All good fun: a flesh-and-blood Falstaff at Müpa Budapest

By Orsolya Gyárfás, 08 March 2018

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“the Budapest Festival Orchestra played with a mellifluous, polished sound”

Reviewed at Müpa: Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, Budapest on 6 March 2018

Verdi, Falstaff (Semi-staged)

Iván Fischer, Conductor

Marco Gandini, Director

Nicola Alaimo, Sir John Falstaff

Tassis Christoyannis, Ford

Eva Mei, Alice Ford

Sylvia Schwartz, Nannetta

Yvonne Naef, Mistress Quickly

Xabier Anduaga, Fenton

Laura Polverelli, Meg Page

Stuart Patterson, Bardolfo (Bardolph)

Giovanni Battista Parodi, Pistola (Pistol)

Carlo Bosi, Dr Caius

Budapest Festival Orchestra

Happy Birthday, Maestro Zeffirelli! La Scala revives a beloved Bohème

Laura Servidei, 4th March

Marina Rebeka and Freddie de Tommaso are the protagonists in the 200th performance of the historical production of La bohème by Franco Zeffirelli, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, under the baton of Eun Sun Kim, who debuts at La Scala.

****1

Love's reign: an entertaining Poppea in Budapest

Orsolya Gyárfás, 9th September

Conducted by Iván Fischer, a strong cast delivers an entertaining performance of Monteverdi's opera in a production that amuses, but does not quite thrill.

***11

Saisissante Tosca

Beate Langenbruch, 11th December

Ainhoa Arteta, Stuart Neill et Nelson Martinez – un trio de solistes remarquables finement dirigé par Oleg Caetani dans une mise en scène de Marco Gandini.

*****

A noble Norma trapped in a hollow dystopia

Andrew Larkin, 24th May

Salome Jicia delivers a vocally impressive and emotionally committed Norma, but Orpha Phelan’s post-apocalyptic staging fatally weakens Bellini’s sacred tragedy.

***11

Superb musical performances in Pinchgut's Scarlatti rarity in Sydney

Sandra Bowdler, 23rd May

As usual, Pinchgut lavishes musical excellence on an obscure Baroque work... but why stage an oratorio?

****1

A deli-cious revival of Rossini’s Il turco in Italia at Glyndebourne

Dominic Lowe, 23rd May

Mariame Clément’s production of Rossini's meta comedy is tightly revived with some excellent singing. Come for the writing tips, stay for the cured meats.

****1

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Orsolya Gyárfás

A university student in Budapest, currently pursuing a degree in Aesthetics, Orsolya is an opera fan, particularly interested in the works of Mozart and Wagner.