Warlikowski’s prison: From the House of the Dead in Rome

Štefan Margita (Filka)

From the House of the Dead

Leigh Melrose (Šiškov), Carolyn Sproule (Prostitute)

Julian Hubbard (Skuratov)

Erin Caves (Big prisoner)

By Alissa Balocco, 25 May 2023

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“the expressive power of everything that is on stage sometimes sacrifices the musical side”

Reviewed at Teatro Costanzi, Teatro dell'Opera, Rome on 23 May 2023

Janáček, From the House of the Dead

Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Dmitry Matvienko, Conductor

Krzysztof Warlikowski, Director

Małgorzata Szczęśniak, Set Designer

Felice Ross, Lighting Designer

Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Coro del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Denis Guéguin, Video

Mark S Doss, Alexandr Petrovič Gorjančikov

Pascal Charbonneau, Aljeja

Štefan Margita, Luka Kuzmič (Filka Morozov)

Erin Caves, Big prisoner/Nikita

Lukáš Zeman, Small prisoner, Čekunov, Cook

Clive Bayley, Prison governor

Julian Hubbard, Skuratov

Aleš Jenis, Blacksmith, Prisoner as Don Juan and Brahmin

Paul Curievici, Prisoner with the eagle

Carolyn Sproule, Prostitute

Michael J. Scott, Šapkin

Leigh Melrose, Šiškov

Claude Bardouil, Choreography

Grigolo shines in a mixed new Roméo et Juliette at the Opera di Roma

Pia Maltri, 28th April

With its 1940s setting, Luca Del Fusco’s direction alienates in a new production of Gounod's Shakespeare-inspired opera.

***11

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

Ariadne in Rome: David Hermann’s Strauss staging highlights contrasts

Pia Maltri, 1st March

In an opera rarely staged in Italy, David Hermann skilfully masters the metatheatrical challenges posed by the libretto to Ariadne auf Naxos.

****1

Abandon all hope: Lucia Ronchetti's Inferno receives Italian premiere

Pia Maltri, 19th February

The Italian premiere of Lucia Ronchetti’s Inferno at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma uses Dante’s original verses, but her score fails to match their beauty.

***11

Livermore’s successful Bohème opens at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Pia Maltri, 14th January

Originally staged at the Caracalla Baths in 2014, Davide Livermore’s production comes in from the cold.

****1

Wagner’s Lohengrin finally returns – swanless – to Rome

Pia Maltri, 27th November

Damiano Michieletto is entrusted with the first staging of Lohengrin in Rome for 50 years, but his distracting staging is redeemed by the musical side of things.

***11

More reviews...

Alissa Balocco

Born and raised in Rome, Alissa is an Italian pianist, musicologist and journalist. She graduated at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory and studied Musicology at University La Sapienza. She is now taking a Master’s Degree in Journalism and Communication at Luiss University and her articles have been published on Music.it, ZetaLuiss and HuffingtonPost. Alissa loves Debussy but, if she could, she would like to be reborn as a Mahler symphony. She can’t live without theatre although her friends would say she obsesses even more about her unconditional love for Amy Winehouse and Soul music.

Warlikowski’s kinetic prison: Janáček's From the House of the Dead in Rome