Simon O'Neill and the APO standouts in Auckland Fidelio

By Simon Holden, 10 May 2021

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“a driven performance, exhilarating in its dramatic moments”

Reviewed at Auckland Town Hall: Great Hall, Auckland on 8 May 2021

Beethoven, Fidelio (concert performance)

Giordano Bellincampi, Conductor

Jacqueline Coats, Director

Simon O'Neill, Florestan

Kirstin Sharpin, Leonore

Phillip Rhodes, Don Pizarro

Paul Whelan, Rocco

James Ioelu, Don Fernando

Oliver Sewell, Jaquino

Natasha Wilson, Marzelline

Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus

Auckland Philharmonia

Gluck reimagined: (m)Orpheus in Auckland

Simon Holden, 6th September

Gareth Farr re-orchestrates Gluck in Neil Ieremia's imaginative reinterpretation of the Orpheus myth for New Zealand Opera.

****1

Talented young cast shines in New Zealand Opera's La bohème

Simon Holden, 19th September

It was hard not to be drawn in by the romance and tragedy as presented by such a sincere, credible and vocally talented young cast and a conductor with such strong identification with the idiom.

****1

Comic overkill stunts Handel’s Giulio Cesare at Grange Festival

Mark Pullinger, 7th June

Despite excellent vocal performances, David Alden’s production of Giulio Cesare in Egitto aims at irreverence but overplays the comedy.

***11

Mozart blows a fuse: Entführung at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

Laurence Vittes, 6th June

Jessica Pratt lights up the Parisian skies with her Konstanze in Florent Siaud’s new production of Mozart's Singspiel at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

***11

Elin Pritchard leads a fine cast in Grange Park’s Don Carlo revival

Roy Westbrook, 6th June

Jo Davies’ 2016 staging is revived at the Theatre in the Woods, given a bold execution, led by a regal Elisabetta.

****1

Jetske Mijnssen’s Boccanegra a coup for DNO season finale

Eleanor Knight, 4th June

Everything about this production is fresh and wonderful.

*****

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Simon Holden

Simon is an operaphile based in Auckland, New Zealand. He wrote his dissertation on Japanese popular music. With a background in piano and classical music retail, he spends his time attending as much opera or vocal concert as he can and blogs at irishenceaway.blogspot.com.

Simon O'Neill and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra standouts in Fidelio