A cunning little masterpiece from Rattle and the LSO

By Timmy Fisher, 28 June 2019

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“visceral, headstrong and living utterly in the moment”

Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 27 June 2019

Janáček, The Cunning Little Vixen (Semi-staged)

Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor

Peter Sellars, Director

Gerald Finley, Forester

Lucy Crowe, Vixen

Sophia Burgos, Fox

Jan Martiník, Badger, Parson

Peter Hoare, Mosquito, Rooster, Schoolmaster

Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Harašta

Irene Hoogveld, Jay

Anna Lapkovskaja, Mrs Paškova, Lapák

Paulina Malefane, Forester’s wife, Owl, Woodpecker

Jonah Halton, Pásek

London Symphony Orchestra

London Symphony Chorus

Simon Halsey, Choirmaster / chorus director

Ben Zamora, Lighting Designer

Nick Hillel, Video designer

Julia Bullock in Meditations for Joséphine at Adelaide Festival

Sandra Bowdler, 3rd March

A challenging depiction of Joséphine Baker brilliantly performed by Julia Bullock under the direction of Peter Sellars at the Adelaide Festival.

****1

Peter Sellars directs Italian debut of Kaija Saariaho’s Adriana Mater

Pia Maltri, 11th October

This co-production, previously seen in San Francisco, is more of a semi-staging, convinces thanks to committed performances from a cast led by Fleur Barron.

****1

Matthew Aucoin's Music for New Bodies at Lincoln Center

Kurt Gottschalk, 10th July

Aucoin, librettist Jorie Graham and director Peter Sellars make New Bodies more a haunting mood piece than a cautionary tale for the American Modern Opera Company.

****1

Bach cantatas, American spirituals, global calamity

Kurt Gottschalk, 21st May

The Gospel according to Peter Sellars: an intermingling of Bach’s cantatas and American spirituals depicts an environmental message that the impending end won’t be personal, but global.

***11

Light and shadows in Rattle and Sellars' Médée at Staatsoper Berlin

Elena Luporini, 19th November

Reuniting two old friends and collaborators, the Staatsoper Berlin presents a new production of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Médée, with mixed results.

***11

An unlikely meeting of Morton Feldman and the blues

Kurt Gottschalk, 27th September

Sorey’s instrumentation mirrors Feldman’s Rothko Chapel in a moving evening of musical high drama at Park Avenue Armory.

*****

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Timmy Fisher

Timmy read musicology at Durham University, studying composition with Richard Rijnvos. He has written for Gramophone and The Spectator, and composes for both film and the concert hall. He has a special interest in contemporary choral music, and co-hosts The Classical Music Pod with Sam Poppleton, available on iTunes and Spotify. Follow him on twitter at @timmy_fisher.