Hoffmann’s disturbing tales at Gothenburg Opera

Kerstin Avemo, Tomas Lind, Eskil Fridfors

Tomas Lind, Kerstin Avemo, Brian Michael Moore, GöteborgsOperans Kör

Kerstin Avemo, Tomas Lind, Eskil Fridfors

Tomas Lind, Brian Michael Moore, Daniel Ralphsson, Andrew Foster-Williams, Katarina Karnéus

Fanny Wranne, Andrew Foster-Williams

By David Karlin, 27 November 2022

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“not a comfortable process by any means – but ultimately an uplifting one”

Reviewed at GöteborgsOperan, Gothenburg on 26 November 2022

Offenbach, Les Contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann)

Gothenburg Opera

Sébastien Rouland, Conductor

Krystian Lada, Director

Marian Nketiah, Set Designer

Bente Rolandsdotter, Costume Designer

Aleksandr Prowaliński, Lighting Designer

Gothenburg Opera Orchestra

Gothenburg Opera Chorus

Joachim Bäckström, Hoffmann

Brian Michael Moore, Hoffmann, Peter Schlémil, Hoffmann as a young man

Tomas Lind, Hoffmann, Spalanzani, Hoffmann as an old man

Kerstin Avemo, Olympia, Antonia, Giulietta, Stella

Katarina Karnéus, Nicklausse, The Muse

Andrew Foster-Williams, Coppélius, Dapertutto, Lindorf, Miracle

Daniel Ralphsson, Andrès, Cochenille, Frantz, Pitichinaccio

Daniel Hayes, Hermann

Markus Pettersson, Nathanaël

Katarina Giotas, Voice of Antonia's Mother

Kristoffer Töyrä, Wilhelm

Stefan Berkieta, Luther

Mats Persson, Crespel

Skid/Saaba: a thrilling free fall into contemporary dance

Katie Lawrence, 24th January

Swedish contemporary dance company GöteborgsOperans Danskompani pushes the audience off balance with a quirky, compelling, and innovative double bill.

****1

Göteborg Opera's gleaming new Siegfried, pandemic style

Katherine Syer, 28th March

Forced to shift to online for the third episode of its Ring cycle, Göteborg Opera delivers absorbing new production by Stephen Langridge.

****1

Sculpture and 3.5 tonnes of clay in Zurich

Sarah Batschelet, 13th April

Members of the GöteborgsOperans dance company, along with members of choreographer Sidu Larbi Cherkaoui’s own Eastman ensemble, recently danced a joint venture of an extraordinary kind in Winterthur.

***11

Figaro returns to Gothenburg

Katharina Hogrefe, 17th January

Gothenburg Opera's revival under the baton of Leo Hussain shone with a harmonious cast in a timeless staging.

****1

Notorious: world première in Gothenburg

Katharina Hogrefe, 19th September

When one of the most sought-after sopranos of our time slips into the role of her most famous countrywoman, the foundations for an eventful evening of opera have already been laid. The Swedish world première Notorious, after Alfred Hitchcock's film of the same title, shows in an all-round successful production that contemporary opera can have a promising future.

*****

Harlequin would be laughing at this La Cenerentola

Richard Milne, 14th May

Wonderful costumes, sublime comic timing, beautiful playing and world class singing. A 5* production of La Cenerentola at the Gothneburg Opera.

*****

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David Karlin

David is a co-founder of Bachtrack. He is a musical omnivore interested in almost all types of music, but with a particular love of Italian opera. You can contact him from this link.