A memorable Damnation of Faust in Cleveland

By Timothy Robson, 10 May 2015

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Reviewed at Severance Music Center: Mandel Concert Hall, Cleveland on 7 May 2015

Berlioz, La Damnation de Faust

Charles Dutoit, Conductor

Ruxandra Donose, Marguerite

Paul Groves, Faust

Christopher Feigum, Brander

Sir Willard White, Méphistophélès

The Cleveland Orchestra

The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus

The Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus

Regents Opera’s Salome lands a knockout punch at York Hall

Mark Pullinger, 10th April

Mark Ravenhill directs a brutal, bloody Salome for Regents Opera at the spiritual home of British boxing, York Hall.

****1

Handel's Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno returns to Rome

Pia Maltri, 7th April

Robert Carsen's staging of Handel's oratorio arrives, via Salzburg, in the city where Handel composed it in 1707.

****1

Innocence: Saariaho’s final opera receives New York premiere

Kurt Gottschalk, 6th April

At the Metropolitan Opera, Innocence proves a gripping and perhaps divisive piece which feels real because it is a reflection of our reality, with no realistic hope of finding peace.

*****

Parsifal without the hocus-pocus in Lower Bavaria

Peter Quantrill, 4th April

A colourful, revue-style production dispels the clouds of mystique surrounding Wagner's last opera.

****1

Bless this house: a Passiontide Parsifal in Erl

Peter Quantrill, 2nd April

Alpine mountains and streams set the scene for an illuminating production of Wagner's 'play to consecrate a stage'.

****1

Petrenko and Serebrennikov forge a new Ring in Salzburg

Phillip Richter, 1st April

The Berliner Philharmoniker’s much-anticipated return to Salzburg gets off to an impressive musical start. Kirill Serebrennikov’s staging raises numerous questions, but answers few of them.

****1

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Timothy Robson

We are saddened to learn of the death of Tim Robson, a long-time Bachtrack contributor (2012-21). Tim was an organist in Cleveland, Ohio and his repertoire extended to all musical periods, with a special interest in contemporary music. As a blogger he was a regular contributor to ClevelandClassical.com. In his parallel career as a librarian, Tim was Associate Director for Academic Engagement at the Kelvin Smith Library of Case Western Reserve University. Our condolences to his family.

Charles Dutoit leads a memorable Damnation of Faust in Cleveland