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

The Drover's Wife brings Aboriginal Dreaming to opera audiences

Jeremy Eccles, 16th May

Emerging from different incarnations of Leah Purcell’s play, George Palmer’s opera develops traditional Dreaming elements from Aboriginal mythology, premiering in Brisbane.

****1

Anna Netrebko gatecrashes Riccardo Chailly’s La Scala farewell

Laura Servidei, 16th May

Riccardo Chailly’s final new production as artistic director is a celebration of Verdi and of a conductor whose relationship with the Milanese audience has clearly deepened over the years.

*****

Orlando revisited: Olga Neuwirth’s Woolf adaptation comes to Berlin

Elena Luporini, 16th May

The German premiere of Olga Neuwirth’s Orlando at the Komische Oper cements it as a postmodern grand opéra – for better or for worse.

***11

Iolanta paired with Luonnotar in dramatic Helsinki double bill

No’a L. bat Miri, 15th May

In Helsinki, Antony McDonald pairs Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta with a staged version of Sibelius’ tone poem Luonnotar, brilliantly voiced by soprano Silja Aalto.

*****

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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