A fervently theatrical Götterdämmerung at Tanglewood

Christine Goerke

David Leigh

Boston Symphony harpists

The cast of Götterdämmerung

By Cameron Kelsall, 21 July 2024

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“David Leigh... communicated an air of mounting danger from the moment he stepped onstage”

Reviewed at Tanglewood, Koussevitzky Music Shed, Lenox on 20 July 2024

Wagner, Götterdämmerung (Act 3)

Andris Nelsons, Conductor

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Michael Weinius, Siegfried

Christine Goerke, Brünnhilde

James Rutherford, Gunther

Amanda Majeski, Gutrune

David Leigh, Hagen

Diana Newman, Wellgunde, Soprano

Renée Tatum, Woglinde, Mezzo-soprano

Annie Rosen, Flosshilde

Catherine Martin, Mezzo-soprano

L’Orfeo, the world’s first great opera, premieres at Glyndebourne

Roy Westbrook, 14th June

One element of the Orpheus myth is about creativity, so at Glyndebourne, William Kentridge sets Monteverdi’s opera in an artist's studio,

****1

Aldeburgh Festival dives in at the deep end with Pelléas et Mélisande

Eleanor Knight, 12th June

Rory Kinnear directs a minimally semi-staged performance of Debussy's problematic opera at Snape Maltings, but Ryan Wigglesworth and the BBC Scottish SO provide the detail.

****1

Monteverdi and Ulisse return happily to Garsington Opera

David Karlin, 12th June

Laurence Cummings and John Caird’s second Garsington exploration of the operas of Monteverdi brims with wonderfully playing and singing in an attractive setting.

****1

Darkness without passion: Damiano Michieletto’s Carmen at La Scala

Laura Servidei, 12th June

Despite Michieletto's visual gloom, the evening is redeemed by Myung-whun Chung’s masterful conducting and a cast that brings conviction to a production that rarely trusts the opera’s own dramatic power.

**111

A thrilling Slavic Iolanta from Chișinău

Peter Quantrill, 11th June

Young voices shine in Tchaikovsky's last opera in a new and rustic updating by Moldovan director Slava Sambriș.

****1

McVicar’s Figaro celebrates its 20th Royal Opera anniversary

Dominic Lowe, 8th June

While this revival is imperfect, the Cherubino of Svetlina Stoyanova proves a marvel to hear.

***11

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Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall is a classical music critic and cultural reporter. He has written for Bachtrack since 2019, and his byline has appeared in many national and international classical music publications. Based in Philadelphia, he regularly travels around the United States for musical events. In addition to his career in journalism, Cameron also teaches in the Theatre Arts program at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a certified sommelier and avid home cook. His favorite composer is Mahler. Twitter: @CameronPKelsall.

Gods at twilight: a fervently theatrical Götterdämmerung at Tanglewood