Elīna Garanča gives a polished performance of Schumann, Berg and Strauss at the Concertgebouw

By Nicolas Nguyen, 08 May 2014

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Reviewed at Concertgebouw: Main Hall, Amsterdam on 6 May 2014

Works by Schumann

Works by Strauss R.

Elīna Garanča, Mezzo-soprano

Riccardo Muti makes his long-awaited Philharmonia return

Dominic Lowe, 27th March

All the hallmarks of a Muti performance are on display as the maestro returns to conduct the Philharmonia Orchestra in a magnificent reading of Verdi's Requiem.

****1

The Met Orchestra remains in opera mode at Carnegie Hall

Cameron Kelsall, 14th June

Yannick Nézet-Séguin led a blazing performance of Bluebeard's Castle, although interpretations of Wagner and Debussy sounded tired and under-rehearsed.

***11

Krzysztof Warlikowski’s spellbinding double bill a success in Naples

Lorenzo Fiorito, 24th May

Strong performances from Elīna Garanča, Barbara Hannigan and John Relyea plus innovative stage direction make for a standout production.

*****

Neither hope nor salvation: a sombre Parsifal with much to say

Orsolya Gyárfás, 1st April

Elīna Garanča's Kundry proves the star of Kirill Serebrennikov's prison staging of Parsifal, a powerful exploration of religion and violence.

***11

A star-studded Don Carlo opens the season at La Scala

Laura Servidei, 7th December

Lluís Pasqual's production falls short of expectations, despite featuring a cast of opera stars led by the exceptional Anna Netrebko under the meticulous direction of Riccardo Chailly.

****1

Parsifal in Augmented Reality at the Bayreuth Festival

Snapdragon, 30th July

Jay Scheib spices up the visual experience with digital content in his production of Parsifal. Sounds good. But is it?

***11

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Nicolas Nguyen

Nicolas is a French Amsterdammer, e-commerce professional and a bit of an opera buff. His experience in the area of music is that of a dilettante. His passion for the opera and vocal music comes from his love for both music and languages which are so perfectly combined in these art forms.