Korngold's extravagant opera The Dead City staged in style by ENO

William Morgan, Clare Presland, Lauren Bridle. Rhian Lois and Innocent Masuku

Rolf Romei (Paul)

Rolf Romei (Paul) and Audun Iversen (Frank)

Allison Oakes (Marietta) and Lauren Bridle (Marie)

Allison Oakes (Marietta) and Audun Iversen (Frank)

ENO Chorus

By Mark Valencia, 27 March 2023

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“a psychotic landscape of Paul’s imagining as he pursues his vision of the dead Marie”

Reviewed at The London Coliseum, London on 25 March 2023

Korngold, Die tote Stadt (The Dead City)

English National Opera

Kirill Karabits, Conductor

Annilese Miskimmon, Director

English National Opera Orchestra

English National Opera Chorus

Rolf Romei, Paul

Allison Oakes, Marietta

Dame Sarah Connolly, Brigitta

Audun Iversen, Frank, Fritz

Rhian Lois, Juliette

Clare Presland, Lucienne

Innocent Masuku, Gaston

Hubert Francis, Graf Albert

William Morgan, Victorin

ENO’s Mahagonny: biting, bleak, brilliantly executed satire

David Karlin, 16th February

Never has Brecht and Weill’s satire on the inhumanity of man to man been render with such utter darkness; Simon O’Neill heads up a superb cast.

*****

Taken for a ride: an energetic revival of Così fan tutte at ENO

Dominic Lowe, 6th February

English National Opera's revival of Phelim McDermott’s popular production is a blend of spectacle with some first-class singing, with Lucy Crowe emphasising her Mozartian credentials.

****1

Cocteau-esque camp: Alden’s Partenope returns to ENO

Mark Valencia, 20th November

Christopher Alden’s Olivier Award-winning production of Handel’s Partenope returns to the Coliseum, but it's the singing that earns the plaudits.

****1

Dead Man Walking at English National Opera: a superb execution

David Karlin, 1st November

Anneliese Miskimmon's ENO production of Jake Heggie and Terence McNally's tale of crime, repentance, compassion and redemption compels from start to finish.

*****

Comedy falls flat in ENO's season opening Cinderella

Mark Valencia, 27th September

Julia Burbach and her designer, Herbert Murauer, are defeated by the wide canyons of the Coliseum stage in their modern-dress Cinderella.

**111

ENO gives Thea Musgrave's Mary, Queen of Scots a worthy performance

Nick Boston, 15th February

Musgrave's powerful depiction of a powerful woman at the mercy of male manipulation receives a strong staging from at ENO.

****1

More reviews...

Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.