Patchy recital from La Colla and Katzarava

By Dominic Lowe, 12 January 2017

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

Reviewed at Wigmore Hall, London on 10 January 2017

Verdi, Aroldo: Sotto il sol di Siria ardente

Puccini, Tosca: Vissi d'arte

Puccini, Manon Lescaut: Tu, tu, amore? Tu?

Massenet, Le Cid: O Souverain, ô Juge, ô Père

Gounod, Romeo et Juliette: Dieu! Quel frisson court dans mes veines

Giordano, Andrea Chenier: Vicino a te

Puccini, Tosca: Recondita armonia

Puccini, Tosca: Mario! Mario! Mario!

Puccini, La bohème: Donde lieta uscì

Puccini, Turandot: Nessun dorma

Puccini, Turandot: Tu che di gel sei cinta

Puccini, Madama Butterfly: Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia

Maria Katzarava, Soprano

Stefano La Colla, Tenor

Simon Lepper, Piano

De la nuit au jour : Mark Padmore et Simon Lepper à La Monnaie

Valentin Gautron Lavarone, 7th February

Fragiles et assez peu inspirés dans la mélodie française, Mark Padmore et Simon Lepper se révèlent pleinement dans le répertoire anglais et américain.

***11

Visually splendid, dramatically parched La Gioconda in Budapest

Gianmarco Segato, 11th June

Hungarian State Opera's cut-down, dramatically inert Gioconda fails to ignite the stage in Budapest, despite a solid musical foundation.

***11

Puccini's “shabby little shocker” fails to shock in Toronto

John Gilks, 5th May

Fourth time around Paul Curran’s production of Tosca at the Canadian Opera Company is workmanlike and well sung, but lacks the necessary dramatic edge to be truly memorable.

**111

At La Scala, Livermore sets Gioconda in a dreamy Venetian landscape

Laura Servidei, 7th June

La Scala presents a new production of Ponchielli’s masterpiece, the first one in more than 20 years and a sequence of beautiful images supporting a solid cast, led by Saioa Hernández.

***11

Compelling to hear, amazing to see: Opera Australia’s Aida

Brian Angus, 17th May

Using bold digital panels, D-Wok has created stunning visual effects. World class singers provide an outstanding aural experience.

****1

An eye-popping Tosca in Rome

Mark Pullinger, 7th April

Alessandro Talevi's gorgeous staging recreates Tosca as it might have been seen at its 1900 première.

****1

More reviews...

Dominic Lowe

Dominic Lowe recently completed a degree in Classics, and one of his great interests is the reception of Greece and Rome in opera. A regular opera-goer since his very early teens, he is particularly keen on the hidden operatic gems of the 19th century. He is largely based in the South of England.

Patchy recital from Stefano La Colla and Maria Katzarava at Wigmore Hall