

Visually splendid, dramatically parched La Gioconda in Budapest

Gianmarco Segato, 11th June

Hungarian State Opera's cut-down, dramatically inert Gioconda fails to ignite the stage in Budapest, despite a solid musical foundation.

***11

Stumbling towards the chopping block: Maria Stuarda in Budapest

Orsolya Gyárfás, 14th May

Martin Rajna's energetic conducting and Gabriella Balga's glorious Elisabetta are the bright spots in this flashy but empty house premiere of Donizetti's classic.

**111

Hungarian National Ballet: a tremendously witty Merry Widow

Deborah Weiss, 12th February

Hungarian National Ballet strike a delightful balance between lighthearted comedy and technical assurance in Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow.

****1

A promising class: 6th Éva Marton Competition grand final

Orsolya Gyárfás, 7th September

In its tenth year and going strong, the biennial Éva Marton International Singing Competition fields an even level of talent in an entertaining finale.

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David Karlin

David is a co-founder of Bachtrack. He is a musical omnivore interested in almost all types of music, but with a particular love of Italian opera. You can contact him from this link.